What to Give a Newborn for Constipation..

Please call La Leche League they will come and help you to get the breast feeding going right. Formula is constipating and full of things that tend to cause allergies.
La Leche League is in NYC too. They are everywhere.

I see that the "Breast is best" brigade have jumped on you here! , if you choose to continue with formula that is ok , and don't let anyone make you feel guilty about it. Formula does make a baby more prone to constipation , that is easily taken care of. With each of my kids I would boil some water and put it in a bottle and leave it to cool , then through out the day before each feed I would give the water first , over the day baby will drink around 3oz of the water , enough to keep BM's normal and not hard or painful.

Hope this helps

Breast milk only.

It's going to take her longer to nurse than it will to take a bottle. That's normal. Use the time while she's nursing to your advantage. Get a little basket of books, toys, crayons, coloring books, etc. and put it next to the spot where you nurse. Have your 2 year old climb up into the chair (or couch) with you and read, sing, color, etc. It can be an amazing bonding time for ALL of you. My oldest was 2.5 when my youngest was born. She LOVED the time when I was nursing her sister. Yes, I was feeding the baby, but she also had most of my attention. I was a captive audience :)

Whatever you do DON'T give the baby Karo syrup. Karo syrup can cause botulism in infants under one year.

Breast is best but if the baby is having problems taking it and not getting it, then nursing won't help your poor kid one bit at all! We can't just "wish" constipation away by demanding you to breastfeed if you're experiencing problems and having to deal with a 2 year old - you've definitely got your hands full!

It is most important that your baby get fed and the constipation issue is cleared up. However you can get that done is commendable. If you're not ready to give up the breastfeeding then contact a LC or the hospital where you delivered for assistance. At any rate, keeping your child nourished and healthy is the main goal so if that means formula for now because that's all you can do then you've made the best choice.

Breastmilk is a natural laxative, I would breastfeed/feed expressed breast milk as much as possible. If you can eliminate the formula, great, if not, just as much breastmilk as you can. You probably noticed that her diaper changes are greenish now instead of yellow- formula is harder to digest, and produces more waste products than breastmilk, giving the color change. An exclusively breastfed baby also may go up to 8 days or more between BM's, since they "use" almost everything that they eat. Does she seem uncomfortable or is she straining, or just going less frequently?

Get her bakc on the breast! Some babies nurse in lightening speed, some take their time. She's only 13 days old, nurisng for 1/2 hour is NORMAL, even 45mins. please get her back on the breast, ditch the pump and the formula and the bottles. Relax and give it time, she will get faster. Your 2yr old won't die from not having constant attention for 1/2 hour while you nurse the baby, and you can read a book, help him draw, snuggle, etc while nursing.

HI, I really think you should make an appt to talk to your doctor and get his/her professional opinion. YOu are going to get many, many different opinions on this- and they are just that-opinions! Some may steer you in the wrong direction, and others may make you feel guilty.
Just my thoughts... Good luck:)

Friend, i want to say you please please please, you should only breast feed your baby, there is nothing better in the world than your own milk, please listen to me and do it, dÓn´t be afraid, is really important for her to drink just your milk. There is a great organization named " la leche league international" is a group of people that will help you with everything about your baby, but the most important they are going to help you is giving the best solution for your situation. Look for them in the internet and god bless you, please do it......there is only thing your baby needs.... !!your milk!!!!

When my baby was constipated, my doc said an ounce of baby prune juice with a little water should do it, and it did!

When my daughter was that age and was constipated I was told to give her a little bit of pure water in a small bottle. That will make her go.

If you can breast feed that would be best, but if not and have to do formula you can put about a teaspoon full of Karo syrup (the clear kind) and see how that works. Start putting some in each bottle until she poops and add more if needed.

If breast milk only is an option, I'd recommend that. :)

Sometimes my older son would look at books next to me while I nursed his little brother. Just an idea.

Congratulations and good luck!

I believe it's impossible for a BF baby to be constipated. Also, breastmilk (especially during the first 6 weeks) has some laxative properties to it, so the more milk you give her, the better. Formula can often be constipating.

It's very normal for a 2 week old to fall asleep nursing; it often takes a few weeks to get into a good, reliable nursing routine. Is there someone who can watch your toddler so you can focus on your baby? If you're married, put your husband on toddler duty whenever he's home and put your baby to the breast as often as possible.

Take a "nursing vacation." Spend the weekend in bed with your newborn; rest, drink lots of water and nurse constantly. Also, More Milk Plus is a great supplement for helping to increase supply. Other tips are: eat steel-cut oatmeal, Mother's Milk tea, drink a dark beer, take fenugreek and make sure you drink plenty of water. You can pump if you want, but hte baby is more effective than the pump at getting milk and stimulating production.

If you continue to use formula, I would recommend switching types. Personally, I wouldn't give soy unless ABSOLUTELY necessary because of health concerns stemming from the estrogenic properties of soy.

By the way, I wouldn't give any water, juice or karo syrup without talking to your ped. Karo syrup can contain botulism like honey and really shouldn't be given until after 1 year. Giving water to an infant can mess up their electrolytes and cause seizures from hyponatremia.

I personally would try to get her to drink more formula or breastmilk. Don't give her juice yet unless your pediatrician says its ok. Ive always been told with my 3 kids wait until they are 4-6 months for juice. Depending on what kind of formula you are using it may be the cause of the constipation. My first was on Enfamil which caused her to be constipated so we had to give her an ounce of watered down apple juice a day. My 2nd child was on Goodstart and i never had a problem with it. Now with number 3 has been exclusively on breast and has never had problems either.

Babies this young should NOT be taking in anything but formula or breast milk. I agree that the formula may have caused the constipation. If you are home with your baby, I guess I'm perplexed with your reasons to not breastfeed her from your breasts. Babies will nurse for as long as they need to get what they need to feel full. If it's 15 or 20 minutes, is it really that long? Whatever you decide to use, I hope it all works for the best.

M., if you're primarily bottle feeding a less than 2 week old baby,it's going to take work and effort to rebuild your milk supply. I would put the baby to the breast as often as possible and pump in between to build up supply. It's honestly easier to breastfeed than to bottle feed. With my 2nd baby, it left a hand free to color, turn the pages of a book or do a craft with my 4 year old. As for the constipation, I'd suggest that YOU drink some prune juice (yes, it'll make you poo), and nurse her - she'll get a bit of the effect through your milk. Pumping and bottle feeding pumped milk does NOT take less time than nursing and doesn't free you up to do things with your toddler. I'd suggest finding a La Leche League group, so that you can find out how other moms managed breastfeeding their second child. I don't know how it is that you can bottle feed but not breastfeed her when caring for your other child. You can't give her more breastmilk if you're not producing it, and by giving mostly formula, you've lowered your supply. This is going to take work. See a lactation consultant, who may be able to help you get your baby to nurse more efficiently. Keep yourself, the toddler and baby gated into a toddler proof room. It is possible to do this as many moms do. Hugs and good luck!