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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

3 days old - no wet/dirty nappies?

30 replies

Tinselperion · 17/12/2011 21:48

DS is 3 days old - managed to latch on from the beginning despite a traumatic ELCS for fetal distress on Weds night. MWs very happy with latch and feeding in hospital, and I am finding it relatively easy and painless so far...

However the last dirty nappy was last night around 8pm (a very heavy olivey green one - assume meconium still?) and this morning there was nothing but a bit of orange "brick dust" in the nappy. Nothing since then... MW visited today at home, happy with how easily he latched and said brick dust was concentrated urine bc colostrum doesn't have much fluid.

No sign of milk coming in yet - should I be worried yet? He has been sucking loads (approx 3 hours total since lunchtime in 15 min stints, both breasts, and he's still going at the moment) but as no nappies produced is anything going in? He had 6 very big dirty nappies in the first 48 hours so a whole day 3 of nothing makes me worried nothing is going in now.

He is managing to fart loads though Hmm

Apologies for any errors - not much sleep and one handed on phone as DS still latched on (has been nearly an hour on now)

OP posts:
PsychicSatsumaInYourStocking · 17/12/2011 21:49

unsure...bumping for you.

sounds like it's all going great though!

Congratulations X

PsychicSatsumaInYourStocking · 17/12/2011 21:50

your milk might be in soon, then it'll be easier

thisisyesterday · 17/12/2011 21:52

hmm i think, if he seems ok and is feeding a lot I would be tempted to wait until morning, but do ring the midwife then.

can you leave him nappyless for a while? it might be easier to tell how much he is wee-ing? i know it's a bit messy, but if you have a towel on you or something? might put your mind at rest... disposable nappies can absorb a lot very quickly and it can be hard to tell if they've actually done anything or not sometimes.,

Geordieminx · 17/12/2011 21:54

Hopefully your milk will come ib soon. A couple of days without a poo is normal however I think there should be plenty wet nappies.

Did the MW weight him? When are you seeing her again?

I am not an expert but I think it's very easy fir young babies to become dehydrated, so keep an eye to it.

Congratulations!

rhetorician · 17/12/2011 21:57

put a ball of cotton wool in nappy - then you can tell wee from poo, and it wont be absorbed so much...good luck! one handed tpp 13day old dd on lap

PsychicSatsumaInYourStocking · 17/12/2011 21:58

there is very little waste from breast milk though? it's all used.

you watch there'll be 16 poos tonight heehee

thisisyesterday · 17/12/2011 22:01

after about 6 weeks or so it's normal for a breastfed baby to go a few days without a bowel movement. but in a newborn no, it isn't usual.

that doesn't mean it's automatically a problem. This baby has already had a lot of big dirty nappies, so it's probably just that he isn't ready to do one yet.
but it certainly is something that the OP should keep an eye on, and speak to her midwife about if he still hasn't been by tomorrow

crikeybadger · 17/12/2011 22:01

A couple of days without a poo is normal at this age and I agree with TIY to call the mw in the morning.

You may find this unicef document useful.

FannyBazaar · 17/12/2011 22:03

Pop a cotton wool ball in the nappy if using disposables so that you can see if that is wet, the nappies will observe moisture and odour so you may have urine that you can't see. The brick dust was alongside urine, so he is passing urine even though he had just passed 24 hours without a poo. The previous poo (meconium) tells you his bowels work fine too. You've had plenty of dirty nappies prior to this, so it's not as worrying as if he had only done one or two before. If the midwife is unconcerned, the feeing sounds fine from what you have said, and there is nothing else amiss, then just keep an eye on it, call MW in the morning if still no signs of wet and dirty nappies.

If concerned, place baby in skin to skin contact (undressed except for a nappy, inside your clothes or on your chest) to encourage more frequent feeding and increase milk production.

crikeybadger · 17/12/2011 22:18

sorry I meant- is not normal at this age.

aethelfleda · 17/12/2011 22:28

I'd say ring the midwife in the morning and continue to feed regularly overnight. As long as baby is latching well, settling and peeing, there's fluid getting in, and all the farting hopefully means baby has just had a big clearout and will poo for you tomorrow first thing... But ringing midwife in morning will ease your mind and she may well come to weigh and check him just to be sure. Before your milk comes in the colostrum is really concentrated so may just be absorbing everything and not making much. Here's hoping for a big yellow morning poo present for you!

4madboys · 17/12/2011 22:41

what thisisyesterday said, and i agree disposable nappies are very hard to tell if htey have had a wee, so nappy free time or cotton wool balls will help you to tell. in the meantime if he is feeding well and seems content just keep an eye and ring in morning, any concerns then ring in the night they will send someone out xxx

cakeoclock · 17/12/2011 22:46

This sounds ridiculous but weigh an unworn nappy and weigh the nappy when you change him. The nappies are really absorbent but will weigh more if he has done a wee.

This is what my mw told me to do and it really put my mind at ease. HTH.

kipperandtiger · 17/12/2011 22:57

Yes, disposable nappies absorb wee very easily and can be hard to tell. Another one for the cotton wool idea. Skin to skin sounds like a good idea if your room is warm enough (and put a shawl/towel round your shoulders for you both). Baby should be weeing. Farting is reassuring! Xmas Smile

Original poster
Tinselperion · 17/12/2011 23:00

Thank you everyone so much for your speedy advice - slightly Blush that this may have been the quickest solved problem ever - after thisisyesterday's response we put him in a bamboo nappy (had been saving until milk came in) and DH put him on his shoulder, bounced him on the pezzi ball and BANG - giant dirty tarry nappy, loads more orange brick dust! Nappy will probably be stained but it will always remind us of the happy dance we did seeing our PFB's poo Grin

Aethel dear, thanks for stopping by - you know exactly the type of presents I like, here's hoping that was the last meconium poo and my milk comes in soon!

OP posts:
flamegirl77 · 18/12/2011 00:25

My baby loves to pop in a freshly changed nappy! Sensible of you to keep an eye on things. Congratulations!

thisisyesterday · 18/12/2011 10:58

yay!

catslikefelix · 18/12/2011 11:18

Hi Tinsel glad things are moving! Just wanted to add that the 'rusty' wee is urate crystals which is normal for the first few days when breast fed baby is passing concentrated urine. Seems more common in boys! Should pass when milk comes in. Congrats :)

rhetorician · 18/12/2011 11:55

never seen rusty wee, but mine are both girls. Glad everything is going well now, esp after traumatic birth. COngratulations (mine is 10 days older than yours!)

thederkinsdame · 18/12/2011 12:02

CAn I just add a word of caution here - rusty wee/brick dust is a sign of dehydration in newborns - my DS had it. Please take DS to be checked out. My DS was fine, but with a tiny baby always better to be safe than sorry.

tiktok · 18/12/2011 12:04

Agree - brick dust urine needs checking out. Midwife has said it's ok, though, so this should be reassuring. Usually frequent feeding with effective milk transfer sorts it.

OneHandFlapping · 18/12/2011 12:09

DD had a bit of rusty wee the day after she was born.It sent me into a complete panic, as I thought she was peeing blood. But the 24 hour midwife service reassured me it was just the normal passage of salts that build up in the bladder before birth. She was bottle fed too.

Original poster
Tinselperion · 18/12/2011 13:05

Thanks again for all advice - MW coming tomorrow again (day 5) so I will mention the brick dust again for double reassurance.

I can see how wet DS's mouth is after feeding today - hopefully this means he is getting enough fluid? I was all prepared to syringe some drops of water into him last night as a last resort to make sure we knew at least some fluids had gone in (even if they take their time coming out).

OP posts:
rhetorician · 18/12/2011 14:49

if your milk has come in you should start to see milk in his mouth after a feed; well done. A good friend of mine supported us through the early days of breastfeeding dd1 - milk took a while to come in, latch not good, and I always remember her saying 'you need nerves of steel for this bit, but it will all work out fine'. And so it will :)

MoTeaVate · 18/12/2011 17:29

Newborns don't need water. If you're concerned about his fluid intake, hand expressing and spoon or cup feeding are better options.

Any poo today? What colour?

Has anyone shown you how to do breast compressions whilst feeding? It can be a v useful technique.