GP advised giving 4 week old water.. Is this right?

[SellyMevs]

DS is 4 weeks tomorrow. We've had some feeding issues since day 1, and today was finally referred because he has a tongue tie.

He is mostly breastfed, but only with a nipple shield because it's too painful otherwise. He gets formula top ups, one in the evening and sometimes one in the day, but not always. He feeds from the breast a lot. I also offer one side until he pulls off, burp him and then offer the other side which he usually takes. He is gaining weight well.

This week he just isn't producing very many dirty nappies. He does plenty of wet ones, but he's probably only had 2 dirty ones this week. He is currently on day 3 without doing a poo. Mentioned this to the GP whilst he was doing the tongue tie referral and he suggested giving him water to help things along. This doesn't sit right with me, because although he isn't going often, he isn't having the classic "constipation" poo that's hard. When he does go, it's yellow and soft and there's normally a huge amount.

I work in health care and wouldn't normally question advice given to me, but he told me that back in the day they'd give sugary water but they can't advise that now so just plain water will do. Is this correct or is there anything else I need to do to help DS go?!

I was told cooled boiled water with a thimble of orange juice in it for my son(that was ten years ago though) when he was constipated. I'm an ibs sufferer and increased water intake can help constipation and constipation isn't always hard stools , some doctors class going less than twice a week as constipation it all depends on the individual. If he was producing plenty of dirty nappies and they've decreased over the weeks this could be why your gp recomended water or it could be because that's just the way his bowel habits are.

I'm not sure if this still stands with formula top-ups but seemingly many breastfed babies just poo once a week after the initial multiple-poos-per-day phase (not sure when this is supposed to kick in though). So twice a week sounds reasonable, especially if his poo is still nice and soft and yellow as you've said.

At 4 weeks might adding water affect your supply??

I think perhaps your instincts are correct on this one

Smelly, check this with your Hv.

It's very unusual advice.

Babies don't normally need water, and do not benefit from it, and it does not sound as if your baby has any symptoms that would improve with water.

But ask your Hv.

I've been trying to get hold of the HV, we keep missing each other and seem to be communicating in voice mails this week but will try again tomorrow.

I haven't given water and have continued feeding. I'm reluctant to give him anything that might fill him up unnecessarily... what with nipple shields and formula top ups, I don't want anything else that can affect my supply until he gets his tongue tie sorted. Plus he doesn't seem overly fussy. He settles after feeds, he just has a lot of wind.

Your baby has normal bowel movements, you have it right and your gp is a stool...

Oops sorry, not smelly but selly!

My HV advised an oz of cool sterile water after feeds to help with J's windy pains & it really helps. I didn't even think to question it to be honest!
Good luck with getting tongue tie sorted, J's was snipped at 10 days & it's really helped with feeding.

Breast fed babies don't need water , especially such very very young babies!!

I would go with your own gut instinct and ignore the GP.

A breastfed baby who poos every few days and does normal poos doesn't sound constipated to me.

I've occasionally been giving cooled fennel tea to my bf son due to painful wind since he was about 4 weeks old and it really helps him, so it doesn't sound strange to me at all.

My hv said it was fine to give dd a little dropper of cooled boiled water at this age.

This is what my health visitor told me too, 1 oz of cool boiled water before a feed. Worked a treat! If baby was exclusively breastfeed the advice would be no water x

On a couple of occasions my DS has taken longer than usual to do a dirty nappy. He usually does one per day or every other day. When he has gone more than 4 days I have eaten prunes and that seems to work! Perhaps an old wives tale (it was my dad who said I should try it) but it has worked for us.

It is fine to eat prunes :) but it will have had zero to do with anything your baby does poo-wise. He was going to poo anyway :)

Some bf babies reduce gut transit time from the age of three to four weeks, more typically from about six to seven weeks.

It's normally nothing to worry about. The op's baby has formula as well so it's a hard case to call, but he is predominantly bf, so prob all is fine. That's why I still suggest checking with Hv, rather than just suggesting she ignore the doc.

Sorry I meant increase not reduce gut transit time.

My hv told me to do the same after my ds put on lots of weight in two weeks! It was during a particularly warm spell this summer though. My ds quite likes a drink of water after a nap. I think he gets a dry mouth sometimes.

I spoke to the HV, she advised to avoid water because his stools are soft when he does go. If they were hard and he appeared to be dehydrated then she would suggest it. But because he has more wet nappies than I can count, she's happy with how he is.

We did eventually get a dirty nappy after 5 days.... This is a boy who likes to save up apparently!