consitaption=pain

Miles has been waking up more frequently during the night. Last Thursday I was sitting in the rocking chair in his room in the wee hours of the morning. I was in my half asleep, half awake zombie state feeding Miles wondering why are you awake?? Something most be off? That was the extent of my thinking. I posed a question but too tired to find a solution.
Moments later it hit me. It came out of nowhere and was clear as day....he is constipated. I perked up and thought, "oh my gosh, when WAS the last time he pooped?" I knew he was getting a morning routine of pooping and then waking up. Matt has been getting up with him in the morning and changing his diaper. I knew he had not pooped for me for a couple of days. So I tried real hard not to forget to ask Matt when we wake up.
I had to work Friday morning so Matt and I were both up early. Most the time we don't say much because we are trying to wake up. However the first thing I said when I saw him, "Matt when was the last time you changed one of Miles poppy diapers?" He knew it had been a couple days at least.
Ok I thought. I told Matt I believed he was constipated and Matt said he would go and buy some prunes.
I wasn't too worried yet. I know bowel patterns change when they go from being strictly breast feed to solids. I know that being irregular doesn't mean they are constipated. I just needed to be more diligent and pay attention to how Miles was acting and when he did poop what it looked like.
Miles would bear down and try but nothing happen. There were a few occasion when he did poop and it was what I had seen with Brielle. Small,stuck between the butt checks, irritating to the skin, pasty looking poop. With Brielle this was our sign she was on the verge of being constipated and time for some prunes. And with Brielle we would see results, she never did get constipated. However NOTHING was happening. In fact as days past he wasn't even pooping the pasty stuff either. I was getting a little worried by now but he appeared to be ok, maybe slightly uncomfortable but not really.
However on Monday I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to see him poop because I didn't want a bowel obstruction of something happening to him. I knew I was inspired in my thinking that he was constipated and I needed to do something. I had waited long enough. Monday was also the day he let me know he needed to poop and he couldn't. He wear bear down and started crying with the saddest, "this hurts help me" eyes. It was so sad. When he would do this cry I would lay him on the floor, pull his diaper off and put his legs into a frog position (pushing his legs toward the chest) and as the very hard rock poop would start to come, I would kinda separated his anas a little (which cause him to scream even more....sad) Poor kid was pooping rocks and it hurt him BAD. The very first time this happen I took my finger to try to scoop it out (this is what I have done for adults who are constipated in the hospital.) However his anas was took small and I couldn't get my finger up to do much. OK so that wasn't going to work. I thought they had some type of suppository or something for babies but come to find out they don't. I was going to keep working with him throughout the day and if my methods were not going to start working, I was calling the pediatrician.
My next step was to increase his water intake, decrease his solid food intake, when I did give solids it was only prunes and pears, massage his tummy and continue to help him when he started to bear down. Needless to say, this consumed most my day. He would only poop a few rocks at a time.
Late afternoon, Matt came in and told me that Julie suggest lubing up a q-tip and sticking it up there to loosen things up. I didn't like this idea but I did like the q-tip idea to maybe help stimulate a BM.
Once I stuck the q-tip up there he started to poop, and I could get more 'rocks' out with the q-tip. However during this whole scenario, he started peeing everywhere. On the carpet and on his clothes. Matt just started laughing and all I could do was let him pee. My main concern was him pooping. Once I finished he seemed a little happier and I needed to change some clothes and clean up.
Later that night we was able to poop without crying. It had changed from the 'rocks' to the paste. I was please with my methods and decided to not do anything else. As the week progressed he is pooping again without any pain. Finally this morning he filled his diaper and I believe we are back on track.
Wow what a ride. I am slowly letting him have solids again. I haven't slowed down on the breastfeeding and try to get him water whenever I remember to.
Now I know this was a very detailed account of my experience but it was the first time I had experienced something like this with my kids. I felt horrible that he was in so much pain and I couldn't relieve it fast enough. I am also very grateful because this was the first time I have recognized  my Heavenly Father's hand in raising my children. I know he told me Miles was constipated, it hit me like a ton of bricks....it was so cool. I am so grateful to know he is there by my side helping my raise our kids. He wants the best for them as well...no matter what the situation is.