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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Is there anything I can do for mostly BF baby to help him poo?

24 replies

hopefully · 01/12/2008 08:51

DS is nearly 11 weeks, and has been having one bottle of formula (5oz) in the middle of the night for about 2 weeks. I know it's not perfect and a bit pathetic of me, but I was so exhausted (he bf's for an hour or so and then takes an hour to settle usually) that the next step was going to be giving up BF altogether

He's never been a frequent pooer, only going once every 36 hours or so at best, but since about 5 days after we introduced the formula it's like the formula forms a 'plug'. he only goes every 3-4 days, and when he does go he does a gloopy, stinky, thick formula poo, and then over the next couple of hours absolutely loads of normal curdy BF poo shoots out explosively.

I wouldn't mind this (although the projectile pooing on the changing table isn't terribly glamorous), but for the 24 hours before he poos he is an absolute misery - impossible to settle, grizzly while awake etc. He used to be like this for about 6 hours before pooing when he was exclusively BF, but this is getting silly

Is there anything I can do that might improve things? People keep bandying about the idea of cooled boiled water, but as he is not exlusively formula fed I don't know if that's a great idea...

Any thoughts gratefully received!

OP posts:

Original poster

hopefully · 01/12/2008 08:55

Oh, and I'm hoping to get rid of the formula when he eventually sleeps from midnight-6am, but no signs of that happening any time soon! He doesn't cluster feed in the evenings at all (will happily go from 7-10pm without a feed, even though he usually only nods off at about 8:30-9pm). Will offering him a feed somewhere in between the two evening feeds give him any more chance of going through the night? or will he just take less at each of those feeds, as he's not demanding a feed at all?

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Anna8888 · 01/12/2008 08:56

It's not just the formula - pooing at this age is often a very unpredictable and explosive thing. My sister warned me about "poo days" ie the days when you just know you are going to be stuck at home all day waiting for the baby to poo and it will just get everywhere - all up his/her back etc.

It's yuck, but it will pass.

Jackstini · 01/12/2008 08:56

Firstly, on the frequency, babies can poo anything from a few times a day to once a fortnight - your ds might just naturally only go that frequently.
Are you getting plenty of wet nappies each day?
Re the feeding - have you tried expressing so he can have that at night? This would be the best option.
If not and you feel you have to use formula, try a non-dairy version. He may have a cows milk intolerance that is upsetting him.

Anna8888 · 01/12/2008 08:56

I would try to get him to cluster feed - offer him your breasts in the evening even if he is showing no signs of wanting them.

PortAndLemon · 01/12/2008 08:58

Any chance you could work expressing into your routine and give him expressed milk instead of formula, or a mixture of expressed and formula?

What about changing formula brands and seeing if another one agrees with him better?

HeadFairy · 01/12/2008 08:58

I was told by an HV to gently trace the shape of an upside down U with the flat of my hand on ds' lower abdomen when he got a blockage. Start on the left side (as you're looking at him) and gently slide your hand in the upside down U shape, apparently this follows approximately the shape of the lower bowel and can help the poo move along a bit if it's stuck. Not sure if that'll help but it's worth a try.

tiktok · 01/12/2008 09:05

hopefully, how about working on making bf better instead of giving the formula? That would keep you both happy - from what you say the formula is not good for his gut

There are ways to make the night feeds more comfortable and easy - co-aleeping, getting partner to do the post-feed settling thing, feeding lying down.

Misery for 24 hours has got to be worth avoiding somehow

Original poster

hopefully · 01/12/2008 09:07

Thanks for the ideas!

I'm fairly crap at expressing, but I suppose even if I can only get a couple of oz that might improve things slightly.

Wet nappies aplenty! He is definitely an infrequent pooer - maybe I'm being too ready to blame the formula when it's just his gut.

Will try a couple of days of offering him an extra feed in the evening and strange upside down U massage and see if that helps as well...

OP posts:

Original poster

hopefully · 01/12/2008 09:12

Thanks Tiktok. We did try DP doing the post feed settling, but it meant we were both up twice in the night rather than once ease, iykwim, so neither of us were getting a decent length sleep. I think perhaps trying to express and cut back that way might be the way forward.

Any suggestions on how I can maximise expressing? I would like to certainly cut back on the formula, even if I don't cut it out, and expressing has to help, but I can only get about an oz at a time. And do you think cluster feeding is worth it? Or should I just try to express during that time to add to the night time bottle?

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Original poster

hopefully · 01/12/2008 09:14

each, not ease...

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Jackstini · 01/12/2008 10:37

How are you expressing hopefully? Different women get different amounts with different methods.
I could never get a drop out with a Boots elec pump someone lent me, or by hand expressing but could do 4-5 oz on an Avent hand pump. (Although maybe I just needed showing better - will try agin this time round!)
Another friend could get loads out by hand but not by pump...
Other than this, expressing off 1 breast whilst ds is feeding off the other can yield more as your let down is already active.
Relax, looking at pics of ds (or video), plenty to drink all help too. Good luck.

HeadFairy · 01/12/2008 10:54

I couldn't anything out by expressing for ages, it took a while for me to build up a supply. A double pump really helped me. Relaxing is also very key (well it was for me) my biggest haul was the morning after I'd been to a friends wedding, without realising it (I was eating toast at the same time ) I managed to express 9oz in about 10 minutes! That was a bit of an epiphany for me with regards to expressing. Another amazing haul was the day I was expressing and booking a plane ticket online at the same time, again because I wasn't paying attention and thinking too hard about expressing, tons came out! From that point onwards I always made sure I expressed after ds was fed and he was happy in his bouncy chair, then I'd watch something funny or engrossing on tv to take my mind off expressing. Bingo, tons of milk

Original poster

hopefully · 01/12/2008 10:58

jackstini I have been using a medela electric pump, but a couple of people have suggested trying a manual one, which I think I'll try.

headfairy you're probably right about relaxing. For some reason pumping slightly grosses me out so probably the less attention I pay the better! Will try ignoring electric pump before trying manual.

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HeadFairy · 01/12/2008 12:37

It is one of the wierder things in life I'll grant you, esp when you get a let down and it spurts madly. Sit down with something funny on tv, I used to watch old episodes of Father Ted on dvd which always made me laugh and forget about pumping. It's so worth it though as I froze a stash and always had some to call on in an emergency/growth spurt. At one point I had 70oz in the freezer

Jackstini · 01/12/2008 12:55

Wow HF - that is impressive!! Am hoping to build up a stash when I have this one ready for going back to work - that is a target and a half...

HeadFairy · 01/12/2008 13:00

It does sound loads doesn't it? Unfortunately it wasn't even 10 feeds by the time ds got bigger.

chocbiscuits · 01/12/2008 14:40

Hi - I pumped for a long time after going back to work and it was a bit hard to start with so you need the stash. Also found it difficult if I had to swap rooms because someone was using the normal medical room I was supposed to pump in.
Ran out of stash though and then things were a bit tight for a bit but we muddled through! Best I ever managed at one sitting was 5oz, and that was a record!

susiey · 01/12/2008 16:53

if you can't express I round that my daughter was like this with sma formula

I used Aptimil for my son and his poo was like a bf baby despite being mixed fed
what formula are you using?

Original poster

hopefully · 01/12/2008 18:05

We use Hipp organic, for no reason other than it's organic and we tend to buy organic food... Hadn't even thought about changing brands!

OMG 70oz. I can get about 0.5-1oz in an average session, 1.5-2oz in a really really good one!

OP posts:

Sassyfrassy · 01/12/2008 18:59

Try the I love you massage, start by making an I on the right hand side of the tummy. Then an upside down L, starting on the left hand side then the upside down U, starting on the right hand side (right hand side for you, when he is lying in front of you). The instructor at my baby massage group said to repeat this 6 times, no more or we might well end up with a lap full of poo.

elkiedee · 14/03/2009 12:17

Posting to bookmark so I can try the massage tip on my baby (quite a similar situation to OP though different reasons).

CherryChoc · 14/03/2009 14:21

This is going to sound really weird, but I can get my baby to poo if I know he needs one by sitting on the floor with a bowl between my legs. I then hold DS over the bowl with no nappy/trousers on as if he was sitting on my lap but support him with my hands under his thighs and his back leaning against my tummy, over the bowl. (You could do it with a nappy on but I find this less messy tbh) Then I tense my stomach muscles as though I was trying to poo (but without pushing) and it's like he feels what I am doing and copies me. I suppose you could do it on the toilet as well but there isn't as much room as using a bowl.

It doesn't always work - you have to time it right - but probably about 50% of the time it does for me anyway.

CherryChoc · 14/03/2009 14:22

Sorry just noticed date on original post!

elkiedee · 14/03/2009 19:19

Well, it might be a useful tip for someone, I think ds2 is perhaps a bit young for this yet, it sounds like something for a baby of a few months old? I know it's an old thread but I was bookmarking to refer to the posts not expecting a response!

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