breastfed 2wk old constipated for 6 days after formula top-up

[99redballoons]

Hi, how do I get her pooing again?!

I had a cracked nipple and was advised by mw to rest it for 24hrs (this was last tues). Dd was so hungry we gave her 2oz of formula tues evening and 1/2oz wed morning. I then developed mastitis and got her feeding on both sides again wed evening. I do know that formula can upset a bf baby's system, but was hoping it would have cleared by now, six days on, but it hasn't. She's producing very wet nappies, but not even a rabbit dropping, only smelly wind. I did give her some cool boiled water from a bottle yesterday, but she wasn't taking in enough to make any difference imo. Also bicycle kicks & tummy massage aren't producing anything either.

What can I do to get her going again? Should I take her to the gp? TIA

good for you for getting the BF going again, keep it up

It is very common for BF babies to go for days on end without a poo, and yes you are right the formula would have upset her digestive system in terms of given her a whole new set of stuff to work on.

Cracked nipples, while horribley painful of course, are almost always due to incorrect positioning, but it seems like you've worked out that glitch now.

I wouldn't worry about the lack of poo, the heavy wet nappies are a good sign. Just make sure you aren't wearing a lot of white silk nighties and jumpsuits cos when she does blow, oh man is it going to be an erruption.

Second suzy.Wait for the eruption!!

Both mine often went days without apoo and when I gave my first a bit of formula one desperate night when I was mad for sleep the poo and farting were rank (as was the sick. Yuck!!!)

I found expressing helped me over a cracked nipple.

Hope everything is better now.

I wouldn't bother with the water.Your milk has everything she needs in it.

well done for persevering and succeeding!

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. I wouldn't worry too much unless she shows obvious signs of distress. Does her stomach feel hard? BF babies sometimes poo weekly. She may be too young or unwilling to take a bit of diluted orange juice which they say can help with constipation, but you could try drinking some yourself.

Lansinoh has helped tonnes, so almost pain free now

Yes, she had two nappies on last night...! Will keep an eye on it. Thx.

Sorry, suzy and moondog, no poos in a baby of 2 weeks are a red flag.

The info about no poos for days being normal in a bf baby is incorrect - this is only normal after about five to six weeks.

Earlier than this, and especially in the first two to three weeks, and it can mean the baby is not getting enough in the top end. Clearly, the wet nappies are a good sign she is not dehydrating, but I would be very concerned about a baby, breast or bottle fed, who had not poo'd in six days.

It doesn't have to mean that, but it can do...and 99's baby needs to be checked out....she needs to be weighed, someone who knows what they are talking about needs to watch her feed, and no one should be reassuring her that it's normal, 'cos it may well not be

Oh gosh,sorry about giving misleading info there tiktok!!!!

99,hope that you have read this!!

I hope she reads it, too, moondog!

It's a common misconception that the stoolping patterns often seen in older breastfed babies apply to the newborn stage as well, and they don't. this site has a few links which give info.

Experienced breastfeeding mothers forget that the days and days without poo were not the first days, and often midwives reassure mothers, too.....and I have had some mothers with very sick babies who have needed hospitalisation because of this, and many others who have been weighed, and then the mum has got a huge fright because the baby has lost weight - and we then sometimes say goodbye to breastfeeding when confidence goes like this.

With 99's baby, maybe it is the formula bunging her up, but I doubt it - 2 ounces and then half an ounce six days ago would not have this effect. It's also possible she is fine, and this is a normal pattern for her, as no poos is occasionally ok in the first weeks.

Whatever, it needs to be checked, and soon, so if there is a problem with the milk getting from a to b effectively (and the history of sore nipples is another hint that this may be the case) it can be fixed.

stoolping?

= stooling!

oo-er sorry,

this is a bump for 99

and please don't let this put you off BF though

I'm a bit concerned about 99.....can someone contact her with a CAT and alert her to this thread? She needs to know all may not be well.....

hi all, sorry, have been out all afternoon and then dinner etc.

Yes I did have the latch wrong, but all is ok now and feel confident she is getting enough milk. This is my 2nd baby and I bf ds for 10 months. Not that that suggests all is well with dd but that I'm experienced and not a first timer Was just a bit slack with positioning on one side, plus it's been 2yrs! However after saying that I know that no two babes are the same and there could be a problem, hence the post. She was pooing fine the first week my milk came in, either one medium sized one a day or a couple of splats a day and that was it. Her weight gain has been steady, only losing an ounce the first wk after birth & now weighs in an ounce above birth weight on friday (day 3 of no poo). There is a baby clinic at my surgery Wed morn so I think I'll go along to that if nothing by then.

Is there anything I can eat to help her out?

She is not in discomfort, nor has a hard tum. She's a frequent feeder, every 1.5-2hrs in the day and about 2.5-3hrs at night, but she only lasts about 10mins each side (20-25 in total) before falling asleep on the breast.

Thanks for all the advice. Will check in again later.

PS. all previos stools were yellowy-brown, not green. Just checking out tiktoks link.

Hm....it's sort of reassuring, 99, but not totally! I'd be looking for your baby putting on a nice bunch of weight this third week. The poos sound on the normal spectrum with regard to colour in that first week......good idea to get to the clinic and to check they are weighing your baby properly - calibrated electronic scales. If your baby was weighed on spring balance scales, you can discount any reading, btw.....good to hear from you.

Rang NHS Direct and the nurse said that as she is well in herself and not showing any discomfort that most likely the amount of milk she's been getting has been less cos of the mastitis (which also could account for the frequent feeding, even though this is typical in the first weeks anyway) and that she's slowly building it back up. She suspects it'll return in the next day or so. I will definitely take her to the baby clinic on Wed morning and get her weighed again (as it was in a bag all previous times). The HV can call in the gp then if needed.

Thx again.

In a bag? You mean the spring balance scales where the baby sits in a hammock thing?

If that's the case, then you can't reply on what they say, so a weigh in at the clinic will allow you to compare with birth weight.

Sorry, yes, hammock is what I meant! Still nothing, definitely taking her tomorrow. No discomfort still....

reply=rely

Let us know what happens!

The pooh has landed!! A nice large, soft, runny one made it's appearance this afternoon. Still going tomorrow but feel much better now.

Oh the newborn days of taking about poo! I spent the first 3 weeks of my DS life worrying about not pooing enough and he was fine, although appreciate what tictoc says about checking it out. My HV suggested Orange juice. fresh orange to help out and seemed to work (for me not baby, obviously!)

Don't assume that is it , there may well be more to come !

Glad to hear that the bowel has moved 99!

99 - that is a very good sign

hi tiktok ive missed you

Hi - I got more work done when I was away