Loose stools - would comfort milk help

[livin]

My LO is 4 weeks tomorrow, hw was 8.8 when born, was 10lb 6oz at last weigh in a week ago. I feed him cow & gate milk, he drinks about 32oz per day. For last week he has been having loose, stringy stools 2-3 times per day, at least one of those nappies is very full.

HV feels he is just hungrier baby and suggested I make sure I'm not misreading signs and feeding when he's not hungry - I'm not. He is a very contented baby in the daytime, but wakens and stays awake for 2 hours or so overnight as well as waking for a feed around 12ish, 2ish and 7ish. His fullest nappy seems to be overnight after he has been awake, I think he may have a sore tummy, although he doesn't cry, just whimpers louder.

Would comfort milk help settle his tummy or do you just use that for colicky babies?

 

[blahblahblah]

Comfort formula tends to make poos looser, so I'd say possibly not. Are you using hungry baby or standard formula at the moment?

My LO only had stringy poos when he'd got a poorly tummy from antibiotics - could something be upsetting his tummy? If it's only been like it for a week I'd wait a bit longer and see if it clears up.

As HV says she thinks he's a hungry baby, has she suggested switching to that type of formula? I would have thought that if you were going to switch that would be the change to make, and not to comfort.

 

[livin]

I'm using standard formula. It was hv assistant (nurse) I last seen, she said to keep going with milk as is, they don't recommend hungry baby milk at all. According to her there is no proven benefit or added nutrients etc, she said the difference is that one is 20% whey, 80% casein and the other is vice versa, also said the hungrier baby lies in their stomach and baby is just whacked out from this, rather than settled due to decreased appetite.

Went through how I make bottles up and there was no problem, particular about hand hygiene, so not aware of anything that is upsetting his tummy, except the volume he drinks. The change in nappies came at same time he started increasing volume, ie looking for extra bottles between feeds in the evenings.

I'm a 4th time mum, youngest except baby is 8,but remember I had to put him on hungry baby for same reasons, just doubting myself now with contradicting advice they have given me.

 

[blahblahblah]

In this area most babies end up on HB formula at one point or another, the HV's recommend it if they are hungry. I'm using it now, although my LO is older and it suits us really well. When Dylan was younger he had terrible constipation and comfort was a godsend.

The loose poos could just be one of those things, a mild bug or something. There are ones that have mild effects for a bit longer rather than being violent for a short time. Your LO is pretty young to be switching, so if it were me I'd be inclined to wait a bit longer to see if it settles down first. It seems ridiculous that they don't want people to use HB formula EVER though! If you think that's what he needs, give it a try. Worst case you can always switch back.

 

[livin]

Thanks for your advice. Think I'll wait for few days and see how things go.