dehydrated baby?

Ella's been constipated ever since she had an anaphylactic reaction to milk products 6 weeks ago.  That's a loooong time for a baby to be constipated (and it's been bad - for some time she literally couldn't poop without an enema)!  She's breastfed, and due to poor weight gain (since the reaction - she'd been fine beforehand) the Doc said she needed solids.  So 3 weeks ago she went on them.  I really don't think that the solids are to blame for it, as she was constipated beforehand.  No-one can give me any answers (apart from "but breastfed babies don't get constipated" - bollocks!).  I've had her on Coloxyl and every time I see a Doc I get told to keep her on it for "another few days".  I give her prune juice in water as well (which has to be syringed into the child because she refuses the bottle, cup, and sipper cup).  Now her skin has become dry on her tummy and sides and is peeling, and moisturiser ain't helping this time.  And her lips look dry (not parched, but dryer than normal). 

How much water does a baby need?  I'm thinking more than she's getting.  It's such a mission getting it into her.  She still gets lots of breastmilk, her solids meals are fruits or veg blended up with either BM or water.  But something isn't right.  Any ideas out there? 

I will go to your GP. Another thing is to express some of your milk. Let it stand in the fridge. Milk will seperate and the top of the cream add to another bottle. When you have enough give her the bottle.

Oops just saw now she doesnt take it at all. Bummer. It will add all the good calories for her.

Regarding the constipation thing. I know you said it was a problem before but McKayla got slightly constipated and what helped is pure prune puree. I dont see it over here in cans. We use to have it like that. So might have to make your own. A few teaspoons should be more than enough for her.

Other thing that works is a bit of brown sugar in rooibos tea. You get rooibos tea from the South african section. Yes I know it is not advisable to give sugar to kids but you use half a teaspoon in a bottle with rooibos tea. Should work within a day. Then to sort out her diet.

Pure Breastfed kids with no added formula dont need water until 6 months or when they are on solids. They dont need much in the beginning. Just boil some water and let it cool down. Then give about 20 ml's at this stage. She shouldnt really need more than that at this age.

I really would go see the gp if you feel something is not totally right. But I will go natural with constipation as much as possible. You dont want to go the drug route each time. It will just mask with what is really going on.

oh and if she was dehydrated then she wouldnt be having as many wet nappies, if that is the case then see the dr and dont leave till you get a better answer than "wait 3 days".

both my boys were breastfed and i never bothered with water till about 5.5 mths old and then i gave them a sippy cup on their highchair try and let them play with it and figure it out themselves. toby was quicker but hated the cups with the no spill valves but gabriel was a lot slower and loved them.

Hmmmm.... thanks for the advice!  I agree about going as natural as possible for treating it - didn't know about the rooibos tea (I used to drink that stuff!).  I've tried the brown sugar trick before, but would rather OD her on prune juice than load her up with that!  The little ratbag has even figured out how to completely refuse any water from our 8ml syringe, so I'm stuck with syringing in 3ml at a time... oh lordy!  She does have heaps of wet nappies though (thanks for reminding me - I hadn't thought of that!), and at bare-bum time she wee's at least twice in 20 or so minutes every day.  The dry skin on her tum and sides ends where her nappy starts, so I wonder if it's related to laundry detergent from her tops.  She gutses down her food (most of which is pureed apple and water these days... that'd send me to the bathroom, but not Miss Ella), which is as runny as I can make it and seemed to need more, so I've just started giving her solids for lunch too... maybe I'll cut that back and give her prune juice after her lunch BF instead!  Ha ha... poor kid, that stuff is foul.