21 wo BF baby constipated after occasional FF?

[MrsHollywood]

My DD is 21 weeks old and has been BF since birth. She has a bottle of EBM a couple of times a week to try and keep her used to having a bottle of milk - I BF DS for a year and the little bugger bluntly refused a bottle when I tried to introduce one at 3 months, so it's lovely that DD seems very happy to have the occasional bottle!

If I haven't managed to express much, DH will simply top up with a bit of formula (this is only once or twice a week, I express again after and BFing is well established etc etc). So far, so good. But on the couple of occasions she has had more than a few ounces of formula, she hasn't pooed for days! Last Monday, I took DS trick or treating and she had a full formula feed of about 6 or 7 oz and she's barely pooed since. It's now Saturday FGS, this can't be good, can it?

So, how can I help her to poo? And should I be concerned at all? I intend to carry on BFing so FF is only going to be there as a backup, but it won't be long before I start thinking about food - is she likely to have problems pooing then, too?

Any advice welcome - thanks!

Know that a bf baby can go upto 2 weeks without pooing and it is not a cause for concern but unfortunately, I don't know if this applies when she is having the occasional bottle of ff. Think you might need someone like truth or tiktok for that one or if you call one of the Bfing Helplines they should be able to tell you.

As for weaning she should be ok, especially if you offer water in a cup with solids.

Ok, thanks for that. Imagine going 2 weeks without a poo!

What formula is it? DS was the same but only on SMA. Switched to C&G and he was much better.

DD's record was 12 days but she was perfectly happy. Is your DD straining or in any discomfort?

If you want to ease the situation have you tried no nappy time, a bath or baby massage?

My doula's friend gave her baby one, once-off formula feed and he was constipated for a week! While EBF babies can go for up to two weeks without pooing (and this is fine), I am not sure if the same applies to mixed feeding. I would recommend staying off the formula for the moment and try some abdominal massages. I also find that walking around, holding DS with his back to me belly and squeezing his tummy can relieve trapped wind and release poo!

Thanks again. She has been straining quite a bit today but has finally pooed and is now happily playing with her feet.

I will leave the formula for a bit and then maybe try a different brand. Shame really - I'd been congratulating myself on getting a good balance this time around!

That's good to hear, although it would be great to be able to skip the odd feed. My problem is that when I do, my breasts get badly engorged. No escape:)

RingEir - I always express if I miss a feed so as to alleviate the engorgement and keep the flow of supply and demand going. If out (this has happened only a few times!!!) then this might be a few hours after the missed feed, but it does the trick. Obviously, I only started this once BFing was well established. Might this work for you? Assuming you don't want to include FF at all, this could help you build a store of EBM, too. Much as I love BFing, just over a year of 'no escape' was quite tough last time, so the faff of expressing and sterilising is a price I'm willing to pay - even if my occasional FF option goes away with this poo situation!

Thanks MrsH. I have been expressing to supplement DS's feeds for over three months now, so I am no stranger to faff:) For me though, all it takes is for DS to sleep a bit longer than usual and I wake up with hot rocks . 'miss a feed' was a bit misleading, I suppose I meant go a little bit longer than usual. I feel like I can't take my eye of the ball for a minute. Although my supply is fine, I can never seem to express more than 2 oz at at time which DS guzzles down straightaway, so I have never managed to build up a store. Well done to you for keeping it up for a year last time. My current aim is 6 months and then I'll take it from there.