My baby is three months old. My wife breast feeds her and we also feed with bottles expressed milk and formula (Meiji). Doctor advises us to give her some water to help her poo poo. Starting from a week ago, she cries a lot whenever we feed her water although she is okay with expressed milk. She normally poo poo every 2-3 days but probably she has not been drinking water, she has not poo poo for three days now. Worrying a bit of her constipation problem although poo poo was never very hard before . We are a bit reluctant to add juice, honey or glucose given she is only three months old. Hope someone will share with me some experiences and advice. Many thanks!
Baby 3 months old not drinking water
- Thread starter henry21
- Start date
I exclusively breastfed my son when he was 3 months old but he had poo poo few times a day. Even if I give him water, he would refuse it. He only picked up the habit of drinking water after I stopped bf when he was 10 months old.
From what I've read, breast milk contains enough water that there is no need for additional water, unless it's in hot weather. 3 days without a poo is still considered normal and I don't think it's a good idea to give him juice, honey (honey is a no no before a baby turns 1!) or glucose. Just relax, it will come
From what I've read, breast milk contains enough water that there is no need for additional water, unless it's in hot weather. 3 days without a poo is still considered normal and I don't think it's a good idea to give him juice, honey (honey is a no no before a baby turns 1!) or glucose. Just relax, it will come
Sometimes, when it is really hot (like HK in August) and we are stuck outside and have no breast milk, we force some water, but our son doesn't really like it. We have maybe done this 3 times. We were more concerned about dehydration than poo, though.
Breast milk should have plenty of water. If you look at the first of the expressed milk, it is really thin and watery.
Wouldn't use any of those other liquids without consulting a doctor and 3 days without poo could be normal.
Breast milk should have plenty of water. If you look at the first of the expressed milk, it is really thin and watery.
Wouldn't use any of those other liquids without consulting a doctor and 3 days without poo could be normal.
Henry21, Babies are not allowed to have honey at that age (from one year on). As for glucose (sugar) doesn't come recommended either. If your baby keeps refusing the water, I'd personally give him/her just a little bit of pear juice mixed with plenty of water. Could be an alternative.
my daughter used to poo anything from twice a day to once every 5 days, so don't worry too much. we used to also exercise her legs to get her bowels moving (like a bicycle riding motion) or sometimes very very gently rubbing her large intestine area.
my daugther would never ever drink cold/ room temperature water, but she will drink warm (~40c) water happily.
sometimes the type of formula may cause constipation aswell. check with your paed. hope that helps
my daugther would never ever drink cold/ room temperature water, but she will drink warm (~40c) water happily.
sometimes the type of formula may cause constipation aswell. check with your paed. hope that helps
water is not normally recommended until babies are at least 4 months old since their appetite is small (water replaces milk which is not good) and even at this time, only a little water is recommended.
as for the amount of poo...fewer bowel movements means more is being absorbed by the body. my 3mth old only has 1 bowel movement a day (sometimes 2 when she has more milk), this reduced from 4 a day at 2mth old. should be no problem your baby has no bowel movement for a few days.
as for the amount of poo...fewer bowel movements means more is being absorbed by the body. my 3mth old only has 1 bowel movement a day (sometimes 2 when she has more milk), this reduced from 4 a day at 2mth old. should be no problem your baby has no bowel movement for a few days.
Never give an infant honey, first of all.
Second, some children poop every day, some several times a day, others every few days. If your child doesn't appear to be in pain, or has very firm poop, I wouldn't worry and wouldn't change a thing. I don't know a lot of 3 mo who like water, most don't. Sometimes diluted pear juice is beter, but then I wouldn't give a 3 mo juice unless everything else fails, the child is in pain, and the child likes it and actually benefits.
Second, some children poop every day, some several times a day, others every few days. If your child doesn't appear to be in pain, or has very firm poop, I wouldn't worry and wouldn't change a thing. I don't know a lot of 3 mo who like water, most don't. Sometimes diluted pear juice is beter, but then I wouldn't give a 3 mo juice unless everything else fails, the child is in pain, and the child likes it and actually benefits.
MilkMonster
Registered User
i agree with lesliefu, no water for babies under 4mths. especially when on breast milk. neither of my babies had water until they were on formula/solids. breast milk is the right combination of fluids/nutrition so no real need to offer water UNLESS bowel movement are HARD and painful.
If baby poos every 2-3day but the texture of the poo is SOFT and comes out easily without pain, your baby is NOT CONSTIPATED. From birth 2nd some only went poo every few days even when he was on EBM exclusively. We only offered water after we switched him to formula around 4mths and he had trouble pooing.
Please do not offer your baby juice, honey (which is not recommended until 1yr because of botulism spores), or glucose!! Your baby needs only breastmilk/formula and you could be risking his/her health by offering other empty calorie drinks!!
if your baby is having painful/hard bowel movements then you can try offering water after she/he has been playing for a bit. Offering water right after a meal usually doesn't go too well because they are already full. Also note that at 3mths, your baby if water is needed, only needs very little water.
Read more info here for water overdose and the serious effects for babies:
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/dec/02/too-much-water-nearly-kills-tampa-infant/
If baby poos every 2-3day but the texture of the poo is SOFT and comes out easily without pain, your baby is NOT CONSTIPATED. From birth 2nd some only went poo every few days even when he was on EBM exclusively. We only offered water after we switched him to formula around 4mths and he had trouble pooing.
Please do not offer your baby juice, honey (which is not recommended until 1yr because of botulism spores), or glucose!! Your baby needs only breastmilk/formula and you could be risking his/her health by offering other empty calorie drinks!!
if your baby is having painful/hard bowel movements then you can try offering water after she/he has been playing for a bit. Offering water right after a meal usually doesn't go too well because they are already full. Also note that at 3mths, your baby if water is needed, only needs very little water.
Read more info here for water overdose and the serious effects for babies:
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/dec/02/too-much-water-nearly-kills-tampa-infant/
joyofliving
Registered User
Your baby might be going through a growth spurt at 3 months. I read somewhere that since breastmilk is complete/ wholesome food with no junk, during growth spurts the baby might consume 100% of the breastmilk she drinks and hence not poo for a few days. Incase her poo is hard she might be constipated for which hold his legs together, bend them and rotate both sides Or massage with gentle pressure on her tummy 3 fingers below the belly button until you find a hard mass, apply the pressure for a few seconds each time.
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M
MLBW
Guest
Our son never really would drink any water until about 2 weeks ago and he's a year old. So...our solution? We found he liked ice chips--probably for his teething--which he seems to have been doing constantly since birth. He didn't even like water flavored with a bit of orange juice--but if we freeze something--water, juice...anything, and give him a bit to suck on....he likes it. With breastfed babies...usually it's not "constipation" actually. Any lactation consultant will tell you that breastmilk is so easily absorbed by the body that some baby's bodies (even at 3 months) get very efficient at processing it to the point that they rarely have a bowel movement. In fact my US-based paediatrician said that in all his years in practice he has actually never encountered a truly constipated only breastfed baby--he said it just doesn't happen. Formula fed babies, however, get constipated a lot. I thought when I was breastfeeding that our son was constipated too--but it turned out to be a different issue altogether. I think it's odd that the doctor is telling you to give your breastfed-only 3-month old water--that will in effect reduce your wife's milk supply if the baby starts drinking water and the water (because breastmilk works on a supply-demand basis--and even adding a little bit of other liquid--water, juice, formula...the baby will not consume as much breastmilk and therefore the demand won't be as high and supply will drop) and water content in breastmilk is definitely more than adequate. I don't think the doctor has much experience with breastfeeding in this case--I would contact the LLL (La Leche League) people and listen to what they say. The majority of babies in HK are formula-fed so many doctors only have experience with that. I would ask for a second opinion--I don't think your child is constipated.
