Why no dirty nappies?

[JacqueslePeacock]

I know it's normal for EBF babies to go up to quite long times between bowel movements but I don't understand WHY, so I'm hoping someone more knowledgeable can explain it to me.

My 8-week-old DS has been having only 1 or 2 dirty nappies a week since he was 3 weeks old (which I understand is very young to move over to a less frequent poo pattern). Currently it's been 9 days since his last dirty nappy. I have had different explanations from different people - one lactation consultant told me not to worry because breastmilk is all "used" so there's very little waste, while another told me that this was rubbish and it was because my DS was not getting enough hindmilk to produce stools, so I should do breast compressions (didn't help). Can anyone offer a definitive answer?!

DS is gaining weight very rapidly and is lively and alert, but has been diagnosed with silent reflux, and I notice that the longer it's been since a dirty nappy, the worse the reflux seems - so I would really like to understand what causes the long gaps between bowel movements if possible.

Thank you!

No definitive answer - but it does certainly appear to be v. normal, and it's a pattern that changes once solids get into the diet.

Breastmilk is not all 'used' otherwise the poo that comes when it comes would not be a copious as it is :)

Nothing to do with hindmilk - pah :( Who told you that bit of rubbish?

Babies' guts and their musculature internally are still maturing - the early days they are 'trigger happy' with a sensitive gut that responds at the far end to anything going in the top. Later on, that's not the case.

In a healthy thriving baby, not an issue, according to most authorities :)

Thank you! I also suspected both the "used" and the "hindmilk" answers were a bit unlikely, although one came from a breastfeeding counsellor at a drop in clinic and the other from a private certified lactation consultant, which is a bit depressing.

I'm not worried really about the nappies - just the seeming link to the reflux, especially since I know that adult reflux is made worse by constipation. I don't expect there's anything I can do to encourage him to poo more often, though, is there?