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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

3 day old still hasn't opened bowels

62 replies

hairymelons · 20/10/2010 10:47

3 day old DS2 hasn't had a poo yet, didn't pass any meconium at birth. Saw paed yesterday who confirmed he definately has a bum! Doesn't seem to be able to use it though.

Doc thought it was because he was slow to start feeding and all looks well otherwise so there aren't any major concerns yet but I can't help worrying a bit.

Anyone have any experience of this? Anything I can do to help him get things moving?

Thanks.

OP posts:

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 20/10/2010 10:48

No, that's not right. Is your MW coming out? I would definitely see someone about this - hopefully nothing, but it is not normal for them not to poo at this stage, and meconium should have definitely come out by now. Did you give birth in hospital? I don't think they discharged us before they'd seen a wet and dirty nappy.
Congratulations on your DS :o

snice · 20/10/2010 10:49

don't have any medical advice but a top tip is to put a thin layer of vaseline on his bottom before the meconium poo-its a bugger to get off otherwise!

belgo · 20/10/2010 10:51

Congratulations on the birth of your baby. When were you discharged from hospital? When are you next seeing the doctor? Because I think your baby should see the paed again very quickly - today if he still hasn't pooed yet.

How are you feeding him? is he weeing normally?

I do think this isn't a question for the internet btw - your baby is still so tiny the doctors really need to see him.

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 20/10/2010 10:55

yes I agree with belgo, this needs seeing to today, and I am amazed that you have had such poor follow up care

DanceOnTheDarkSide · 20/10/2010 10:59

Did he pass meconium before he was born? ie were the waters "muddy"?

How are you feeding? Are you ff or bf?

It may be that your mw changed the first nappy and had pooed. And some babies do take a wee while before their digestion kicks in properly. However, i am not a DR and ave had no medical training. You should ring your MW and ask her advice and go back to Paed asap.

Original poster

hairymelons · 20/10/2010 11:01

He was born at home early hours of Sunday morning. Didn't start feeding properly for 48 hours (was expressing onto a spoon until then so he was getting bits but not much). Plenty of wet nappies.

MW referred us to peadiatrician at the hospital yesterday who examined him and said that because there was nothing going in, nothing would be coming out. Which is fine and makes sense but I still don't think it's right.

We'll take him back to hospital this afternoon of course, I was just hoping someone would say their baby did a massive poo on day 4 and all was well etc etc...

OP posts:

Original poster

hairymelons · 20/10/2010 11:04

No, we've checked back with MW who delivered him. There was definately no meconium passed at birth and nothing since.

I think we're being well looked after, MW has been every day and they are keeping a close eye on him.

OP posts:

usernamechanged345 · 20/10/2010 11:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

hairymelons · 20/10/2010 11:04

Sorry, am bf.

OP posts:

usernamechanged345 · 20/10/2010 11:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

belgo · 20/10/2010 11:05

Good I'm glad you are going back this afternoon. The baby's bowels should already be full of meconium which obviously needs to come out.

If you are breastfeeding, have plenty of skin to skin contact, and feed literally as much as possible - constantly when the baby is awake. And wake the baby up every two hours for a feed.

Do you have a bfing expert who can come and see you? (as well as going to the doctor)

Original poster

hairymelons · 20/10/2010 11:06

Good point, mrspickles. I think we were pretty clear that he hadn't opened his bowels at all. They seem very unconcerned which is making me feel a bit neurotic.

OP posts:

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 20/10/2010 11:07

I'd be neurotic too :) defintely get it checked

Original poster

hairymelons · 20/10/2010 11:08

BF is going well now. He was very mucousy and sleepy which I think held him back, but he's now feeding every 2 hours with lots of coaxing. It's very odd having to wake a baby to feed him, DS1 was an animal.

OP posts:

tiktok · 20/10/2010 11:16

hairymelons - not normal - not necessarily a sign of anything wrong, but highly unusual.

Babies pass meconium every day, and the colostrum acts as a 'laxative' to help this even more.

If feeding is going well, then this may resolve itself, but I think it would be a good idea to have someone observe you feed. Babies who need waking, as yours does, are not feeding well....they may look as if they are doing something at the breast, but they're not.

You can also ask if it would be a good idea to weigh your baby today, too. It's day 4. You need to know what he has lost and if the issue with poor feeding and no poo pertains, he should be weighed tomorrow and the next day, too, to check he has stopped losing (babies should stop losing day 4-5).

Hope you get good help and support.

Original poster

hairymelons · 20/10/2010 11:23

Thanks Tiktok.

We're going back to hospital. Who can I get to observe a feed?

OP posts:

Original poster

hairymelons · 20/10/2010 11:26

He also has a tongue tie. No one seems to think this is a problem but I am wondering now...

OP posts:

snice · 20/10/2010 11:27

can you ask to see the breastfeeding counsellor?

belgo · 20/10/2010 11:29

Yes tongue tie is relevant information as it can cause the baby a problem with latch. I know in Belgium, tongue tie is snipped when the baby is just a few days old but I have no idea in the UK.

I would contact : La Leche league, or an NCT breastfeeding expert, or a well trained midwife.

usernamechanged345 · 20/10/2010 11:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BeatRoute · 20/10/2010 11:40

Hi, my first baby had no meconium whatsoever and didn't open her bowels for about a week. We were discharged from hospital at 3 days and the staff were not concerned. She breastfed fairly well (although not great on one side to start with) and went on to be a once a week/10 days poo-er. When she weaned onto food at 6 months the poos came a bit more frequently and now as a nearly 4 year old she poos pretty much every day at about 4pm!
The midwives told me that she wasn't pooing because she was using everything I gave her and said that that's the beauty of breastfeeding - the child gets what it needs and there is little waste (ie, poo). DD was always on the small side (25th - 50th centile) but there no real interest from anyone medical about her infrequent poos.
Am sure you'll be OK, just thought I'd try and put your mind at ease a bit. Enjoy your lovely baby.

tiktok · 20/10/2010 11:44

If you are going to the hospital it should not be impossible to ask for a midwife to observe a feed - you might have to go to the maternity unit, and you might be best off phoning in advance and making an appt. for this to happen, rather than just landing on them. They should have a specialist infant feeding person who should be fine to observe a 4 day old - though I would guess it's an unusual request.

It really is no good to ask a paediatrician to observe a feed - lovely as many of them are, and supportive of bf as many of them are, this is not in their skillset, unless they have had some very unusual training and experience. The paed can assess the well-being of your baby, but not his activity at the breast.

This is a clinical assessment you would be asking for, so beyond the boundaries of most breastfeeding counsellors.

Don't let this situation drift. Hope you get good help.

tiktok · 20/10/2010 11:49

BeatRoute - glad all was well with your baby.

It is highly unusual for a baby to pass no meconium, and it is always worth investigating. What the midwives told you was correct for a baby over about 3-4 weeks or so, but not correct for a new baby.

Your baby was way, way, outside the usual! It's not a worry in itself, but no poo is a sign to check for feeding effectiveness, weight and general well-being (including really rare physical anomalies - like a closed-off anus, which is no doubt what the OP's paed was looking for yesterday, though there are other rare conditions, too ). If all these check out ok, no problem.

Original poster

hairymelons · 20/10/2010 12:28

Ok thanks very much. I'll speak to my midwife first and see if she'll refer me to the infant feeding co-ordinator.

He's stripped to his nappy and still won't wake for more than a few sucks. But he fed for 40 mins this morning so I don't know if that's ok or not.

OP posts:

tiktok · 20/10/2010 12:33

Excellent idea to get the 'official' referral, hairy.

It's slightly reassuring that he fed for 40 mins earlier - but he needs to have been doing it effectively. And a 4 day old baby would usually have fed a few times since then more than a few sleepy sucks.

A weight taken this afternoon - naked, on digital scales - will help with any assessment.

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