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Infant feeding

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

4 day old nappies very worried.

54 replies

DictionaryFrench · 28/07/2016 09:51

Gave birth on Sunday morning and was discharged on Tuesday. I'm breastfeeding exclusively but I'm a bit worried.

Since the meconium nappies we've had no dirty nappies at all. The last one was yesterday early morning and was still meconium.

I phoned the hospital and they said this was fine as long as baby is still having wet nappies. Does this sound right? Everything I read online is so conflicting.

Also how will I know if the nappies are definitely wet? We are having wet nappies but how do I know if there is enough urine in there?

So worried, grateful for any advice.

OP posts:
DictionaryFrench · 28/07/2016 10:20

Hmmmm ok this is stressful! It seems that she should be having more dirty nappies ideally, even though some of you don't seem to have had them either in first few days.

I am going to keep feeding and get DH to look up local breastfeeding support.

OP posts:
venys · 28/07/2016 10:23

My LO I think only pood once or twice a week for the first couple of weeks but her nappies were really wet. She is fine now at almost 5 months and still only poos once a day or even every other day. She just is a power wee'er instead. I think some EBF babies are like that.

fairgroundsnack · 28/07/2016 10:25

My DS hadn't pooed by day 6 and it turned out he wasn't feeding properly. His nappies also weren't really wet but I didn't realise it at the time. Definitely get support with it today, it might be fine but if there is a problem then the sooner you can get it turned around the better. Good luck xxx

tiktok · 28/07/2016 10:32

This is a sign your baby needs to be weighed, to ensure she has not lost too much weight. All may be well, but you cannot know this without an accurate weight.

Whenever this question comes up on mumsnet there is always a number of people who say it is fine for a baby to go without pooing for ages.

THIS ONLY APPLIES TO OLDER BABIES! Sorry for shouting :)

In the first week - like this baby - not pooing is a POTENTIALLY risky sign. Midwives should NOT be telling mothers that the only important thing is wet nappies.

When a baby is feeding well, and the milk has come in, meconium clears from the gut and the baby starts producing yellow poo from day 4-5.

When a baby is not feeding well, this doesn't happen. It sometimes happens that things are ok, or just slow to get going, and there is no problem.....but the only way to tell is to weigh the baby to get the fuller picture. A baby who's feeding well and is healthy has stopped losing weight by day 5-6 though may well not be at birth weight.

Research shows it is a good idea to weigh by day 4, then you can get a clear picture - you can step in and fix the feeding before it causes problems, and you can also compare weights if you weigh again day 5 or 6.

But in the UK, babies may not be weighed after birth until day 6 - this is not a problem with healthy babies, but too often, this weight on day 6 gives everyone a shock and there's a panic to get more milk into the baby.

There's usually no need to panic - more frequent, more effective feeding should be the response, and works fine in all but the most serious cases.

OP, can you ask someone to come and weigh your baby today? Or go to the clinic yourself today? And in the meantime, feed on both breasts very often?

The NCT sheet is correct about what to expect in the first week.

Please can we stop reassuring mothers of new babies that lack of poo is ok?

It isn't.

DictionaryFrench · 28/07/2016 10:33

Thank you. Midwife was completely laid back again and said it sounded fine but she was like that yesterday too I don't know if I really trust her (does that sound awful?!) She said best to wait for weigh in tomorrow which will indicate progress.

As luck would have it there's a breastfeeding group not far from me at midday today at childrens centre, so am going to hobble along there (not really recovered from birth yet!!)

OP posts:
DictionaryFrench · 28/07/2016 10:36

X post with tiktok ok thank you, I'm going to push for baby to be checked today.

This is all so stressful, a week ago I didn't even have a baby and now I do and am completely exhausted from traumatic birth, huge blood loss, baby who might not be feeding properly. Hope this will get easier soon!

OP posts:
tiktok · 28/07/2016 10:55

OP, make sure the baby is weighed accurately, without even a nappy on. Use metric weights and if you convert to imperial do it accurately.

If your baby has lost less than 10 per cent of her birthweight then things are within normal.

If she has lost more than this, then you can discuss ways of enabling her to get more milk - mainly by feeding more often from both sides, and responding to all feeding cues....keeping her skin to skin will give you more chance of spotting these cues.

Please don't stress. If things need fixing (and they may not), you are in good time :)

DictionaryFrench · 28/07/2016 13:48

Just back from bfing group at childrens centre. They're not really supposed to weigh babies under six weeks apparently but the lady agreed to do it so I don't have to go separately to clinic. Baby has lost 11.8% of birth weight!!! They observed a feed and said it looks like she hasn't been latched on properly. Feel awful Sad.

We have a plan for improving things and getting more milk into her.

Thanks so much to those of you who told me to get checked out. I feel awful but also so angry at midwife and hospital.

OP posts:
Hawkmoth · 28/07/2016 13:55

That's good that you have a plan. Has baby been checked for tongue tie?

FurryGiraffe · 28/07/2016 13:56

Don't feel awful. It is absolutely NOT your fault. You've never BF before and neither has she- you're both learning. And you did think something was wrong and asked what should be the right people! You've done everything right.

My DS1 lost 12%. Like your DD he wasn't having dirty nappies and I was worried and ME kept telling me it was ok- it wasn't. He wasn't latching well (tongue tie in our case). But we dealt with it, sorted the latch and he shot back up quickly. Don't panic. It's good you have a plan and RL support. Are you happy with how to get a good latch?

FurryGiraffe · 28/07/2016 13:57

Sorry- that should be MW kept telling me it was ok

Chickoletta · 28/07/2016 14:01

It's a while since I had a newborn and I honestly can't remember but what I do remember is that there was always a midwife on the end of the phone if I needed help. Why don't you give them a call - they'll probably arrange a visit to check your bf technique. My ds1 had jaundice and we were advised to put his Moses basket in our broad window seat for the sunlight. It's really common. Try not to worry, these things will all be vague memories very soon.

Chickoletta · 28/07/2016 14:02

Yes, ask them to check for tongue tie - can affect their latch.

Orsono · 28/07/2016 14:03

Don't feel awful, you've done brilliantly. You've trusted your instincts, sought out the right information from the right people, actively gone out and got the right support and made a plan. That's exactly what a mum is supposed to do! :) Sounds like hopefully it's a straightforward fix and things will be on track soon. I'd recommend retreating to bed for the rest of the day with your lovely baby and just feed and sleep!

venys · 28/07/2016 14:21

Yes tiktok and others are right. You should definitely seek help if something doesn't seem right, and things like poor latch and tongue tie can be detrimental, but it's not always bad news. Also remember there are slight variances in scales so you need not use the same set consistently to know for sure at this stage on weight gain and loss.

tiktok · 28/07/2016 14:25

That's good you have a clearer picture, Dictionary.

Your baby is being weighed anyway tomorrow, yes? That's good, because it will give you an indication of whether weight loss has stopped.

You can also politely raise your concerns about the advice you got from the hospital and from the midwife.

You could even share the link Merkin gave you.

user1469710766 · 28/07/2016 15:26

This reply has been deleted

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BogeyNights · 28/07/2016 15:36

Wrt the wet nappies, I was told that because disposable nappies are so absorbant, you could check they were wet by putting a dry cotton wool pad in the front section of the fresh clean nappy. If that was wet later on, the baby had peed.

Orsono · 28/07/2016 16:26

Most brands of disposable now seem to have the indicator strip on the front that turns a different colour if they wee.

bigmamapeach · 28/07/2016 17:53

See "off to the best start", UNICEF - p17

www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Baby_Friendly/Leaflets/otbs_leaflet.pdf

Ideally you would expect 2+ changing (transitional - going greenish) poos per day on dy 3 and 4. Then 2+ yellow from day 5. You don't want to be paranoid worried but you want to be safe. Poo is important in showing milk is coming in and the baby is flushing out bilirubin (to do with jaundice).

From week 6 many breastfed babies stop pooing for a week or so and that's totally normal and fine; but early on, it would generally warrant a look at baby from a health professional who knows full history and can take responsibility for you and baby's care.

Suggest call mw and ask baby to be seen. Ask if they can weigh and measure jaundice level with a little mschine thingy.

Focus on trying to get attachment as good as poss; breast compressions and switching. Google global health media for videos of attaching baby to breast. Try to be responsive to baby's cues and offer breast at least every 3hr; wake to feed if nec. Skin to skin etc

bigmamapeach · 28/07/2016 17:56

Agree with tiktok sorry; was checking the link while other posts cams on and only read after. Tiktok do you have ref for the research shows re weighing on day 4 - as that sounds important, thanks

HelenaJustina · 28/07/2016 18:02

You trusted your instincts! That is one of the most important parenting skills ever... And you seem to have cracked it early. Well done on being so in tune with your baby! Flowers

Sounds like you've had some great real life support, which can be hard to find. Hang in there, keep offering lots and I'm sure it will resolve in the next few days.

Congratulations on your newborn as well!

bigmamapeach · 28/07/2016 18:07

Oh lord I posted but didn't see all the posts about the 11.8% loss! Was that weight discussed with a health professional who has all the info on the birth and baby's records? Would suggest the weight change also needs to be fed back to your mw team or postnatal ward so they are in the loop and can advise on care

tiktok · 28/07/2016 18:18

OP is seeing midwife tomorrow, bigmama - yes, of course she should feed back to her what's been happening (see my post earlier).

Reference for weighing on day 4 - will find a ref for you and post later. It's because the lowest point of weight loss is about then...healthy babies stop losing weight day 4-5, so it makes no sense (IMO) to weigh on day 6, because weight should have started to creep up from that time. For most babies, it's not a big deal whether it's day 4, 5 or 6 that the weighing happens....they are healthy and feeding well and are gaining appropriately. But for a few, it matters that early feeding problems are spotted and fixed before they become harder to address.

Hamsolo · 28/07/2016 18:46

My new dd is four weeks old today but I could have written your post 3 weeks ago - literally every bit of it. She's absolutely fine now. She got back over her birth weight this week, and is healthy and alert. So don't panic, yours is going to be fine too. The key seemed to be getting extra fluids into her. I pumped and supplemented for a week while we were trying to flush out the bilirubin. Pooing is really important with jaundice as its how it leaves the body. We had some really technicolor poo. The other thing the breastfeeding consultant advised was breast compressions while feeding to force more milk in. Good luck, and well done for following it up. It's so easy to assume everything is fine when it's not quite.

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