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Infant feeding

Constipated newborn 😢

16 replies

LadyRenoir · 10/01/2018 02:34

My baby boy is 2 weeks old. He has so far has had very regularly poos during feedings. He is formula fed with breast milk twice a day, unfortunately he gas spent first days of his life fed through a tube in NICU which messed up my plans to brestfeed... Anyway the usual formula milk run out and yesterday dp could not get any in any of the nearby shops, so panicked and got a different one, and since my son had it yesterday no poo and a very big, hard belly 😢 and not sleeping well, but lots of wriggling and arched backs when we feed him.
We have since found some more of the original formula we had, and he was fed some in the evening, but the poo is not making its way out and I am beginning to worry. Anything we could do to ease this and help the baby?

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KnitFastDieWarm · 10/01/2018 02:38

Oh bless him and you Sad I always found that lying DS across my forearm with his tummy pressed against my arm seemed to help things along (imagine a leopard sleeping on a tree branch, it's that position basically!) helped relive his tummy. Bicycle legs and warm baths are good too, and being upright in the sling seemed to help. Their little tummies are working so hard just to get used to digesting at that age, it does get better.

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KnitFastDieWarm · 10/01/2018 02:40

You can also try gently massaging his tummy clockwise (avoiding cord stump if he still has it) - that can produce impressive results if you're lucky, just be prepared for mess! Grin
You're doing great, having a newborn is hard and scary and bloody exhausting but keep going, it gets easier Flowers

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Itsjustaphase84 · 10/01/2018 02:47

Yes bicycle legs and also move his feet clockwise gently over his abdomen.

A bit of patroleum jelly on a cotton bud, rub it over the anus. The sensation usually moves things along. Please do not actually put this inside his bum of course.

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LadyRenoir · 10/01/2018 10:58

We tried massage and bicycles, but still only a tiny poo at night and then nothing. Will wait a fee petroleum jelly/vaseline later in the day or tomorrow, we will see how he goes with feeding. If he does eat, where does all that stuff go if it does not come out? Confused

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PasstheStarmix · 10/01/2018 11:02

Have you tried changing his formula?

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PasstheStarmix · 10/01/2018 11:03

I would ditch the one you have and change it.

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LadyRenoir · 10/01/2018 14:19

We gave him the one he was good on originally, but still nothing. He had no problems with it until we gave him the carton of the other one...

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PasstheStarmix · 10/01/2018 14:28

May take alittle time for it to get out of his system,

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NanooCov · 10/01/2018 14:49

Is there any chance you can up his breastfeeds a bit? BM tends to get things moving a bit more than formula.

My first son was in SCBU for 12 days and nil by mouth for the first 9 so I know how tough that is on feeding plans but after an initial period of supplementing with expressed BM and formula, we BF for over 2 years so it's not impossible to come back to it if that's what you want x

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drinkswineoutofamug · 10/01/2018 15:00

I'm going back 21 years , but when my baby was constipated , my then midwife told me to give him a teaspoon of pour orange juice.

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LadyRenoir · 10/01/2018 16:48

@NanooCov
Unfortunately I am not producing enough milk, although it was my dream to fully breastfeed. I am expressing around 50 ml four times a day, and trying to up it, so we will see what happens. You give me a bit of hope that I can still turn things around, but for now the baby is still quite week and spends all his energy on drinking a bit of milk from breast, and then has no strength to drink the formula which he needs to get rid of jaundice- vicious circle.
Anyway, hope little boy will get back to norm soon.

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PasstheStarmix · 10/01/2018 18:21

That's understandable though baby can get a lot more milk than a pump. Some women can express like a diary cow and others don't get much. This has no baring on what baby could get.

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PasstheStarmix · 10/01/2018 18:23

Obviously you had some problems as you've mentioned with jaundice and it sounds like you've chosen the best route for you. I hope your little one gets over his constipation soon Flowers

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LadyRenoir · 10/01/2018 18:39

I think the only thing we are concerned is that he needs to eat loads for the jaundice not to come again (he had been under lights twice already before being let home). Jaundice caused drowsiness, which caused more jaundice as he was not eating enough to flush it out. With breastfeeding, we have no clue how much he had and we are trying to be super organised with feeding, so that he gets the minimum or above. if he gets too tired, he dozes off and that's one meal down...
That being said, he has had three portions of my milk today and the topups of the first formula, and we just survived what I can only described as a poonami or poomageddon. \Never thought I would be so relieved to see a full diaper!

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April45 · 10/01/2018 21:13

That’s fantastic! I was recommended to give a little bit of cooled boiled water when DS was that and it worked well with the ‘I love you’ massage- google it it’s great! I still do it now occasionally If needed (DS 12 Months).

You prob know this but to increase your supply let your little one suckle even if he’s not getting anything out this sensation will increase your supply. Could you feed his the formula first then let him suckle on you - you don’t have to worry about how much he’s taking then either. Lots of skin to skin too!

Good luck, sounds like you need a rest now after your busy start together

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Yvonne1982 · 21/01/2018 12:45

HI, my baby’s just come out of NICU. They have told me that powdered formula can cause constipation and if the baby doesn’t pop for 24/48 hours, go to GP for a suppository... lots of babies had it when were were in NICU and I’m told it doesn’t hurt them at all. You may have tried it but I’ve had a course of domperidone from the GP to increase my breast milk - it’s really hard when you haven’t been with your baby all the time. I used to express about 50mls over a whole day and the domperidone increased it to about 100mls an expression. Really worked for me. Good luck!

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