help please- 5 day old baby with no dirty nappies!!!

Hi, I wonder if anybody is on at the moment that could help me. My 5 day old baby has not had a dirty nappy since about Thursday and I am wondering if he is constipated and can I give him a bottle of water with a little bit of sugar? Background story: baby born on Monday evening and latched on a bit in the deliver suite. Would not latch on at all for Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday despite lots of help from all midwives and nurses in hospital. So even though his blood sugars were not dropping and he was not dehydrated, the nursery nurses topped him up with a few bottles on Tuesday and Wednesday. THen as I was keen to continue trying to feed myself they started tube feeding him when necessary. On Thursday afternoon we decided not to top him up anymore and basically get him to latch as he would have no other choice. THis worked and by Friday morning at about 5am he latched on. He was on the breast constantly from then until 3am on Saturday morning and would latch on and suck for about 5 mins at a time and then come off bawling crying and then I would have to guide him on again and this would continue. He did not sleep at all in those 24 hours and he never seemed to stop sucking and be even a small bit satisfied. Well by the Saturday morning I cracked and gave him a bottle and he wolfed down 70mls and straight away was quite and went to sleep. I tried to get him to feed from me a few hours later as I figured he ws not now starving as he was the previous day but no joy so we have moved over to bottles now. The thing is, he has not had a dirty nappy even after a full day and night of bottles. He definatley had a dirty nappy on the Tuesday evening after his first bottle feeds in the hospital but because he was admitted to nursery and they had him so much I am not sure if he had many other dirty nappies since then. I know that since Thursday night/Friday morning he has not (he did have one yesterday with what I can only describe as a little brown hard pea). He has had about 4 wet nappies in the last 24 hours. One last thing that might have an effect- in the hospital he was given Aptimal 1 and the first bottle feed I gave him was same as I had one of those little bottles with me from hospital. But when I sent hubbie out at 5am to buy some formula he could only get SMA Gold. Baby has taken fine to this so will stick with it, but will changing formula affect whether or not he is constipated? Does this sound like constipation and if so can I give a bottle of water? is there anything else I can do/give him? also posted on M&K but not sure if anybody over there this morning

Try not to worry, I'd wait and call your PHN tomorrow. DD was BF but could go a week wtihout a poo in the first few months. They're not really constipated unless the poo is hard and like rabbit poo - ie. little balls. Tips for getting poo out * Cycle Lo's legs. LIe them on their back and move their legs in a cycling motion * tummy rub. Lie them on their back and using one hand rub their tummy. Do circular movemnts around their belly button in a clockwise direction. Has to be clockwise as that's how their intestines work. I'd be very reluctant to give water at such a young age.

Try not to worry, I'd wait and call your PHN tomorrow. DD was BF but could go a week wtihout a poo in the first few months. They're not really constipated unless the poo is hard and like rabbit poo - ie. little balls. Tips for getting poo out * Cycle Lo's legs. LIe them on their back and move their legs in a cycling motion * tummy rub. Lie them on their back and using one hand rub their tummy. Do circular movemnts around their belly button in a clockwise direction. Has to be clockwise as that's how their intestines work. I'd be very reluctant to give water at such a young age.

From my experience, SMA gold causes constipation! I'd go backt to Aptamil. I think at this very young age they should be having very regular dirty nappies so I would ring the hosp today to speak to a midwife and get advice. Hope you get it sorted soon

My ds was exactly the same I could have written that post myself. He was on sma gold and was fine on it but he had a problem pooing for first week or two the doc in hospital suggested I put some vasaline on my little finger and rub it around the opening of his bum gently. he had a poo a couple of hours later +1 on the tummy rubbing also Hope this helps

Thanks a million for all your replies. I was so worried this morning but feel a lot better now. I gave him some cooled boiled water this morning and he took it no problem. No dirty nappy yet, but I am not going to worry yet as he is not in any discomfort. Hope I don't freak out at every small thing- this parenting malark is tough!!!