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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Lectured by Health Vistor!!!

41 replies

funkymonkey · 07/02/2006 15:32

Can anyone help me here??!! Phoned the health visitor for advice and came off the phone in tears and feeling like a bad mother!

Started BF DD exclusively until 2 weeks old then introduced top ups of formula at midwives advice as baby so hungry and not producing enough (plus cracked nipples did not help). DD is now 6 weeks old and I am BF 2-3 times and day plus 3-4 bottles (when I give the bottles I also express and use this to top up at the breastfeeds as I never seem to have enough for DD).

This however was not my issue. DD has stopped pooing! all was well until a week ago (3 times a day plus nice wet nappies too) then it all stopped and the little one is distressed and trying to go! This lasted 2 days and I rang HV for advice, only to get a 20 minute lecture on how I should be 100% BF and how to achieve this. This was not what I was asking for....and I tried to explain this. Both DD and I are 100% happy with our 50/50 arrangement! she is putting on weight and sleeping well, I am not exhausted now and enjoy the BF I am doing. I will not be asking for their "helpadvice" again if this is what I get.....

I have tried tummy massage, extra water, and bicycling legs for the constipation and she did eventually go, but this was after 4 days and a not happy baby for 2 of these!! Any other tricks I can try? We are now on day 2 again with nothing.......

OP posts:

mewart · 07/02/2006 15:37

you can add one teaspoon of frshly squeezed orange to 2 oz of water, or add prune juice to water to help with constipation, this is what my hv told me, but agree with u they lecture not help

Racers · 07/02/2006 15:38

I don't know any other tricks but wanted to sympathise. do not feel like a bad mother over this, for goodness sake! Are you sure she is/was distressed over this and not trapped wind or something? 2 days is not long, I think, even if it's usually more frequent.

Kelly1978 · 07/02/2006 15:42

Hi,

If it is only since you started the bottle feeding, maybe it is the formula. Which brand are you using? Maybe you should try switching. Just ignore the HV, most of them are bloody useless. I'm totally allergic to them myself.

Original poster

funkymonkey · 07/02/2006 15:50

Am using SMA Gold, but someone said to swap to Farley's First, not sure which one on the market to try, and not sure if there are any differences?
DD is 6 weeks and having 5-7 oz at each feed (seems alot to me) so not sure if needs to be on hungry baby formula eg SMA White?
Don't feel like asking HV now!

Anyone know the differences between formula brands?

OP posts:

Kelly1978 · 07/02/2006 15:54

hungry baby feed can be even more constipating so I wouldn't personally. I'm not sure which would be better I had problems with cow and gate and switched to SMA. Others might ahve an idea.

sharklet · 07/02/2006 15:55

funky monkey poor you! What a cow that MW was to you. I agree 100% bf is best - but she should have given you some good advice about your babies situation rather than lecture you.

Now babies are less likely to get constipation than formula or mixed fed babies becasue breast milk is easier to digest. However the parameters for "normal" bowel movement for a baby surprised me when I looked them up. When she was 10 weeks old (and still fully b/f) DD had no bowel movements for 8 days. It wasa humdinger when it came, and we did feel so sorry for her. I tried gentle tummy massage, bringing her into a warm bath with me and massaging her tummy. I seem to remember the normal parameters ranged from 12 times a day up to once every 2 weeks. So 2 days is really nothing to worry about. Don't go giving her anything other than breast milk or formula, theres really no need to start trying all kinds of remedies yet.

Look after her and stop worrying. x

melrose · 07/02/2006 16:02

Drink lots of orange juice (Or eat oranges, dates etc) will pass through your breast milk to baby (That was what I was told to do anyway)

snowleopard · 07/02/2006 16:12

Oh FM, what a silly cow! It sounds like you're bending over backwards to do the best you possibly can for DD - plenty of people when faced with BF difficulties would have just switched to 100% formula. And you're right to point out that now you're not exhausted - yes, breast is best but babies need mums as well as breasts - mums who are awake, rested and happy.

Anyway... my DS is prone to constipation and now I have switched to 50/50 breast and formula, we use Aptamil, which doesn't seem to give him it at all. Worth a try. When he does get constipated (from too much bananas/dairy generally) I give him prune juice mixed with water, and tummy massage. Have been told babies shouldn't have citrus too early, though I know some are fine with it.

JennyLee · 07/02/2006 16:14

When babies are constipated they often need more fluid, perhaps the odd drink of sterilised 'baby' water would help once a day. the hungry baby formula will be even harder to digest and worsen the problem. The formula is causing the constipation, as it is bottle fed babies who get constipation, so a bit more water, a drink of water a day might help. And do not let the hV get you down, you are doing what works for you and your baby , motherhood is not about suffering against all odds there are compromises sometimes that don't hurt either mother or baby and actually help, ignore HVs!

nulnulcat · 07/02/2006 16:15

i drank loads of pineapple juice and that really made her go!! it wasnt deliberate but it seemed to go through her very quickly i was worried she was ill took her to drs they told me it was the pineapple juice! when she went onto formula sma made her constipated so switched to cow and gate

bangersandmash · 07/02/2006 16:16

i dont know about mixed feeding but its normal for breastfed babies to go up to a week or more between poos. my oldest used to go once a week massive explosins urgh

bubblepop · 07/02/2006 16:37

hi there, please don't feel guilty about mixed feeding your baby, ive got four children and was finding exclusive bf my newborn extremely hard going with a toddler to entertain aswell. my baby is combine fed with cow&gate premium and bf. she's doing just fine!i bet by the time you've read this, your baby has poo'd and you'll be thinking, 'what was i worried for' also, my hv was very supportive of my choice,and so should yours,its your baby,your life,so ignore her.

sharklet · 07/02/2006 16:38

funky monkey poor you! What a cow that MW was to you. I agree 100% bf is best - but she should have given you some good advice about your babies situation rather than lecture you.

Look after her and stop worrying. x

robin3 · 07/02/2006 16:41

HV are a different breed to Midwives IMO. Never had any constructive help from a HV. Completely useless and put this down to overwork (to be kind)....avoid them and consult Mnet I say.

That said...I have no advice on this.

Greensleeves · 07/02/2006 17:31

Chuck the red book in the bin and shun them. If you're really concerned about anything you'd be better off talking to someone medically qualified anyway. That's what I did with ds2 and I've never regretted it

They're almost universally about as much use as a barber's shop on the steps of the guillotine.

Trophywife · 07/02/2006 17:40

aggree with melrose and nulnulcat what you drink goes through you and helps baby esp when they are constipated. me ds was for a while when he was bf and i drank oj and it worked.

as for your HV tell her where to go, they are a bunch of useless a***es esp as most of them have never had kids.( soory no offence ment but i really cant stand them they have wasited a lot of my time in the past)

LIZS · 07/02/2006 17:45

I'd suggest changing the milk SMA can cause constipation in some so a different brand may suit her better, although it would be rather pot luck tbh. If you are having problems now then they will probably only get worse as her intake increases. Personally I'd be concerned that if it is necessary to use fruit juices, fennel tea etc now to get her going then it could only be a matter of time before you need to either make it stronger or use medication such as lactulose unless you can find a milk which has a less constipating effect to begin with.

mszebra · 07/02/2006 17:52

I am a bit upset about mewart's suggestion that you give prune or orange juice -- maybe she didn't realise your baby is only 6 weeks old.

If it were me I would give a little boiled water or maybe make up the formula with a bit extra water.

As a fully committed signed up & paid for member of the militant breastfeeding cult -- I totally agree that you have to ignore the HV. You've found a way to make at least some breastfeeding continue for you. HV meant well but she's on the wrong wavelength.

LIZS · 07/02/2006 18:13

oh, just to clarify, my concern was for giving the juice directly to your baby - fine for you to drink it and pass on its benefits in bm but then if you do go over to ft bottle feeding the problem may resurface.

snowleopard · 07/02/2006 20:18

Yes my DS is older and I give him prune juice mixed with water. For a very young baby, better to drink it yourself, or possibly try it very very diluted. Sorry to have been vague on that front.

Flossam · 07/02/2006 20:23

SMA gold is well known to be constipating. DS was on it. Fine on Hipp organice. Definately switch away from the SMA.

mazzystar · 07/02/2006 20:32

Poor wee babe, and poor you, worrying.

There's some good advice on this thread. I'd also ring the health visitors and try to find another member of the team who is prepared to listen, because they can be very useful at times. I wouldn't write the HVs off completely - some of them are excellent when they are not on their own particular hobby horses.

Original poster

funkymonkey · 08/02/2006 14:28

Thanks for all the advice! DS was up all night V unhappy and not feeding at all! (went from 10pm-10am with no feeds at all!!), but at 10 this morning managed to do the biggest poo ever!! and V happy baby now! Was very worried about the lack of feeding and crying in the night, must have been full to the top.......

OP posts:

starlover · 08/02/2006 14:31

hi funkymonkey... sorry to hear about your "helpful" HV (not!)

agree with the others about switching from SMA. we had the exact same problem with ds!
after trying ALL milks on the market we finally found that cow and gate organic was the only one he could tolerate. Farleys and aptimil both made him very sick, the others constipated him!

try them, if you can get small tins do so, or try the ready-made cartons... it's a waste if you buy an entire tin and then can't use it ... i learned that the hard way! lol

pupuce · 08/02/2006 14:33

SMA gold is - as far as I understand it - the best brand for constipation... i.e. it leads to more constipated babies than other brands.... sorry to hear you got lectured

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