Can I give water to my exclusively ebm fed 4mo as she has constipation?

[Chocolocolate]

She is having Gaviscon which has stopped the shrieking that was happening with every feed, but is now really constipated.

What can I do?

what is ebm?
cooled boiled water is allowed and encouraged from now as its the next best drink after breastmilk, but exclusively bf babies often wont take it happily because they just want sweet boob.

Breastfed babies shouldn't need water usually. How long since baby did a poo?

has she got constipation or did she just not do a poo for a while.
if she is happy going for a week without poo is not unusual for bf babies at that age.

Sillyness, who encourages us to give them water? I've never heard that before.
Tbh I would see GP/health visitor, I have no experience of ebf babies being constipated so maybe good to check in case it's something else even. My ds used to poo once a week as a baby, incidentally.

BF babies can go ages without pooing, isnt a problem unless they are uncomfortable. DS2 went over 2 weeks and exploded just fne at the end!

yeah, DS when he was about 4 months hadn't had a poo for about a week. I called NHS Direct and while I was on the phone, um, let's say it was audible.

Have you tried winding her mid feed?

Gaviscon is failry well known for causing constipation. Unfortunatley

How do you know she's constipated? Is she straining & in pain or has she just not gone for a couple of days? It's completely unnecessary to give an EBF baby (expressed or not) water for constipation. Massage her tummy in a clockwise motion or do bicycle legs.

DD became constipated on Gaviscon. She went for over a week without a poo. I was told it was not a problem because the poo of a bf baby will not go really solid and cause a blockage.

We took DD of Gaviscon after a couple of weeks though because she started refusing feeds. She was much better switched to ranitidine. Also going dairy free helped.

I remember when DD was on gaviscon and her poo was like wallpaper paste!! I wouldn't give water personally and would try offering BM!

Gaviscon is notorious for clogging babies up and that's the reason I pushed for DD1 to be swapped to an alternative reflux drug (domperidone) It actually did something for the vomiting and pain which was a bonus!

Also, straight water is dangerous and shouldn't be given to babies not yet on solids (risk of hyponatreamia/water intoxication) so it's not a good 'cure' for constipation.

The constipation will right itself when the Gaviscon is resolved (Gaviscon works by thickening up the milk in the stomach - sometimes it can be so thickened it goes through the gut like that!)

She has been doing very little poos that, like Gina1981's baby, are like wallpaper paste. She also is straining and seems in pain.

Basically, it seems like the gaviscon has made it all really thick and difficult to move along. Would massaging help this?

Perhaps a talk with the GP/Paed who prescribed the Gaviscon to see what they suggest would help. They might be able to swap meds to some other kind of reflux med (if appropriate) or tweak the Gaviscon dose to see if that clears the constipation.

The GP told me to give my newborn dd cooled boiled water to help with jaundice. She was and still is mix fed, so its ok. I give it to dd 6 weeks from time to time, to help with hiccups or with wind.

Pigletmania - really that's really dangerous advice espicaly for a baby so young, your GP should know better.

www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/baby-water.html

yes she told me to give my few days old (then) ds cooled boiled water, he is 7 weeks now and fed bm in the day and evening, and ff at night when i don't express or when i have not expressed enough.

Giving water to a jaundiced newborn is crazy advice! When ds was jaundiced the neonatal doctor specifically told us milk only (and as much as possible), as water can make the jaundice worse.

Doctor could prescribe laculoste if things get desperate. Massage will help.

Yes ds had to go under the lights in the hospital, and we had to give top ups in a bottle bm or formula, ds got so used to the bottle now he does not want to go on the boob . good news is he is better and happy and healthy