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Supplementing with formula & babies are constipated....HELP!

kiki408kiki408
in Multiples

At first, I was making plenty of milk for everyone; however, now that they are eating more and more, we are needed to supplement with formula (about 50% at this point).

The NICU gave us two kinds in a gift bag when we left: both are "Enfamil Premium", but one is powder, the other is liquid. With powder, they did fine - no apparent digestion issues. We've been feeding them the liquid pre-made for the last few days and one of the girls has not gone poop in 24 hours. The other has only gone once. They are both passing TONS of gas and I have been doing everything in my power to help them go (massaging their tummies & backs, breastfeeding on demand a bit more, etc.)

Questions: 

How long should I wait it out before calling the doctor? Is it something I need to call the after hours number about? At what point does infant constipation become a dangerous issue? Any suggestions?

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Re: Supplementing with formula & babies are constipated....HELP!

  • lgurianlgurian
    we are having the same problem, they eat half BM half F. my dr told me to give them apple or pear juice- 2 oz a day. but my guys are a little older then your babies. i would call the advice nurse and ask. they wont see them until they havnt gone for 5 days! i am still trying to find a formula that i like. the gas is really bad and it STINKS. next i am trying good start, i have heard good things, but we'll see.
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  • lisa&andylisa&andy
    Our doctors rule is 5 days, but I would call and see what you can do. Our pedi okayed prune juice, but my kids are almost 5 months. Have you tried bicycling their legs/pushing their knees up to the their chest when they are straining? Similac Advance did the same thing to DD and DS, we ended up switching formula. 
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  • groovygrlgroovygrl member
    our son was v constipated in the first couple of months (starting around 2 weeks I think). It was not the length of time that determined it though- it was the straining/crying and VERY hard poops that would finally come out (they literally rolled off the diaper). Our dr at the time told us to try some pear juice but we had no results w/ that & switched to prune, which worked & we still use it when we notice he hasn't gone in awhile or he is starting to strain again. I would go w/ whatever your pedi recommends first...GL!
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  • MoMandAMoMandA

    My pedi said 5 days. In such a young baby I would not give fruit juice w/o talking to a doctor. My pedi explained how to give our babies a thermometer enema.

    We had trouble the couple of times that we supplemented with formula during growth spurts or when I was sick. Eventually they got used to having something in their bodies other than BM. I found that it helped to give BM with formula at each feeding because the BM helped them digest the formula. 

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