Phn - Urgent

amira

Thanks everyone.
I managed to talk to a doctor who told me to give water. He said a couple of oz every feed? I think it's too much as the way it is now baby actually struggles to have the full bottle., so I'm afraid 2 oz every feed will make her leave even more of the bottle untouched.. Been doin massage also. Baby now is in pain trying to get it out.. Breaks my heart..

Roesy

Don't know. Just going on what I was told in the class and as part of checkup(same midwife), that she should be offered it once a day. Definitely not as a replacement for a feed but in addition. Our little savage wouldn't stand for that. We usually offer it between a feed. Midwife said they can be thirsty, some days she drinks a tiny bit other days she'll take a bit more. Hadn't heard about the orange. Thankfully constipation hasn't been much of an issue past the initial changeover.

pwurple

When we switched to formula baby got a small bit constipated too. Gp said to try adding an extra 25 ml of water to the bottle feed when it happened. Just to dilute a tiny bit. Seemed to work out ok.

Big Bag of Chips

amira, I know it's a worry - but it will sort itself out, and if you drop an ounce or 2 of formula so that the baby takes an ounce or 2 of water, it is not going to harm the baby. She won't go hungry - and she'll let you know if she wants more!

There are loads of different tips and tricks that people can give you. Some people will recommend against something, while others will say it worked for them and didn't do any harm.

One thing I used to do was make the feeds with more water than forumla. So if you have say 4 ounces of water, only put in 3 scoops of formula. It's not going to do harm to the baby, it will just make the feed a bit more watery. So you might find that she will get hungry quicker - but the extra fluid will also help to soften her poos.

You don't need to do this long term, maybe just for a day or 2, and maybe not even for every feed. You are the best judge of what will work for your baby. Don't substitute water for formula - it should be given extra to formula - but if the baby is not able to take water as well as formula, then watering down the bottle slightly is an alternative.

Tasden

OP I would strongly recommend taking the advice of extra water, whichever way you feel best- added to formula or in a bottle after feeds- baby will not suffer from the extra water if it is just a day or so to loosen the stool. A lot of baby's get constipated from the formula and sometimes its a case of adjustment needed, other times you'll need to change but changing to soon without letting baby's system get accustomed will just cause more issues. At around one or two months lots of babies naturally start passing less frequently anyway but as she is struggling i would give extra water. Try not to worry and keep up with the baths and massages.

amira

Thanks all. I was reluctant to add water when making up tb formula as it says in the pack to add more water or powder than directed can make the baby ill.. But it really seems the best option as I still struggle to make her drink water and I'll also avoid having to add the sugar..
She's been like this for 10 days though so I wonder if I should give her the water for as long as she is like this?

Big Bag of Chips

amira wrote: »

I was reluctant to add water when making up tb formula as it says in the pack to add more water or powder than directed can make the baby ill..

They have to say that

Seriously, I would never add more formula than ounces of water, as it would be far too heavy for the baby but watering down the feed a little to help the baby, is not going to do any harm. Especially if it's only a short term thing.

Your best option is to get her to drink a few ounces of water separate to her feeds, but if that's not possible, due to her sleeping or just not interested in drinking the water, then the next best thing is to lessen the scoops that you put in.

Think about it logically - what could adding less formula to the water do to make her sick?

Do it for a day or 2 along with baths, rotating the legs etc. and see how she gets on. Call into a pharmacy tomorrow if you want and see if there's anything they can give you to help things along.

Tasden

They say adding more water may make baby sick because if you give more water all the time baby will not be getting the nutrients she needs as it will be too diluted. Extra water when baby is constipated is OK. Honestly don't worry!

amira

Thanks all.. Next feed will be diluted!
Guess dilute a few feeds won't harm!
Also, given that ur all giving so good advice.. I'm feeding every 3 hrs during the day, and let her sleep at night for as long as she wants.. When she sleeps, that is.. In the formula pack suggests 5 feeds from 4 to 8 weeks.. That will mean space the feeds to nearly 5 hrs.. Isn't she a bit young for that? She was 4 weeks yesterday..
Ps.. You may have all figured I'm a new mum..

cyning

We had awful problems with constipation here so things that helped were the warm baths and baby massage, but also keeping baby upright in a sling or your arms especially if they are very uncomfortable. Nearly all the poos she did for the first couple of months were when she was upright. I would definitely be going to doc or chemist at 10 days though particularly if they are in pain trying to go or in general.

Big Bag of Chips

amira, the important thing to realise is you know your baby. Books and the back of tins, give guidelines - but every single baby is unique and very few will stick rigidly to the routine the books lay out for them

You do what feels right for you. Sometimes, during a growth spurt for example, you might find that she's looking for a feed every 2 hours! Or that she'll take a full feed one time, and then 2 hours later, look for a few ounces, and then skip a few hours and take a full feed later than she usually would!

Let yourself be guided by her, and you won't really go wrong. She's only 4 weeks. She's only settling, and you are only finding your feet. Everyone is unsure and nervous (and clueless!) at the start.. nobody brings a baby home from the hospital and knows it all. It's a "learn on the job" job. And everyone manages to stumble through it! Don't be afraid to ask questions, don't be afraid to take advice from others, but don't be afraid to do things your way either if what is being advised isn't working for your daughter.

You'll be fine.

uck51js9zml2yt

Lots of good advice on here as usual, as already been said, dont dilute the formula as its balanced. You can however give an ounce of cooled boiled
+
+
water with a bit of brown sugar in it in the event of constipation.

If the baby's pooh is green its a sign that they are not getting enough to drink. A bit of water or an extra feed normally sorts it out.

My son is 3 weeks old and taking 4 ounces every 2 -3 hours. Sometimes I give him some water if he's a little green or has stomach pains. I've also found gripe water to help in the case of colic, though you'll need to order it from the uk.

Every baby is different and you'll soon get a feel for what. Our first was completely different to this one so we are learning again.