formula preferences please...having trouble with constipation

[TettyLouBar]

Using Cow & Gate. Not really sure why, just picked it off shelf! DD was Exclusively Breast Fed until 6 months and now have had a rather fast transition to FF, and we have started weaning too. The combination has led to her being bunged up. Very small, formed bowel movements, her grunting and straining loads. Doesn't appear in pain or particularly bothered really. But would like to see if anyone else has had this problem?
Will changing her formula have an effect?

Is it follow on or first milk? Follow on can cause constipation because of all the extra iron they bung it in.

Does she drink enough water? Lots of fruit (not bananas!)?

Yes, it's first milk. Didn't even consider using follow on yet. She drinks abouts 2-3 oz water at each meal time from a doidy cup. But she isn't very keen on the fruity stuff Ive been giving her.
Just wondered whether switching to another formula may help? Was considering using Aptimil as this is what I used for DD1 and never had this problem.
Ive given her just formula this morning and no solids. Was hoping that it might kick start her bowels if she has a day of just milk?

Try 1oz of prune juice with 1.5oz of boiled water, works a treat to kick start things! You can give it twice a day, although I find if there is an issue, I only need to give every 3 days!
IMO it can take a few weeks for their tummies to get used to the formula, also C&G is made by Aptamil people, same stuff, so no point in spending the extra pennies to buy Aptamil.

Are you 100% sure that you are mixing the powder with the right amount of water. Apparently quite a bit of baby constipation is caused by using too much powder (or not enough water ).

DS had constipation with SMA switched to Aptamil, sorted it.

Aptamil is identical to C&G in every way apart from the packaging.

I would speak to your HV or GP to check that there's nothing in her diet that's bunging her up.

Hope it starts to come out smoothly soon :o

I know people usually comment on SMA and constipation but three of mine have used SMA Gold and we've never had any constipation problems.

DS ended up with constipation following a very sudden switch in one day from EBF to EFF at 7 weeks. The pediatrician told me it is common when switching from breast milk to formula.

i use hipp organic and never had issues with constipation.

sounds like she is drinking plenty of water.

with my dd she started having firmer poos like you describe when i started weaning so i got some prunes, de stoned them (tinned) and then blended them and i give it to her mixed in natural yog or her porridge, just one ice cube every other day or so, means her poo is much softer and no straining :)

I didn't know sma was known for constipation issues. I've been giving my baby 1 bottle of it at night and have noticed her bowel movements being less frequent and more of a struggle for her. I gave her a drink of water about 1hr before the bottle and this morning we've had 2 easy poos. Maybe just coincidental but will be doing the same tonight. :)

cockle84 neither did I until a few people mentioned it on here, but like I said I've never had an issue with it

SMA caused the opposite issue in my ds!

Thank you all for your feedback. I thought that the Cow & Gate and Aptimil formulas were similar but had no idea how much so!

I will definately try the prune idea 4madboys as I need to get more fruit in her diet! She wasn't keen at all at first on anything fruity but obviously I must keep trying things (I remember this with DD1). One week she refused flatly to eat something, the next week she was gobbling it up!

She has had lots more poos today but all are small and quite thick and pastey, but I think it is easing. I worry so much about these things, but she really doesn't appear bothered too much by it and should probably relax a little!

FWIW: I switched from Aptimil to SMA gold with DD1 because she wasn't sleeping through and I stupidly believed a comment made at baby group that Aptimil wasn't very good for helping babies to sleep through and that SMA was better (ridiculous in hind sight) I do think formulas are much of a muchness in their differences in some ways but I guess I was curious what your experiences were. (By the way, the switch made no difference at all to DD1's sleeping, and neither did "Goodnight milk"...she slept through when she was ready to at 11 months! LOL