Poop

are you giving paracetomol or neurofen for the teething, I think that can maybe constipate? re; the water, I give to my baby in a cup, its a good way to make sure they don't take too much and helps them learn a new skill. Helpful when you are out and about and can give your baby swig from your water bottle. http://www.todaysparent.com/baby/foodnutrition/article.jsp?content=1240 <em>edited by kiwispiers on 01/06/2011</em>

MOT we are pretty much saying the same thing anyway, give some stone fruit (like prunes) make sure the fluid intake is adequate (I think it is) don't give juice at all and don't give a big bottle of water before a meal. :) I was just pointing out that the advice for a FF fed baby is different to a BF and a breastfed baby def doesn't need that kind of water intake, it could be dangerous and could also have an effect on mum's supply if baby doesn't take enough milk. There is such a thing as too much water for some babies. You're quite right in saying that if you are giving something like dried prunes for constipation then the fluid intake needs to be adequate otherwise there won't be extra water to absorb. <em>edited by kiwispiers on 02/06/2011</em>

Great link! I could fetch a few linkbacks by googling "how much water an 8th month old baby should have" but let's keep in mind the issue is her constipation...not how much water she should have.....

http://infantallergies.co.cc/infant-allergies/too-much-water-for-babies-and-young-children-is-dangerous/

Ok I'm imagining the juice is largely water with a splash of juice, you can still count the water content but I agree it would be better without the juice added. As I read it there is only one bottle of formula per day, so the baby is largely breastfed. Given the heat the water content of the breastmilk will be high already and unlike formula you can't measure how much is being taken, the danger is not enough. Also babies don't know the difference between thirst and hunger and will feel full after a big drink of water. I would give that quantity of water only under close supervision of a Dr, we're talking nearly 12 oz already. It's far better that the water comes from the BM. To compare, I give my BF baby about 30-50mL of water per day and plenty of BF. <em>edited by kiwispiers on 01/06/2011</em>

Sorry but she mentioned 170ml of [i'>juice[/i'> at every meal - not [i'>water[/i'>. There is a difference there, especially if the juice is processed and sweetened, like apple or grape juice that you can buy ready to drink.... honestly I don't think (for kids AND adults) we can say one had "too much water", especially in hot climates like Dubai - and simply because if your baby is not thirsty, she won't drink it ;)) As long as the intake of water is not done right before meals (that would fill them up and they wouldn't want to eat as much as they should), I don't see why she should not drink more water......especially if she's constipated (and maybe the constipation has something to do with something already in her diet - so maybe there's no need for more fiber...) The content of water in food should only count as 20% of your daily intake of water. To put it in numbers, my pedia recommended 4-6 oz of plain water (not juice!) per day as an average, and 6-8 if the baby is constipated , if it's summer or if in hot climates, for up to 12 months of age. Also a good tip is to watch your baby's urine color, if its pale yellow, then she is probably getting enough to drink, if it gets darker, offer more. The water content in formula also cannot be considered in the calculation of the amount of "water" you are giving to your baby. Now, I obviously do agree with breastmilk, no discussion of the 'goodness" on it.... But I was monitored very closely by my pediatricians ( I had two in different countries - one of them VERY hot) and both did not put any restrictions to water intake (after and in between meals - not right before - a few sips [i'>during[/i'> is ok) provided my twins had the right amount of food and formula they needed for their age at the time. Hope this helps!

Well sorry if the mixed advice is confusing but honestly I really don't think she needs more water, she is already having 340 ml plus the water content of her BM and formula, clearly it's not constipation due to dehydration, I'm sure she had lits of et nappies! Besides the bottle at night and presumable a good morning BF is she drinking much BM each day? I'm guess not if she is chugging back that much water. Remember the water content of breastmilk is high but its also full of all the goodies that your baby's developing brain needs which water doesn't have. She doesn't need the juice full stop, even diluted. Different foods will absorb more water through the bowel otherwise the water she is drinking will just be wee'd out. Fruits are good, but apples and bananas can bung a baby up, you want to give stone fruits (peaches,apricots, plums, nectarines, they are also high in iron and other vitamins) Try cooking up a big batch of peaches (cut a cross into the skin and then drip them into boiling water for 30 sec, then plunge into cold water, the skins will rub of easily) Stew the peaches with a little ripe banana, and chuck in a few dried figs or prunes then once the dried fruit has absorbed a lot of water, take of the stove and puree the whole lot (and freeze in cubes), I give a half/half of this and quinoa porridge for breakfast every morning. There is a good website about this, that explains better why hard poop isn't fixed by drinking more water, will try and dig it up if I can. Basically don't go giving her things like bran, babies are not ready for that kind of fiber, fruits are a better source. I think you are really aiming to soften things as she is obviously going a lot already, its not a case of needing fiber for bulk. Is there any reason why you are giving water instead of milk with her meals, probably it would be better to give any water between meals anyway as otherwise you are diluting her digestive enzymes and making it harder to break down her food? Finally, is the formula a new thing? cows milk/cheese/yoghurt can result in the pebbles in some but probably not the case if the formula has been going for a while but pebbles are new. Good luck, sucks when your baby has an off day, I'm sure she'll be back on track soon!

PS If she's 8 months now and was 6 months and/or displaying all the signs of readiness when you first introduced solids, then allergies are unlikely as you say unless there is a family history. oh..she has a big bottle of diluted juice at every meal.. and she finishes the whole bottle ( 170ml) ok...will send you and email... thanks BFC!!! Agree that she might be constipated. She definitely needs more water. Try adding also more fiber to her diet, like offering oatmeal with bits of pitted prunes in it. But adding more fiber will do nothing unless she drinks more water to her diet.(and that doesn't mean juice or formula). Jello , Watermelon, Papaya, Canteloupe, Pears and other fruits rich in water help too. Good luck.

Certain foods can be constipating regardless of how much water she drinks. My wee guy poos 2-4 times a day too, but not of the red faced pebble variety. A lot of what you give them they can't really break down and it pretty much goes straight through. You could try cutting back on quantity if she is having large amounts and giving more fruit and less starch (so less cereal, potato, corn, carrot) and make sure bananas are very ripe. 340mL of water day sounds like a lot at her age, you might want to be careful she is not replacing breastmilk or formula with water (from a nutritional standpoint) Give her some nappy off time if you can to help her bottom heal and try not using wipes (use cotton wool and water) to avoid irritiating the skin further) (or even chuck her in the bath and hose the area off with plain water)

PS If she's 8 months now and was 6 months and/or displaying all the signs of readiness when you first introduced solids, then allergies are unlikely as you say unless there is a family history.

Sounds as if she may be a wee bit constipated? Is she drinking any water? Babies who are breastfed before table meals and on cue in between usually need only sips of water between meals. If she isn't breastfed before each meal, then you might like to do this to make sure that she's still getting the breastmilk nutrition and the hydration that she needs. As she's having one formula feed a day, she might need a little extra water too (I don't mean diluting the formula, but offering it separately - perhaps with her evening table meal). Drop me an e-mail if you'd like, and I can pass on some current info on introducing solids (from Saturday's seminar). xx