Phn - Urgent

amira

Does anybody knows if phn are available today?
I rang her yesterday and left a message but she never returned my call. I rang again today but don't want to keep waiting all day if nothing is going to happen.. I need to talk to someone today, otherwise it'll be next week before I can see someone with Xmas on the way and all.. Anybody any advice?

January

I'm not sure they are working today but if it's that urgent would you not take the little one to the doctor?

What's the problem, if it's not medical advice you need I'm sure someone here could give you a bit of help.

amira

Thanks January.
It's urgent coz I don't want to wait till after Xmas.. My GP is fully booked out today and I don't think is a matter of a&e.
My baby is 4 weeks old tomorrow. For the last 10 days she's been constipated. She was originally being breastfed, then had to be combined with formula, aptamil 1, and since yesterday is solely formula fed. She only dirties the nappy every 2 or 3 days and it comes as an explosion. When the phn saw her last she recommended water with brown sugar. Baby had a poo as the phn was visiting so we thought that'd be the end of it, and that she recommended the water/sugar as a once off, but as I said, since then, things have not really improved and not sure I should just keep giving water.. When there must be something causing this in first place, maybe the formula? But I wouldn't want to go changing either without advice? Since she told us is not good to be changing.. So don't know what to do..

JDxtra

Well, don't just give the baby water - it needs breast or formula milk.

Doubt you would get anybody at all today, either doc or PHN.

Keep feeding as normal, don't go chopping and changing formulas.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

This happened to my baby too, she finally pooed as I was in th phone speaking to a nurse from the hospital, so I didn't need her advice in the end! Why dont you ring the maternity hospital, a nurse will ring you back if they are too busy.

Also do you know about the out of hours service? In my area it is d doc, you talk to a nurse and I have found them to be brilliant, you only have to pay if you then bring them to the doctor after you talk ro the nurse.

They are a great source of knowledge and advice and are always very up to date with their information.

Moonbeam

talk to the pharmacist they might be able to help you if the doctor can not see you.
I find though if you ring the doctors surgery with an ongoing issue that they will ring you back.

Gee_G

amira wrote: »

Thanks January.
It's urgent coz I don't want to wait till after Xmas.. My GP is fully booked out today and I don't think is a matter of a&e.
My baby is 4 weeks old tomorrow. For the last 10 days she's been constipated. She was originally being breastfed, then had to be combined with formula, aptamil 1, and since yesterday is solely formula fed. She only dirties the nappy every 2 or 3 days and it comes as an explosion. When the phn saw her last she recommended water with brown sugar. Baby had a poo as the phn was visiting so we thought that'd be the end of it, and that she recommended the water/sugar as a once off, but as I said, since then, things have not really improved and not sure I should just keep giving water.. When there must be something causing this in first place, maybe the formula? But I wouldn't want to go changing either without advice? Since she told us is not good to be changing.. So don't know what to do..

Is she in pain with it? My little boy was the same until he started on solids and I used to panic about it, but he was in no pain, it was obviously just the way he was going to be, just going every two days.
Have you tried some baby massage? And doing the bicycle movements with her legs? It can do wonders x
I know its worrying x

bp

Baby massage is good to try get things moving. Some babies don't poop that often. Is the stomach swollen or sore?

Try some boiled water and ring d-doc....they are excellent

Mr.Fred

lay the baby on her back on the changing table and try cycle her legs. It may ease the pressure and get things moving.

This happened at some point with all of ours and usually brown sugar and water did the trick.

A friend of ours did have a similar problem that turned out to be a bit more of an issue and in her case the doc provided her with an implement to insert up the rectum to aid baby in passing solid poo.

If you can I'd try get in touch with caredoc they'll probably be on today.

As someone up above mentioned chop and changing formulas can be hard on the little one.

Good Luck, Kids have a great sense of timing

Sligo1

There should always be an oncall PHN on for your area. Perhaps ring the actual PHNs office for your area and there should be a message service stating the number for the oncall. What area are you in?

amira

Well, I tried phn but no answer, how can I find out who's the on call one? I tried the health centre and they're closed till January!!

I've tried the massage thing, I actually don't know how often and for how long to do it but I have tríed!

Also the water with brown sugar, how much is it safe to give and for how long? Days?

My GP said she'll give me a call but they're only till 1:30 today and she hasn't called yet..

amira

Sligo1 wrote: »

There should always be an oncall PHN on for your area. Perhaps ring the actual PHNs office for your area and there should be a message service stating the number for the oncall. What area are you in?

I'm in Citywest dublin 24, how can I find the phn office in my area?

Gee_G

amira wrote: »

Well, I tried phn but no answer, how can I find out who's the on call one? I tried the health centre and they're closed till January!!

I've tried the massage thing, I actually don't know how often and for how long to do it but I have tríed!

Also the water with brown sugar, how much is it safe to give and for how long? Days?

My GP said she'll give me a call but they're only till 1:30 today and she hasn't called yet..

The massage I used to do it for five mins or so at a time,just while he was lying on the couch beside me or wherever. Would definitely try the leg movements too if you haven't already. My phn had said to make up a small bottle of it and give it throughout the day. Will she drink cooled boiled water on its own?

amira

Giuliana Damaged Bagel wrote: »

This happened to my baby too, she finally pooed as I was in th phone speaking to a nurse from the hospital, so I didn't need her advice in the end! Why dont you ring the maternity hospital, a nurse will ring you back if they are too busy.

Also do you know about the out of hours service? In my area it is d doc, you talk to a nurse and I have found them to be brilliant, you only have to pay if you then bring them to the doctor after you talk ro the nurse.

They are a great source of knowledge and advice and are always very up to date with their information.

No, didn't know about out of hours service, how can I find out which one is in my area?

amira

She hardly drinks the water with the sugar.. Another problem
I have to give the water is that she basically sleeps between feeds so I can only sneak a bit before the feed, sometimes a bit after.. But nothing in between..

liliq

You can call the maternity hospital, your baby is covered by them up to 6 weeks after the birth.

Switching from breast milk to formula can constipated babies especially if it's done quickly, once her digestive system gets used to it the constipation might ease off.
Hope you get sorted. Keep spare clothes with you, it'll be a big one when it comes

Sligo1

Sorry have only rechecked this thread now. I will check and see if there's a phn on call but it's late now so Im not sure if there's a lot can be done or even if they are still on.

You are covered by your maternity hospital until 6 weeks post birth so is give them a call and see what they say.

nikpmup

Sorry to hijack the thread, but how much sugar do you put in the water? My little man occasionally becomes constipated, I give him a couple of ounces of cooled boiled water but I might try the sugar too.

Sligo1

Hi OP, apparently it's only emergency PHN cover from now. If you're worried do check with your hospital. Hope you get sorted

Selfbuilder14

My bavies were all breast Fed and my little middle boy now 4 used yo Go for over 10 days. I spoke to the doctor who said over 13 days is a concern. My solution was glycerol suppositories they work a treat just have plenty baby wipes on hand. A pharmacist recommended this to me.

Selfbuilder14

My bavies were all breast Fed and my little middle boy now 4 used yo Go for over 10 days. I spoke to the doctor who said over 13 days is a concern. My solution was glycerol suppositories they work a treat just have plenty baby wipes on hand. A pharmacist recommended this to me.

Mr.Fred

nikpmup wrote: »

Sorry to hijack the thread, but how much sugar do you put in the water? My little man occasionally becomes constipated, I give him a couple of ounces of cooled boiled water but I might try the sugar too.

we were told by or nurse 1/2 tea spoon brown sugar / 2 ounces of water.

LegacyUser

A warm bath usually helps my baby if she's a bit constipated, has helped in less than an hour so quick result! Also recommend the leg cycling movements. HTH

January

Are you sure she's constipated OP? You say she sleeps between feeds etc... is she in any discomfort?

Roesy

We were told in the antenatal classes to be sure to give formula fed babies water everyday and were reminded of this at the 6 week checkup. As soon as I switched over to formula I started giving her water everyday. Some days she'll only take an oz or two. Other days she'll drink three or four. Bar an initial period of three days when she changed over we have at least two dirty nappies a day. We only added the sugar on the third day of not going and added about a third of a spoon to about 4oz.

nikpmup

I never heard that Roesy, that formula fed babies had to be given water? Thankfully he doesn't get constipated much, a few days when we switched from breastmilk to formula, and occasionally since, I've given him water on two or three occasions.

liliq

nikpmup wrote: »

I never heard that Roesy, that formula fed babies had to be given water? Thankfully he doesn't get constipated much, a few days when we switched from breastmilk to formula, and occasionally since, I've given him water on two or three occasions.

I never heard it either, heard the opposite in fact. Nothing but breast milk or formula. Water fills them up without having any nutritional value.

nikpmup

liliq wrote: »

I never heard it either, heard the opposite in fact. Nothing but breast milk or formula. Water fills them up without having any nutritional value.

I was told only for constipation; a couple of ounces to get things moving.

Sligo1

liliq wrote: »

I never heard it either, heard the opposite in fact. Nothing but breast milk or formula. Water fills them up without having any nutritional value.

Yea I never heard it either. We were told the opposite. But to start giving a little cold boiled water after a few months only.

loubian

liliq wrote: »

I never heard it either, heard the opposite in fact. Nothing but breast milk or formula. Water fills them up without having any nutritional value.

You don't replace milk with water, you just try and give bits in between bottles. My phn said to squeeze juice from an orange into some water and it should work

Sligo1

loubian wrote: »

You don't replace milk with water, you just try and give bits in between bottles. My phn said to squeeze juice from an orange into some water and it should work

Gosh no never replace milk with water. Don't think anyone was saying that tho. I was told just to start giving a little water after a few months. Maybe it's different for constipation?

I heard the orange juice thing aswell before.... Don't know where I heard it from tho.

amira

Thanks everyone.
I managed to talk to a doctor who told me to give water. He said a couple of oz every feed? I think it's too much as the way it is now baby actually struggles to have the full bottle., so I'm afraid 2 oz every feed will make her leave even more of the bottle untouched.. Been doin massage also. Baby now is in pain trying to get it out.. Breaks my heart..

Roesy

Don't know. Just going on what I was told in the class and as part of checkup(same midwife), that she should be offered it once a day. Definitely not as a replacement for a feed but in addition. Our little savage wouldn't stand for that. We usually offer it between a feed. Midwife said they can be thirsty, some days she drinks a tiny bit other days she'll take a bit more. Hadn't heard about the orange. Thankfully constipation hasn't been much of an issue past the initial changeover.

pwurple

When we switched to formula baby got a small bit constipated too. Gp said to try adding an extra 25 ml of water to the bottle feed when it happened. Just to dilute a tiny bit. Seemed to work out ok.

Big Bag of Chips

amira, I know it's a worry - but it will sort itself out, and if you drop an ounce or 2 of formula so that the baby takes an ounce or 2 of water, it is not going to harm the baby. She won't go hungry - and she'll let you know if she wants more!

There are loads of different tips and tricks that people can give you. Some people will recommend against something, while others will say it worked for them and didn't do any harm.

One thing I used to do was make the feeds with more water than forumla. So if you have say 4 ounces of water, only put in 3 scoops of formula. It's not going to do harm to the baby, it will just make the feed a bit more watery. So you might find that she will get hungry quicker - but the extra fluid will also help to soften her poos.

You don't need to do this long term, maybe just for a day or 2, and maybe not even for every feed. You are the best judge of what will work for your baby. Don't substitute water for formula - it should be given extra to formula - but if the baby is not able to take water as well as formula, then watering down the bottle slightly is an alternative.

Tasden

OP I would strongly recommend taking the advice of extra water, whichever way you feel best- added to formula or in a bottle after feeds- baby will not suffer from the extra water if it is just a day or so to loosen the stool. A lot of baby's get constipated from the formula and sometimes its a case of adjustment needed, other times you'll need to change but changing to soon without letting baby's system get accustomed will just cause more issues. At around one or two months lots of babies naturally start passing less frequently anyway but as she is struggling i would give extra water. Try not to worry and keep up with the baths and massages.

amira

Thanks all. I was reluctant to add water when making up tb formula as it says in the pack to add more water or powder than directed can make the baby ill.. But it really seems the best option as I still struggle to make her drink water and I'll also avoid having to add the sugar..
She's been like this for 10 days though so I wonder if I should give her the water for as long as she is like this?

Big Bag of Chips

amira wrote: »

I was reluctant to add water when making up tb formula as it says in the pack to add more water or powder than directed can make the baby ill..

They have to say that

Seriously, I would never add more formula than ounces of water, as it would be far too heavy for the baby but watering down the feed a little to help the baby, is not going to do any harm. Especially if it's only a short term thing.

Your best option is to get her to drink a few ounces of water separate to her feeds, but if that's not possible, due to her sleeping or just not interested in drinking the water, then the next best thing is to lessen the scoops that you put in.

Think about it logically - what could adding less formula to the water do to make her sick?

Do it for a day or 2 along with baths, rotating the legs etc. and see how she gets on. Call into a pharmacy tomorrow if you want and see if there's anything they can give you to help things along.

Tasden

They say adding more water may make baby sick because if you give more water all the time baby will not be getting the nutrients she needs as it will be too diluted. Extra water when baby is constipated is OK. Honestly don't worry!

amira

Thanks all.. Next feed will be diluted!
Guess dilute a few feeds won't harm!
Also, given that ur all giving so good advice.. I'm feeding every 3 hrs during the day, and let her sleep at night for as long as she wants.. When she sleeps, that is.. In the formula pack suggests 5 feeds from 4 to 8 weeks.. That will mean space the feeds to nearly 5 hrs.. Isn't she a bit young for that? She was 4 weeks yesterday..
Ps.. You may have all figured I'm a new mum..

cyning

We had awful problems with constipation here so things that helped were the warm baths and baby massage, but also keeping baby upright in a sling or your arms especially if they are very uncomfortable. Nearly all the poos she did for the first couple of months were when she was upright. I would definitely be going to doc or chemist at 10 days though particularly if they are in pain trying to go or in general.

Big Bag of Chips

amira, the important thing to realise is you know your baby. Books and the back of tins, give guidelines - but every single baby is unique and very few will stick rigidly to the routine the books lay out for them

You do what feels right for you. Sometimes, during a growth spurt for example, you might find that she's looking for a feed every 2 hours! Or that she'll take a full feed one time, and then 2 hours later, look for a few ounces, and then skip a few hours and take a full feed later than she usually would!

Let yourself be guided by her, and you won't really go wrong. She's only 4 weeks. She's only settling, and you are only finding your feet. Everyone is unsure and nervous (and clueless!) at the start.. nobody brings a baby home from the hospital and knows it all. It's a "learn on the job" job. And everyone manages to stumble through it! Don't be afraid to ask questions, don't be afraid to take advice from others, but don't be afraid to do things your way either if what is being advised isn't working for your daughter.

You'll be fine.

uck51js9zml2yt

Lots of good advice on here as usual, as already been said, dont dilute the formula as its balanced. You can however give an ounce of cooled boiled
+
+
water with a bit of brown sugar in it in the event of constipation.

If the baby's pooh is green its a sign that they are not getting enough to drink. A bit of water or an extra feed normally sorts it out.

My son is 3 weeks old and taking 4 ounces every 2 -3 hours. Sometimes I give him some water if he's a little green or has stomach pains. I've also found gripe water to help in the case of colic, though you'll need to order it from the uk.

Every baby is different and you'll soon get a feel for what. Our first was completely different to this one so we are learning again.