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Infant feeding

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

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:
Original poster
hairymelons · 20/10/2010 13:14

I'll make sure he gets weighed. Thank you, I felt like his feeding wasn't right but it's hard to know whether I am just comparing to DS1 who was a very hungry baby.

OP posts:
mintyneb · 20/10/2010 13:49

hairymelons, I don't want to scare you but I would seriously get him checked out properly asap.

My 3.5yo DD didn't pass meconium at birth but fortunately 15 hours later when she wouldn't/couldn't feed in hospital, the midwife got her looked at by a paediatrician and she was transferred to the SBCU. 3 days later she had to have surgery to remove part of her bowel as she had a major blockage and the bowel was beginning to die. It transpired that she has cystic fibrosis which was in her case the cause of her blockage.

whilst we were in SCBU, a baby boy was admitted on a Wednesday having not pooed since his birth on the Sunday. His mum had been told by her midwife not to worry if he hadn't pooed but by the Weds a different midwife heard the story and was horrified and got him into hospital as soon as she could. At 2am the following morning, his parents were called asking for their permission for the surgeons to operate as his bowel had perforated. It turned out he had hirschsprungs disease which affects the bowel.

So I am really sorry for being so dramatic. I wouldn't normally post scare stories but having been there myself, I would hate for anyone else to go through the same.

I really hope that there is a simple explanation but there are some serious conditions that should not be overlooked.

wishing you lots of luck with your little one and hope to hear some good news soon

tiktok · 20/10/2010 14:08

minty - you're absolutely right. Happily, the paed has seen the OP's baby and one hopes to goodness that he's ruled out those possibilities. But it's always important to check when a new baby doesn't pass meconium.

mintyneb · 20/10/2010 14:15

tiktok, I'm hoping too that the paed did their job properly. Whilst my DD had a distended tummy which led the midwife to get her checked out it was only when they did an xray did they know she had a blockage. I don't know if the OPs DS has had any xrays.

I really hope I am being over cautious and that everything is OK, I don't like being a scaremonger

PrivetDancer · 20/10/2010 14:17

As a side note, my little brother (who was quite premature) didn't poo for ages and was transferred to a bigger hospital (in scbu anyway) to be probed and prodded while they tried to work out why.
Finally they realised it was because he was being tube fed and apparently the sucking notion is often needed to stimulate the bowels (clever trick to stop them pooing before birth I guess). Once he was latched on he started pooing.

So it could be related to the fact that he didn't feed (ie suckle) for 48hrs that has delayed the bowels from opening.

Hope they get to the bottom of it soon anyway (sorry :)) - don't be fobbed off, as others have said. I think if you'd given birth at hospital they wouldn't have discharged you until they'd seen a poo.

belgo · 20/10/2010 16:07

Let us know hairymelons what is happeningSmile

usernamechanged345 · 20/10/2010 19:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tvfriend · 20/10/2010 19:39

Just to let you know that DD didn't pass meconium for about 4 days or so. They were worried and x-rayed her bowels etc but there was nothing wrong and she was fine. She wasn't great at feeding which I think made her dehydrated and she was 4 weeks early.
So even though it can mean a problem it doesn't have to. Hope all well.

SpecterBooAlot · 20/10/2010 19:59

Hope everything is okay, Hairymelons.

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 21/10/2010 08:13

Is everything OK?

tiktok · 21/10/2010 09:15

bumping so we get an update....

DanceOnTheDarkSide · 21/10/2010 12:09

How did it go?

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 21/10/2010 19:40

bump

RoobyMurray · 21/10/2010 23:38

Just to update, I'm in touch with hairymelons in RL and she is in hospital with DS2 while they figure out what's going on.

tiktok · 21/10/2010 23:57

Thanks, Rooby - I've been thinking of her and hoping something would be sorted soon.

Wishing her well.

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 22/10/2010 07:59

Oh dear, hope her DS is OK, thank you for letting us know

TheGrumpalo · 22/10/2010 08:07

Hope your wee one is ok hairy and that you will be home soon.

mintyneb · 22/10/2010 09:44

thanks for letting us know. I have been thinking about hairy and her DS and hope that they find out soon what's going on,

PrivetDancer · 22/10/2010 11:54

Hope all is sorted soon and nothing serious :(

belgo · 22/10/2010 15:42

Thanks Roobymurrey. I hope the baby is ok.

DanceOnTheDarkSide · 22/10/2010 15:56

Thanks Rooby. Glad they have decided to investigate properly though.

Original poster
hairymelons · 23/10/2010 08:40

In hospital with DS. Minty was right, he's had surgery to repair a perforated bowel and biopsies taken to test for hurschsprung's disease. Also testing for Cystic Fibrosis but think hirschsprungs most likely.

Been a rough couple of days but he's doing really well.

Thanks for thinking of us.

OP posts:
tiktok · 23/10/2010 09:31

hairy - so glad you're home and they have discovered the problem.

:( :( to the paed who checked him out and said all was well.

PrivetDancer · 23/10/2010 09:52

Glad the surgery went ok and he is doing well. Must have been very scary.
Hope you're ok too.

chimchARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH · 23/10/2010 10:09

oh jeez. poor little lad...

so glad you got him seen to hairy. hope he makes a very speedy recovery and hope that you are doing ok. hugs to you x