constipated baby :(

[babymama44]

My son is almost 3 weeks old and he's eating about every 3 hours or so on average. It seems like he gets constipated about once a day where he'll go about 2 or 3 feedings without a bm and it makes him very fussy and wanting to nurse all the time I've been giving him sugar water but it doesn't seem to be helping too much and he doesn't really seem to like the sugar water. I feel so bad for him because I don't know what to do to help him...... Could it be something that I'm eating??

Any suggestions??

<<3
Ellen

[dcroberts]

Solely breastfed babies can go a really long time without having a BM. I'm talking days, and it can be perfectly normal. The sugar water is probably not a good idea. It is used in the very beginning at times to entice a reluctant eater to nurse or to accept a pacifier. If your son is nursing well, I would suggest that you avoid the addition of sugar water. It is also common for breastfed babies to go through periods of constantly wanting to nurse. It is nature's was of getting the milk supply to increase as he goes through one of many growing spurts. If his BM's are the typical mustard looking BM's of a breastfed baby, then he is not constipated. If their appearance is otherwise, you might have the pediatrician have a look.

[babymama44]

Dc--

Thank you for the advice. I was under the impression that bf babies pooped a lot. My dr says 6-8 diapers a day which he is having so maybe it is just gas that is his problem. I'm just paranoid I guess this is all so new to me as I'm a 1st time mom as I lost my other 2, 1 at a month or so along and the other at 28 weeks. I'm also having like stabbing pains in my breasts it is very painful and it started yesterday. Is this normal or something I need to call dr about?? I hope it stops as it really really hurts!

[dcroberts]

BF babies can poop very frequently, or they can poop VERY infrequently. There is no "normal" there! He should have very frequent wet diapers however, so be sure to keep an eye on that.
As for pain- some women seem to breeze through breastfeeding without nary a concern. I was never that lucky; and I nursed 5 children through their first year of age. It was NEVER pain free for me until at least 2 months! Still, it was oh so worth it! There could be any number of reasons for your pain, I'll try to name a few of the common ones.
Incorrect latch- this can cause the stabbing pains that you mentioned. Only practice will make this better.
Thrush can cause all types of pain as well. I went through two experiences with thrush. It is recognizable by the white patches that form on the insides of baby's cheek and the roof of the mouth. Their little tongues are often coated white anyway, but with thrush it will be a thicker coating. Gentian violet swabbed on your nipples and in the babies mouth can fix the problem, but it is VERY messy. The doctor can also give a prescription for a less messy treatment.
Mastitis can can also cause pain for you. I've not had personal experience there, but be sure to check in with your doctor if you are running a fever or otherwise not feeling well.
A blocked milk duct can also give pain. Warm compresses, light massage, and increased nursing can help with that. Most of my personal pain was due to nipple pain. Moist tea bags, cabbage leaves, and those gel-like nursing pads work wonder for relief.
You should always feel free to call your doctor if you are worried about something. However, the best help I ever received for breastfeeding concerns came from a lactation consultant. You just have to abandon your dignity, lift your shirt and let her handle you rather personally

[babymama44]

dc--

thanks. the pain isn't in my nipples really it's like farther back. If it's not better by tomorrow I'm definatly going to see if I can get ahold of dr or SOMEONE because this really sucks. BF is definately worth it though despite all of the problems that we've had.....

thanks again
Ellen

[The Loud]

I'm so sorry about your earlier losses.

dcroberts is right that babies don't need anything but breastmilk. If you'd like to read more about what to expect (number of diapers, frequency of feedings, etc) this website is a great resource:
http://www.kellymom.com/

Even very young babies sometimes find it easier to poop when they're not in a diaper. When I knew my baby needed to poop, I would take off her diaper and hold her over the toilet like this:
http://www.diaperfreebaby.org/index....position=14:14
and she would generally poop in the toilet just fine. I write in the past tense because now that she's a toddler, she has less patience for me interrupting her adventures to take her to the bathroom. Hopefully she'll get back in the habit at some point.

I'm sorry to hear about these stabbing pains. Do they happen when you feel a let-down? (that is, when your breasts suddenly fill with milk for a feeding) and then go away after your baby has nursed? That's really common and nothing to worry about. These pains should lessen in a while as your breasts get used to making milk.

Or it might be something else. Here's info about the various other things that might cause pains in your breasts:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/index.html
Does one of those sound like the pains you're having?

[babymama44]

Little man is doing better now Either that or I just now know that it's normal so I'm not freaking out. And the stabbing pains are gone, thank god. I don't know if it was just stress or what but ugh that sucked. I know I was stressed enough last night that my milk wouldn't let down so dad had to give him a bottle, thank god I had milk pumped already!! But today is a new day and a new adventure

Ellen