Help with Aptamil Hungry Milk!

[laura_jayne]

My 4 month old is suffering with her bowels. She was breast fed til 6 weeks, weaned onto Aptamil 1 after this and weaned onto Aptamil hungry at about 10 weeks.

For the first 2 weeks her bowels were fine. Then she started suffering with constipation. She has 2oz of water mixed with 1oz of baby juice (on doctors advice) between every feed. This has sort of helped, now she passes 2 - 3 hard lumps followed by watery stuff which is explosive. The hard stuff is sticky and really really difficult to get off and the watery stuff goes everywhere, up her back, down her legs...

The colour has also changed from a nice yellowy shade to dark green, almost black in colour. She has no pattern with her bowels. Sometimes she will go 3 times a day, sometimes can be up to 4 days.

She has slowed alot in her weight gain. She was born on the 91st centile line and is now on the 50th. She also is in alot of pain when she is due to go (we call it 'pre poo baby' and 'post poo baby' cos she gets so gripey.

The HV's and Doctor have refered her to the hospital and am awaiting an appointment, just wondering of anyone can offer advice while im waiting . She is now 21 weeks and still suffering!

P.S. The Doctor and HV have recommended i not change her formula as it could make her tummy worse. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[laura_jayne]

Should also add she is drinking between 30 and 35oz of formula a day.

I mentioned her bowels were fine before these symptomes but although her bowel movements had healthy colour and consistency, she wouldn't go for about 10 - 14 days and the day she would go would be hell! She would scream and scream until she managed to go!

 

[laura_jayne]

Has no-one got any advice or been through anything similar? Anything would be greatly appreciated

 

[auzelia]

I had problems with my first when I put him on hungry milk.

Can I ask why you changed her? was she not satisfying herself on the normal formula.

IMO the hungry baby milk no matter what brand causes tummy upsets and bowel problems, thats why I havent gone near it for my second baby.

 

[laura_jayne]

Thanks for replying!
It got to the stage where she would want a feed 30 mins after the last one so asked HV and they recommended the switch. And she was ok on it for the first few weeks, then everything changed!
Just getting me down seeing her in pain all the time and doctors/HV cant offer me any solution

 

[hopedance]

i breast feed (just tried out some follow on milk today which is why i'm browsing in here!) so i have no experience, but it sounds like it was the change in milk that kicked this off, so i think it would be logical to go back to your first milk.

the change in her poo sounds quite worrying - to be quite honest i think it sounds like she is having too much water/juice than is helpful. it is meant to make the poo softer, but if it is just coming out as water then that is no good. there was a while when i was offering sam lots of water and gripe water, and his poo went like that to watery very dark in colour, he really was not himself until i realised what was happening and cut back the water. 3oz of water between each feed really sounds like far too much, when sam got constipated they suggested 10-20 mls per day, which is less than 1 oz. how much water is she getting per day total? it might even be an idea to really cut back with the water, and perhaps get something very gentle from the pharmacist for constipation? last time sam got constipated again, i was in the pharmacy and just asked him for advice, and he gave us lactulose syrup which worked very well with none of this water poo.

honestly though, i have to tell you that this is just what we have done with sam, since they have referred your LO to the hospital shows that even the professionals don't know what to do, and i certainly don't know as much as they do. you could suggest some of this stuff to them and ask their opinion on you trying it. GL!

 

[laura_jayne]

Thanks for the advice hun!
The trouble is she gets both constipation and watery motions at the same time! It makes no sense which is why they are all so stumped...
I think changing formula would prob make some kind of difference but they have all advised against it and if it made her worse i would feel awful! And if i stop the juice im afraid she will get even worse constipation.
So frustrated Grrr!!