Have you tried soy based formula? She could be allergic to the lactose based formula and the is what causing the constipation. But I would talk to your doctor they may have some other suggestions.

Keep doing whatever you need to to have a healthy baby, and don’t let people bring you down.

We have had the same problems you describe and more- he was only 5,11 at birth and lost almost a full pound in his first four days. He was never strong enough to nurse enough to take care of him. He couldn’t sleep properly, he couldn’t eat properly, he was wasting away- so we visited another dr and that doctor popped a bottle into my hands and said, ‘Get a pump, give him formula until you can pump, nurse him as much as you can, top him off with expressed milk, then give him formula if that’s gone. Feed him until HE is FULL.’

It is still not perfect, we breast feed, pump and supplement with formula as much as he needs- today he has had (since six a.m., it’s now almost 10 oz of expressed milk and 4 of formula. He nurses at night, but usually just to make his tummy feel good enough to go back to sleep.

When my mother arrived this week to meet her first grandchild she asked if I was BF’ing. I told her as much as I can, what we’re doing and told her this-

It’s EASY for women to feel good about themselves and judge others when they were lucky enough to have any sort of normal delivery, have their milk come in, have a healthy, strong baby and breastfeed. It’s so easy to say in that situation (when everything goes right), ‘We NEVER gave formula!’ It’s NOT easy to say, ‘I wanted to breast feed my son, but my body failed despite all of my attempts.’ I am working as hard as I can, but no, it’s not easy. It’s also not easy to pump for 20 minutes and hand over his tiny little bottle to someone else because I have other things I have to do as well.

All I can express at a time is 2-2 1/2 oz. Fortunately for now my son doesn’t eat more than that at a time, but he still finds BFing to be extremely frustrating for him. It hurts me, too. I’m trying to pump right now and let my body heal. Hopefully we’ll get past it, but if we don’t, my son isn’t going to starve to live up to society’s expectations of what a mother should be.

It irritates me so much to see you’re being harried over this. While I myself would choose breastfeeding if I ever became with child, I do not believe a woman should ever be guilt-tripped into choosing breast over formula. You’re going through enough as it is, you seem to be in despair over not being able to breastfeed. If anything, pro-breast feeders should be rallying around offering their help to you, not putting you down and making you feel this way. Now, I’m not saying ALL pro-breast feeders are bullying, I know some are being supportive (Sarah of OSN, for example).

Whatever you choose to do, I hope you and Gracie will be okay. Do what YOU think is best for your child. You are her mother and only you and Randy as Gracie’s parents can make these decisions. From what I have heard you’ve been a great mother in this short time. Keep up the good work and chin up.

Ugh. Rant over.

(I’m on your side if you hadn’t noticed, haha.)

Family #2 she actually has 3 kids and has had trouble with all of them, her second she gave her goats milk with carrot juice and vitamins though the baby turned orange, so she switched to goats milk with carrot juice to once a day and goats milk the rest of the day, though beware the goats milk smells bad!

Both familys have healthy happy children family #2 is doing the same thing she did with her second baby to her third. Her kids are healthy happy chunkers, I love them so much!

i am not a mother so i can’t really give good advice here but do what you must to make you and baby happy. and if people judge you for that, they aren’t really your friends are they?