Hi,
I'd like to have a good look at the situation before doing anything. It's a
bit tricky seeing that the baby was born at 28 weeks, and is now 36 weeks.
So it's 8 weeks old.
I feel that it is more normal for a young fully breastfed baby to have a
number of stools per day - at least one. Around 8 weeks or older this could
change to one every couple of days or week or more.
But, what have the baby's weight gains been like? A cause of lack of stools
in a young baby can be not enough milk. I'd like to rule this out before
anything else. What are the stools like when the baby does go? What is the
baby's behaviour. Is it very irritable and unsettled? How many feeds does
it take per day? Is it abnormally "settled" It's a cultural belief that a
sleepy baby is a "good" baby.
Have you seen the Australian Breastfeeding Association's *poo chart*? A
fabulous resource. $15 for 100 tear off sheets showing normal baby poos and
excellent confidence building tips on breastfeeding You can purchase
through the Lactation Resource Centre. They also have an excellent "Hot
Topic" paper on bowel habits in babies. Might be worth having a read. I
couldn't find it on the website, but the phone number for the LRC is (03)
55658 602
Barb
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jennifairy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2006 10:08 AM
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] brown sugar
The Fairbairn Family wrote:
more than a week without a bowel movement is not unusual = fully
breastfed - but if concerned about constipation - a small amount of
orange juice (natural) would prove the point..
----- Original Message -----
*From:* Alan <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*To:* Ozmidwifery <mailto:[email protected]>
*Sent:* Friday, March 31, 2006 5:00 PM
*Subject:* [ozmidwifery] brown sugar
Can anyone point me to some research re brown sugar use for
constipation?
I have just started work at a small country hospital. A baby,
after being born at 28 weeks has been returned to us. (now 36
weeks). This baby has not had a bowel motion for 7 days. After 3
days the doctor ordered ¼ tsp of brown sugar every second feed.
This baby is being fed by EBM only. I told the doctor that it is
not unusual for babies who are on breast milk often go for a week
without passing a stool and was told “that is rubbish. They should
go every couple of days”.
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This is interesting as I have seen a woman & baby just this week at home -
fully formula fed at Day 3 when I first saw them (on paed's advice, for no
apparent reason, but then also had a IOL at 38+2 because her obstetrician
'offered it', citing the story of his niece whose baby died in utero at
40+2), not interested in breast feeding (the mum of course), so of course
by day 5 the babe had not had a bowel movement since mec at birth & mum
had decided to chuck in a 1/4 teaspoon of brown sugar with each feed.
I too would like some references or at least some advice from an LC re
what info to offer these mums!
For what its worth, on the fully breast fed bowel timing thread, my oldest
daughter went for about 4 months with a weekly poo (yep, Fridays were 'be
ready to catch the immense amount of shit' day). Constantly amazed me
where it all came from. Fully breast fed, & by the end of that time she
literally looked like "Michelin Girl" - more chins than a chinese phone
book, as they say.
cheers
--
Jennifairy Gillett RM
Midwife in Private Practice
Women’s Health Teaching Associate
ITShare volunteer – Santos Project Co-ordinator
ITShare SA Inc - http://itshare.org.au/
ITShare SA provides computer systems to individuals & groups, created from
donated hardware and opensource software
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