Everyone Poops...or maybe not.... - UPDATE

[lexi]

Ok my 4 week old is not pooping regularly. My dr said that it doesn't have to be daily and that sometimes infants will go several days between bowel movements. But she hasn't pooped in 5 days and I'm truly worried! Plus she's screaming her head off and I'm exhausted and stressed. 

 

She's exclusively breastfeed and nurses every 2-3 hours or so. She has lots of very wet diapers. How do I make her poop?????

 

Help me here!

 

Update: Thank you everyone! You've been so helpful. I've tried not to stress about the no poop thing (even though the thought of not pooping for a week makes MY tummy hurt!). Anyway, after nearly a week of no pooping, little bit had a huge blowout diaper last night. And then she had another one today. Thankfully we were home both times and I could put her on a towel to change her. So maybe she'll only be pooping weekly for a little bit and I'll try not to stress about it. 

However, she is cranky tonight because apparently she's fussy every. single. evening which is very tiring. Hopefully she'll get over it soon. 

Edited April 30, 2016 by lexi

[kentuckymom]

I have a friend whose daughter, while exclusively breastfed, would often go up to a week between bowel movements. They were also concerned at first but their doctor said not to worry and by the time she was one and eating solid food regularly her bowel movements were totally normal.  Unless your baby seems uncomfortable, trust your doctor. She's probably fine. Enjoy your new baby!

[MinivanMom]

One of my (exclusively breastfed) kids only pooped once a week from about 6 weeks until starting solids at 6 months. That was just her normal. When it came, though, it was a serious load.

Edited April 29, 2016 by MinivanMom

[TammyS]

Does your baby's abdomen feel hard or look distended?  Those are signs of constipation.  If you think she's constipated, you can try putting her in a warm bath for a while (sit in the tub with her and leave her diaper on, because if she goes it will catch it).  You can also try bicycling her feet (lay her on her back and mover her legs like she's riding a bike).  You could also try a suppository, which you can get over the counter at the pharmacy.

 

But it might not be constipation at all.  It's totally true that some babies go days and days between poops (my friend's son used to be noon on Sunday, like clockwork).

 

She might have reflux or just be so exhausted that she won't sleep until she cries herself out or something else I'm not guessing.

 

FYI: it's perfectly alright to get earplugs!  You will still hear her, but it won't be so piercing and stressful.

[MercyA]

I would try a glycerin suppository.

[Minerva]

My dd was an infrequent pooper. She was also a very colicky baby. My doctor said not to worry about the slow poops and that she would grow out of the colic. I eventually went on a serious elimination diet and it helped with both situations but it took me about six or seven months before I did this. It is possible that she just out grew the colic and slow pooping, but I sure wish I had tried the elimination diet sooner since it did seem to correlate with the improvement . She is ten now and a very healthy girl who poops every day  :laugh: but she still has a sensitive stomach.

 

Also, lots of tummy rubs and moving her legs in a bicycle motion will sometimes help get things moving. 

 

Best of luck mama!

[Guest]

My happy little guy was pooping every 6-10 days when he was that age. It was normal for him but they still weren't thrilled he had that waste in his system so long. We upped my magnesium and started giving him a baby probiotic and it seemed to help quite a bit.

[goldberry]

I was told by the doc to go by the consistency and not the frequency. If consistency was good (not hard) then she was not constipated and was fine.   DD was breastfed and pooped about once a week.  Once it went 9 days, and the doc said, put in a baby thermometer.  She pooped immediately!  I was glad we had her on a pad though...

 

It eventually went away on it's own.  Can't remember how long it went on though. We got to where we wouldn't leave the house when it had been about a week.  Because when she finally did poop it would flood!  

[JoJosMom]

Our situation was similar to one above.  DD had severe colic and pooped infrequently.  Our pediatrician also suggested the rectal thermometer approach, which was effective.  (She outgrew the colic and has no food allergies/issues, BTW.)

 

:grouphug: .  I hope you get some rest soon.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Good advice above. I remember oldest DD once going two weeks without pooping. I was so worried, even though I knew all the standard advice. She eventually went with no problem, though there was quite a mess!!! For us, the key to getting a baby to poop was a soak in a nice warm bath. Worked almost every time.

 

:grouphug:

[bolt.]

Another 'weekly poop and colic' mom here!

 

It turns out that ours was cows-milk-protein intolerance (processed through my breast milk). We used glycerine suppositories anytime she got to day 8, and eventually her guts matured.

 

However, the suppositories did not reduce the crying: I really don't think it's "pain from constipation" (that would go away when she got relief). I think it's overall discomfort with the protein processing process in immature guts.

 

I had to go off cows milk products for about 6 months, then gradually re-introduce them. After I went off it took about 10 days to clear my system.

[EmseB]

I would not stick anything in baby's bum. Warm bath, bicycling the legs, massage, etc. But I had a doc say that for breastfed babies it could be once every 10 days, or 10 times in one day, as long as consistency was liquid-y is fine.

 

I had a baby go 10 days and was happy as a clam, so it might not be the lack of poop that's making her unhappy. Could be gas or any number of things. Babies are weirdos.

 

ETA: if poop is solid or hard pellets, if get to the doc asap, because that is true constipation, not just "not going" (this is true if they are exclusively breastfed)

 

ETAA: what worked for me was putting baby in an outfit I loved and forgetting I only had five wipes left in the diaper bag and going out for an errand. :/

Edited April 29, 2016 by JodiSue

[wendy not in HI]

When my dd #3 was about a week old she wasn't pooping.  I believe she had pooped once or twice when she was first born, but then not again for over a week.  We were living in at a base with a military teaching hospital and I was unable to get an appointment with the same doctor twice.  I was terribly worried.  We finally were able to see "her" doctor who was older (not a student) and very kind. He said to watch a couple more days but to come back and see him again in 2 days so he could weigh her and check up on her.  He gave specific instructions to come see only him, and he gave me some tips on how to get passed the telephone appointment mafia (they weren't happy about that "he's not allowed to do that...")  (I know that's not your issue, but it made it all so much more frustrating to not be able to call in and chat with the same nurse and doctor.  It was our first baby born in a military hospital and I was worried!)

 

Anyway, 8 days, no poop.  9 days, no poop.  10 days, finally!  A little bit. Yippee!  As I was cleaning her up she started pooping more... and more... and more.  She projectile pooped all over the place - from the changing table across the carpet and all over the wall several feet away.  It was a wonder!!  Such a tiny little body! Soooooo much baby poop!!

 

After that she was more regular, pooping maybe every 3 days or so.  As a toddler she had major trouble with constipation. I believe that led her to be a late bed wetter (until about 12.) She wet the bed daily until we started the miralax treatment... I have no idea if they are all connected, but maybe.  

 

That was way too much information and not connected to your little sweetie.  Over sharing!  Sorry!!  

 

I hope it all comes out all right in the end ;)

what a bummer!

that really stinks!!

 

eta - I don't think a suppository is a good idea.  

 

Edited April 29, 2016 by wendy not in HI

[Noreen Claire]

All four of my boys would go anywhere from 5-10 days between bowel movements. Breast milk is a laxative - exclusively breast-fed babies are rarely constipated, unless there is another medical issue. Please be aware that putting *anything* into a baby's rectum can cause serious injury - this is why most doctors no longer use this type of thermometer on babies.

 

My first had colic due to multiple, life-threatening food allergies (food that I ate, as he was exclusively breast fed), and boy #2 and boy #4 were/are needier than I was prepared for. Warm baths with mom (and dad nearby, in case either of us fell asleep) helped immensely. Also, I gave in and just nursed, nurse, nursed my boys. They never cried with a boob in their mouths. ;-)

 

Good luck, mama. Hang in there!

[mamaofgirls]

It is normal for a breastfeed baby not to poop for up to three weeks - it happened to my daughter! I called a LLL about it, they looked it up and it is normal and okay. Breastmilk does not have much waste :)  Fussy at 4 weeks could be cluster feeding/growth spurt and not bowl related.

[lexi]

Thanks everyone. Im going to take magnesium and a probiotic and see if I can find one for her to take too. We've done warm baths (which she loves) and I've bicycled her legs. She's nursing all the time right now! I think I'm just tired and her crying has given me a headache. And I might keep a food journal and maybe eliminate dairy-but I so don't want to!

[mom2samlibby]

That sounds normal for a breast fed baby.  Mine went quite a while without pooping too.  I asked the ped about it and she said that it's normal for a bf baby to go that long, esp. if if they are growing a lot at that time.  They are using it all and there is nothing to poop out.  As long as you are seeing a lot of wet diapers, it's fine.

Edited April 29, 2016 by mom2samlibby

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Just remember that poop is waste.  Breastmilk contains no fillers or anything your baby doesn't need, so baby's body uses almost every nutritious molecule.  No waste products = no poop.  It's okay.

 

For gas, you can "bicycle" her legs, and press her knees up against her tummy to try to get her to pass it.  Or, hold her across your arm or over your lap, pressing on her belly.

 

If it's not gas causing her to cry, you can bundle her tightly, or lie her down on her belly.  (Flat on belly was the only thing that would calm my first baby)

[texasmama]

One of my babies, exclusively breastfed, saved it up and had a once a week blowout.  It was completely normal for him.  He was healthy, fat, and happy.  He went to more frequent pooping after some weeks or months of this.  It's been awhile so I don't recall exactly how long.

[texasmama]

Constipation means hard, dry stools.  By definition, your baby is not constipated if his movements are typical breastmilk poops.

 

I would not treat this in any way, as it not a problem or even outside the norm.

[JennyD]

I agree with everyone else who has said that exclusively breastfed babies can go a reeeeaaaalllllly long time.  I once asked the pediatrician -- who was not at all a particularly hands-off kind of bed --  at what point I should call her if my baby had not pooped.  She said, "Three weeks."

 

Fortunately, I don't think any of mine went quite that long, but I would highly recommend carrying around an extra set of clothes for the baby at all times. And he goes more than another day or two, pack a change of clothes for yourself, too.  When it comes, it will be EPIC.

 

 

 

 

[medawyn]

My DS was an every 7-10 pooper while EBF, and he didn't start solids until close to 10-11 months. He has no problems now, and is as regular as clockwork, down to the hour. Now if I could just get him to do it on the potty...

 

My DD was an every feeding session pooper for her first few months. That was worse. Where did such a tiny baby get that much poop???

 

My ped said both were normal for EBF babies.

[Incognito]

Here's my OTT crunchy side coming out - have you considered trying letting your baby use the potty/toilet?  Some kids really don't like to poop on themselves (or pee for that matter).  You can hold them by their thighs and sit on the toilet with them between your legs/leaning against your chest and let them try to go.  It worked GREAT with one of my babies.  Once you do it a few times it isn't nearly as awkward, and it is much less messy than poopy diapers.  

 

Also, though, it is normal for them to go many days between poops when BF, especially if they are still thoroughly wetting numerous diapers each day.  AND, IIRC, 4 weeks is one of the many early growth spurts, so there isn't much leftover for them to pass through at that stage - baby is using up all that goodness for growing.

 

 

Edited April 29, 2016 by Incognito

[fdrinca]

Our littlest went 2 weeks after passing her meconium without another bowel movement. I didn't mind until she became obviously agitated, at which point I called our ped who suggested using a Q-tip with lots of petroleum jelly, inserted just the tiniest bit in the bottom. Within a moment of touching her, she just exploded. It was so, so epic. She's my 5th and I thought I'd seen everything. It just. Kept. Coming. 

 

I would not stick anything in baby's bum. Warm bath, bicycling the legs, massage, etc. But I had a doc say that for breastfed babies it could be once every 10 days, or 10 times in one day, as long as consistency was liquid-y is fine.

I had a baby go 10 days and was happy as a clam, so it might not be the lack of poop that's making her unhappy. Could be gas or any number of things. Babies are weirdos.

ETA: if poop is solid or hard pellets, if get to the doc asap, because that is true constipation, not just "not going" (this is true if they are exclusively breastfed)

ETAA: what worked for me was putting baby in an outfit I loved and forgetting I only had five wipes left in the diaper bag and going out for an errand. :/

 

Ha! This was our strategy the day we finally pulled the plug. We'd tried bicycling, warm baths, etc, and then we decided to take a 5 mile hike. Surely she'd decide to then, right? 

[carriede]

Another 'weekly poop and colic' mom here!

 

It turns out that ours was cows-milk-protein intolerance (processed through my breast milk). We used glycerine suppositories anytime she got to day 8, and eventually her guts matured.

 

However, the suppositories did not reduce the crying: I really don't think it's "pain from constipation" (that would go away when she got relief). I think it's overall discomfort with the protein processing process in immature guts.

 

I had to go off cows milk products for about 6 months, then gradually re-introduce them. After I went off it took about 10 days to clear my system.

This has been my experience. I also had to stop eating gluten. I was able to eat normally when baby was 1 year old.

[foxbridgeacademy]

DD was like that.  Only breast fed and would go days without going.  It made her cranky and restless.  Baby Gas drops help some, we also did the warm baths, leg movements, and eventually suppositories which was the only thing that really worked.  She still has stomach problems to this day.   

 

Like PP  when she finally did go it was a horrible mess but she felt so much better.  I remember just sitting there crying with her for hours while she screamed in pain.  

Edited April 29, 2016 by foxbridgeacademy

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

All good advice already.  I just wanted to give you a virtual hug.  Having a crying baby is HARD.  Really, really hard.  Don't be afraid to put her down and give yourself 15-20 minutes "off" from time to time- headphones or earplugs and some stretching/postnatal exercises, etc.  It's ok to set her in a safe place and recharge.  You'll come back in a better state for coping.  Colic is HARD.  

 

My second was my colic kid, and she would only stop screaming if she were in my arms and in motion or nursing.  Day and night, for four months.  I would nurse her and let her spit it all up just so I could sit down for five minutes.  Talk about melting off the baby weight though.  lol.  Never got so much exercise as those months!  

 

 

[Snickerdoodle]

Try this and let us know if it works.  I am very curious if it works.

 

 

[mamiof5]

Not babies. They do whatever they want, when they want it. I know it's scary, but yeah...ours were like that too. Pediatrician always said that as long as they had wet diapers and they were nursing/eating well it was OK. All if their diet is liquid. If baby doesn't seem distressed (tummy bloated, hard etc), it's common. I would not do a suppository, baby is too little and not eating solids at all. The crying?? Oh boy! It is hard, sometimes it seems that's all they do. I tried keeping in mind that it's their only way of communicating. Also, leaving baby with dad for a little bit and having some quiet time alone (even if it was a quick errand) helped.

[EmseB]

Oh man, that video makes me want a million babies.

[bolt.]

It helps (when you've got a cryer) to consciously change your 'definition of success' -- If you are constantly trying to help her stop crying, "you" feel (I felt) like a constant failure. The longer she cries, the worse you feel about yourself.

 

If you, instead, make it your goal to 'be there for her through her discomfort' -- the longer she cries, the more you can pat yourself on the back for doing a difficult-but-important thing for a long time. It also makes it easier to step away: it's not giving up (or admitting failure), it's simply taking a break from a hard job, and going back to it shortly.

[TammyS]

Try this and let us know if it works.  I am very curious if it works.

 

 

 

Those babies are so tiny.  I could never have done this with my boys.  They were both 10lbs and gained about a pound a week for the first month.

[goldberry]

One of DD's best blowouts was in her jumper, something like this...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bright-Starts-Bounce-Bounce-Baby/33356897

 

I heard her laughing and when I went back to check the poop had flowed down into the bottom and her feet were slip-sliding-skating in it.  She was having the best time!

Edited April 29, 2016 by goldberry

[Murphy101]

I would give a nice warm bath followed by some gentle baby tummy massage and a dose of GripeWater.

 

I'd bet that does the trick. It's not unusual for breastfed babies to go a week. But that she's in pain would be concerning to me. It could be she's working on a fierce diaper event. But if she starts pulling her limbs in, the pain turns to that real pain tone, and she seems inconsolable, I'd take her in just to be safe.

 

ETA: oh and I'm sure you know this by now, but just in case. Whether the diaper is pee or poop, always wipe the backend too bc it facilitates bowel movements.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Murphy101

[maize]

Those babies are so tiny. I could never have done this with my boys. They were both 10lbs and gained about a pound a week for the first month.

Oh, I have had the gain-a-pound-a-week babies! One of mine was 24 lbs at 4 months.

[Terabith]

Any poop yet?

[SebastianCat]

One of mine would go 10+ days between poops. I hadn't seen the video above before today, but we used to hold my DD in a similar position, tummy down across my forearm like a football, bouncing gently like the doctor in the video, and that seemed to be the most calming position for her. She was my baby who screamed after 10 minutes in the car - so we didn't go out much if we could help it.

[Rachel]

When my oldest decided to be fussy every single night I would rock him and repeat to myself, "He can't possibly cry forever". Hang in there!

[cintinative]

Hate to say it, but I agree with the pp about avoiding milk proteins if this keeps up--it helped my kids tremendously, and they did grow out of it.  It was hard to go off dairy (or dairy, egg, and wheat as with baby #2) but on the plus side I lost the baby weight really quickly!  =)

 

Also, not sure about the suppository either. I don't think I would do that without pediatrician's direction.  

 

Prepare for a massive blowout.  Mine always had epic ones when they went that long without pooping.  

[Serenade]

One of DD's best blowouts was in her jumper, something like this...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bright-Starts-Bounce-Bounce-Baby/33356897

 

I heard her laughing and when I went back to check the poop had flowed down into the bottom and her feet were slip-sliding-skating in it.  She was having the best time!

 

 

We used to call that sort of thing, "The pooping toy."  Because that is what happened….