Ask Me Help Desk - What can I give a 2 week old.

I am wondering what I can give my baby for constipation. He is 2 weeks old and he was going 3 or 4 times a day and now its been 3 days since he has went. He is formula and breastfed. Is there anything I can give him or do for him. My dr. is closed for lunch so I can't call them yet. Thanks in advance!

Your baby is very young and the doctor is the only who should advice you.

I would urge you to be very careful when seeking advice from an online source when it concerns an infant.

Call the hospital,or gp again when they open.

I agree that you should just call the doc.

Its *possible* that your infant isn't actually constipated. Breastfed babies often don't poo everyday, so its best to see what the doctor thinks. :)

Are you really wiiling to take a chance? Wait for the doctor, or better yet, go to the office.

I finally got in touch with the Dr. and he said to use dark kayro Syrup so we are going to try that and see what happens.

You might also find increasing the number of breastfeeds for a few days helps as well. At two weeks, there may still be some remaining colostrum in the breast milk that can have a laxative effect. The water content alone helps reduce the likelihood of constipation.

If he recently started on the formula, the change could be the issue as he adjusts. Again, increasing the breast feeds, or feeding expressed breast milk, and offering a more gradual switch to or combining with formula will often prevent a recurrence.

Thank you. He was actually on formula before breastmilk because of the c section. And I am having to pump because he refuses to latch on. So right now I am not getting enough breast milk. How often should he be going. He was going every time he had a bottle with breast milk. Then he went 3 days without anything and that's when I gave him the karo syrup and he went but its been 3 days again and he still isn't going. So I don't know what's normal. They told me in the hospital he shoud be going like 3 times a day .

Quote:

Originally Posted by jessy0428

Thank you. He was actually on formula before breastmilk because of the c section. And I am having to pump because he refuses to latch on. So right now I am not getting enough breast milk. How often should he be going. He was going everytime he had a bottle with breast milk. Then he went 3 days without anything and thats when I gave him the karo syrup and he went but its been 3 days again and he still isnt going. So I dont know whats normal. They told me in the hospital he shoud be going like 3 times a day .

When he did go, what did it look like? Usually babies this age will go more often still, slowing down after 4-5 weeks.
How often is he eating? How much in a 24 hour period? How many wet diapers are you getting in a 24 hour period?
How often are you able to pump? How much are you able to pump at a session? There are ways to increase that if you are interested.

Adding: was he back to his birth weight when you saw the doctor, or close to it?

You know if you are having trouble with producing enough breast milk you can take Feenugreek 2x a day. Check with your doctor first but it really does work.

When he went Thursday night it was really soft and like a yellow brown, but there was a lot it filled up the first diaper and the clean one I had under him. He eats 2.5 oz every about 2 hrs. Sometimes he will take 3 oz. He probably has like 6-8 wet diapers a day. I was pumping every 2 hrs but I was only getting like an ounce so now I pump every 3 -4 hr and Ill get 2 - 2.5 ounces. I would love more to know how to get more milk. And he is on Similac sensitive formula because Early shield tore his stomach up. When he went for his 2 week check up he was up to 10lbs.exactly and he was 9lbs 2 oz when he was born.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jessy0428

When he went Thursday night it was really soft and like a yellow brown, but there was a lot it filled up the first diaper and the clean one I had under him. He eats 2.5 oz every about 2 hrs. Sometimes he will take 3 oz. He probably has like 6-8 wet diapers a day. I was pumping every 2 hrs but I was only getting like an ounce so now I pump every 3 -4 hr and Ill get 2 - 2.5 ounces. I would love more to know how to get more milk. And he is on Similac sensitive formula because Early shield tore his stomach up. When he went for his 2 wk check up he was up to 10lbs.exactly and he was 9lbs 2 oz when he was born.

He was just saving it up for you... :) He doesn't sound constipated... you would see little hard balls of poop, with much effort on his part. It may just be normal for him to go a longer time between bowel movements since the formula you have him on is made to be more easily digested, hence less waste to pass. As long as the consistency is normal, that is more important than frequency (within reason of course).
His weight is good, his intake appears good, his output in regards to urination is good. Is he usually a happy baby when he is awake?
If you are concerned, go ahead with a little karo syrup, or you might want to ask your doctor about a little prune juice added to a bottle.
Certainly keep watch and contact your doctor if you still feel he isn't doing what he should be.

As far as milk production, as mrshodges mentioned, fenugreek works well for many women. Alfalfa is another good choice, and some have found oatmeal helps too. (If you have any health concerns and/or allergies however, some of these may not be recommended). These all work best when you increase the frequency of your pumping sessions. It really does work on supply and demand and milk production increases the more frequently the breasts are "emptied" (you are never really empty). Pumping about every 3 hours, and pumping long enough to where you are just getting a few drops out, should put you at a good amount. Your ounce every two hours sounds like a small amount, but it was right about on target! You might find pumping first thing in the morning reaps you a decent amount as prolaction levels, a hormone that helps with milk production, tend to be higher at night. Trying some breast massage just prior and during some of the pumping sessions may help also. Speak to your doctor, if he/she is knowledgeable about breastfeeding, or better yet, set an appointment with a lactation consultant if there is one at your local hospital. You might also want to check out any breastfeeding support groups in your area.
Sometimes just hearing that your baby is doing the same as others, and both of you are doing fine makes a world of difference... :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoulaLC

He was just saving it up for you....:) He doesn't sound constipated....you would see little hard balls of poop, with much effort on his part. It may just be normal for him to go a longer time between bowel movements since the formula you have him on is made to be more easily digested, hence less waste to pass. As long as the consistency is normal, that is more important than frequency (within reason of course).
His weight is good, his intake appears good, his output in regards to urination is good. Is he usually a happy baby when he is awake?
If you are concerned, go ahead with a little karo syrup, or you might want to ask your doctor about a little prune juice added to a bottle.
Certainly keep watch and contact your doctor if you still feel he isn't doing what he should be.

As far as milk production, as mrshodges mentioned, fenugreek works well for many women. Alfalfa is another good choice, and some have found oatmeal helps too. (If you have any health concerns and/or allergies however, some of these may not be recommended). These all work best when you increase the frequency of your pumping sessions. It really does work on supply and demand and milk production increases the more frequently the breasts are "emptied" (you are never really empty). Pumping about every 3 hours, and pumping long enough to where you are just getting a few drops out, should put you at a good amount. Your ounce every two hours sounds like a small amount, but it was right about on target! You might find pumping first thing in the morning reaps you a decent amount as prolaction levels, a hormone that helps with milk production, tend to be higher at night. Trying some breast massage just prior and during some of the pumping sessions may help also. Speak to your doctor, if he/she is knowledgeable about breastfeeding, or better yet, set an appointment with a lactation consultant if there is one at your local hospital. You might also want to check out any breastfeeding support groups in your area.
Sometimes just hearing that your baby is doing the same as others, and both of you are doing fine makes a world of difference....:)

Yea he probably was.:) Yea he is usually happy when he is awake. I am going to try the karo syrup. How long is OK to go without going?
I will def. try some of the things to get more milk. I would love to have him just on breastmilk. I have noticed when I pump first thing in the morning I do get more, Usually enough for 2 bottles. I am also going to look into setting up an appointment with a lactation consultant. Thank you so much for answering my questions.