Constipation

I give Ashleigh a teaspoon or so of prune juice which normally results in a lovely "explosion"!! Have you tried just boiled cooled water as a starter?

We tried everything to sort out Caitlin's problem! We're FINALLY over the constipation hell!

Here are a few of the things that we tried...

Try 1/2 teaspoon on BROWN sugar in 150mls of water (it's the molasses that acts as a laxative)

OR

50mls of PURE orange juice (can't have any additives) in 150mls of water

And/OR
Massage her tummy in a clockwise direction with your left hand, then bring your right hand around from the top of her belly button, down her bowel (just above the hip bone) and follow it down until you reach her pelvic bone. If she's really backed up, you will be able to feel it when you go over her bowel

And/OR
Bring her knees up to her belly and gentley rotate them (like riding a bike). This also massages the bowel

and if none of them work...
Hold her in a sitting position over a bucket with her back to your tummy and her thinghs pulled up against her. The downwards pressure always made Caitlin go.
Before you do this one, wipe a cotton bud with a bit of vaseline inside her to ease things out.
After she has pooed, hold a wet warm cloth to her bum to make it feel a bit better as this can be a bit uncomfortable for them. Lots of cuddles afterwards calms them down - Caitlin used to really cry when we did this, but it was the last resort! We didn't want to use a laxitive, it's really important that they learn to go by themselves.

I hope Maddie doesn't get to this stage Gen. Make sure you give her water between her feeds too, we were told not to add water to her formula bottles.

Good luck!

We had major problems a coupla weeks ago. We boiled 2-3 prunes in 1 cup of water, then gave Amelia 2 tablespoons 2 x daily. She finally managed to go sitting on a potty (a bit like Toni's bucket suggestion really). I kept up the prune juice once a day for a few days, and things were fine, but I've been a bit slack and I think she's blocked up a bit again.

The massage idea is also good - I did that in the early days when I thought she was getting constipated, but it didn't work so well last time.

I thought it was a couple of teaspoons paws, but then I am in no way an expert in this area!

I got told the extra 50mls of water too Jess.
I don't think there is any hard rule as long as she takes some. Try right between her feeds (Caitlin is fed 4 hourly 8am,12pm,4pm,8pm and she has her water and 3 teaspoons of solids at 2pm). Make sure you don't give her too much water or give it too close to her formula feed time as she might get too full up on water and refuse her feed (but you probably already knew that )

I know i think it sucks that there is not much information out there for formula fed babies. I had no choice and was just thrown in the deep end and had to swim. Its ridiculous really!

are you sure shes constipated?
and maybe plunketline will have some ideas.

Yup I'm positive she's constipated...over the last few days she's only done small poos (like barely enough to soil the nappy) and they are well formed...pretty solid really.

We've noticed she's really strained to get them out (along with turning a very alarming red colour) and this morning she was straining and then screamed as she managed to push it out.

I've given her the extra fluids and she is at least farting like a trooper so there is a small improvement. Hopefully soon we'll have a big explosion!

Bottle feeding course would be a sodding good idea instead people being reluctant to give out info (or in the case of formula companies not being allowed unless you ring them direct!!)

Pipers exactly the same strains, goes red and screams as it comes out (small hard pebbles) am trying her on apple juice and water tonight hopefully it will help a bit.

We found with Caitlin that she needs to go every day. So if she hasn't been poos in 2 days, we hold her over the bucket and make her go.
If Maddie is screaming when she pushes them out, try the vaseline to give it a bit of a lube on the way out