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Children's health

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Original poster

6 week old hasn't pooed and is in a state - please help

21 replies

anne74 · 06/02/2011 08:51

My DS is 6 weeks old but was just over 5 weeks prem. He hasn't pooed since Thursday and is really uncomfortable. He also seems to have got really hoarse for some reason and sounds like he's going to lose his voice.

I tried to ring the HV but noone answered so I'm guessing they don't work at the weekends. I've also rung NHS Direct and am waiting for someone to phone me back.

Should I be taking him to A&E or is there something I can do at home?

He is mainly BF but has had formula this week for some feeds due to my nipples being in a state of disrepair.

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mummymunter · 06/02/2011 08:55

Babies can suffer from constipation. Wait for NHS Direct to call you back but if you are at all worried - mother's gut instinct - then take him to hospital. They will understand that he was premature and that your worry levels will be heightened.

May be that the change in milk may have caused a bit of constipation. Let us know how you get on and congratulations on your new baby.

Buda · 06/02/2011 08:59

Old wives remedy for constipation in babies is water with a tiny amount of brown sugar. I give it to my DS when he was tiny but some people are horrified!

If you are in the horrified camp then try him with some cool boiled water. The formula may have caused it. When DS was constipated I mentioned to the doctor and he suggested putting an extra ounce of water in each bottle. I know they say you should not meddle with how the feeds are made up but the extra water that way doesn't affect the nutritional value of the bottle and gets more fluid into the baby. It certainly worked for me and my sisters also do it on advice of same doctor.

ThierryHenryismyBoyfriend · 06/02/2011 09:01

Also try massaging his tummy and cycling his legs. That worked a treat with my DS when he was constipated.

Original poster

anne74 · 06/02/2011 09:06

I figured that the formula must have something to do with it. I'm just using the ready made stuff as he doesn't generally have a whole feed of just formula. He did one poo during the week which was much more formed than he has ever done which fits the description of the poos FF babies do but then went back to runny ones. If he wasn't so distressed by it I probably wouldn't worry too much. I'll wait for NHS Direct to call back.

buda when you say a tiny amount of brown sugar, how much to do you mean? What exactly would you give him ie. how much water and sugar?

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Guacamole · 06/02/2011 09:06

Babies can go a week without pooing, it's quite common. Are there plenty of wet nappies?
It's more likely wind than constipation at the moment, try bicycling his legs and the every ten seconds gently push his knees up to his tummy and hold there for 5 seconds, also try massaging tummy in a clockwise direction (but don't do this immediately after a feed).

If he has no fever, you're getting wet nappies and he's feeding well then there is unlikely anything NHS direct or A and E will do. But make an appointment with GP for next week and let them know your concerns.

I hope you get a big poo soon :)

Original poster

anne74 · 06/02/2011 09:22

The nappies are wet but not as wet as they were in the week when he was bottle fed for 3 days. Every nappy during those days was absolutely full of wee. Since then they have been much drier but he is still weeing. He feels hot to me but I can't find the thermometer.

NHS Direct have just phoned back and suggested giving him boiled water. She didn't really have anything else to suggest although I am slightly disconcerted by the fact that she was suggesting I could give him juice until I reminded her he is only 6 weeks old.

I'll add some water to his next feed and see if that helps and will also do a bit of bicycling.

Thanks for all your help

OP posts:

Buda · 06/02/2011 10:08

From memory (it was over 9 years ago!) I think I put about 4 oz of water in a bottle and about the tip of a teaspoon of brown sugar in to it. Almost a pinch really.

ElsieR · 06/02/2011 10:11

What formula do you use? SMA gave my DS dreadful constipation, sorted with Aptamil. But that's only my experience.

Original poster

anne74 · 06/02/2011 14:59

I'm using aptamil. I can't breastfeed very often at the mo as my nipples are just too painful. I have to breastfeed every 3 hrs for at least 15 mins as he had tongue tie snipped on Thursday and this was the instruction from the consultant. I can just about get through the 15 mins but it's a struggle and then I'm giving him a bottle to finish the feed.

I've seen a lactation consultant once and she's coming back tomorrow night to see if she can help. I'm hoping she can help me with using nipple shields as I think that's the only way I can carry on breastfeeding.

He still hasn't pooed but I've added water to his last 2 bottles (about 20mls) and we've done some bicycling. He's really straining to go so hopefully we'll have a result soon.

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adcd · 06/02/2011 18:26

It's very worrying when they don't go, but i can reiterate what the others have said - an ounce or two of cooled boiled water, tummy massage and leg cycling worked wonders when my DS was 4 weeks old. My GP said that she wouldn't be worried if he didn't go for up to a week. Hang in there, he will go soon!

felicity10 · 06/02/2011 21:02

MY DD went 7 days and I went to the doctor, he was not concerned in the slightest, saying that only if it got to 11 or so days then we should be looking into it further - so long as the nappies were still wet.

He did suggest the brown sugar as someone has mentioned above - worked a treat and is much more gentle than the oj option for such a young baby.

forevermore · 06/02/2011 22:00

Cool boiled water. It's probably the formula. Also massage tummy and cycle legs. Try and breastfeed through the pain if u can bear it:-(

Original poster

anne74 · 08/02/2011 15:18

He has pooed!!! He had a bit of an explosion last night when the LC was here. He is still in discomfort so I think there is more to come but at least things are moving. Thanks for all your advice!

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BurnAfterReading · 08/02/2011 15:28

I had the same problem with dd - I was advised by someone (I won't say who) to put vaseline on tip of cotton bud and put in (ever so slightly) her bumhole!!!!

Needless to say, I told the person where to go....

Has anyone else ever heard such a ridiculous suggestion?

Original poster

anne74 · 09/02/2011 22:05

DS now has diarrhoea which has gone from being almost black to a dark brown. I was expecting an element of black poo due to the amount of blood he would have swallowed when he had his tongue tie done last thursday. Do you think this is normal? It's a long way off yellow!

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Original poster

anne74 · 09/02/2011 22:30

Could the diarrhoea be caused by not refrigerating EBM? I read something on here about being able to reuse leftover milk at the next feed. I reused milk this morning but didn't refrigerate it in between as I had understood that you didn't need to. It was about 3 hours in between feeds. Could I have made DS sick?

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MoonUnitAlpha · 09/02/2011 22:37

No, I don't think that will have made him sick. 3 hours out of the fridge would be fine.

Did he really swallow much blood having his tongue snipped? I don't remember there being much blood at all when ds's was done.

It could just be his digestive system adjusting to the formula though, formula fed poo can be a lot more solid and brown than bf poo.

Original poster

anne74 · 09/02/2011 23:20

It was his third tongue tie snip and there was a lot of blood. It seems there has been more blood each time. I'll see what happens overnight. I'm taking him to the GP tomorrow due to us both possibly having thrush so I can get them to check it out if necessary.

Thanks.

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vmcd28 · 10/02/2011 19:33

Anne, can I just check - when you're talking about using leftover milk, do you mean you've left it on the worktop in the bottle that the baby was drinking from?

If so, DON'T! Only put as much as you need in the bottle (keep topping up the bottle if necessary), and store the rest in a sterile bottle/container with lid.

PS for the record, my ds2 is 12 weeks, and used to poo every day. But lately he's been pooing every 2-3 days. He hasn't pooed since Monday and has bother with trapped wind. I was told I could safely use a couple of mls of Lactulose, but haven't gone down that route yet x

Original poster

anne74 · 10/02/2011 22:30

Yes I left it in the bottle he drank from. There is a thread on the feeding page where someone said the milk, even from a feed, is ok at room temp for 6 hrs. Is that not the case? I haven't don't it since as it did worry me a bit.

His bowels do still worry me a bit. He pooed lots yesterday evening but it is really dark. It's a long way off the yellow that it once was. Again he hasn't pooed today and he is struggling with wind. It wakes him up which is very annoying. I've managed to mainly breastfeed today so hopefully that will help get things moving.

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vmcd28 · 10/02/2011 23:05

I don't know the ins and outs, but my hv told me "1 or 2 hrs at the most" for breast milk that's been partially consumed. But this is the problem - different people give different advice! My feeling on it was to stick it in the fridge cos that's safer, and there's no real hassle to warm it up a little when needed.
As a rule, if something "worries" you, then don't do it - go with your gut feeling.

Similarly, if the nappies don't seem right then either phone your hv or NHS 24 for advice. If it's over the weekend theyll send you to the out of hours doc since it's a young baby, so be ready for that. However, my ds ia breastfed at all times except 7oz of formula at 10pm. His poo is sort of caramel/toffee colour, if that helps. He has had wind problems from around 7 weeks, and wakes between 4 and 7 am each day with sore wind. We thought he was hungry at first, but he'd just wriggle and squirm when latched on. Cycling his legs and pushing his knees up to his tummy sometimes helps. Hope this helps x

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