how often should a breastfed baby poo?

[anto]

DD2 is now 10wks and hasn't done a poo since last Weds (Monday today). She is in a lot of discomfort, straining & crying, and doesn't want to eat much. Her older sister also used to have similar probs. I am exclusively breastfeeding and am not constipated myself.

The doctor says bf babies cannot be constipated and that anyway constipation is when they produce little hard pellets (when DD2 eventually poos it's liquid and there's lots of it). HV says during a growth spurt they absorb nearly everythign they eat so that's why less poos.

I have tried giving her boiled water with a dash of orange juice, as suggested by my next-door neighbour, but it didn't make any difference.

The crying and straining is really upsetting me. Anyone had a similar experience with such a young baby?

My dd (bottle fed) had the same prob. 1 in 5 prune juice/boiled water had the desired effect. In fact, more than the desired effect (stain still on wall!!!!)

Hi, anto, I sympathise!!

My dd was like this, at about this age. Whilst it is normal for a breastfed baby not to poo for 10 days, I don't think it is normal for the baby to be crying and straining, and off her feeds. I was given the same line about it not being possible for b/fed babies to be constipated, and frankly its not true! Constipation can either mean that the poos are hard or infrequent and it looks as if your dd falls into the second category.

What we did, eventually, was to break open our bounty box, and feed dd some pureed apple and pear that was inside! It seemed to work, but I felt rotten for ages afterwards, as dd was going to be exclusively breastfed for at least four months.

Another thing that we tried, and which may have helped, was to massage dd's tummy with warm oil in a clockwise direction, to encourage the poo to travel down the colon.It must be clockwise or else you're pushing it back upwards!

B/F babies can go as long as 10 days. There is no need to give juice. The reason they don't poo as much as most of the milk is absorbed. However, you will find when she does go it will be an up the back job

Why did my b/f babies poo every day without fail, usually after every feed??

Both of my two bf beabies would go at least 10 days in between poos, in fact even went to hv with first one! Baby massage is also really great for tiny babies.

my ds has regularly gone over a week between poos since he was about 2 months old. the first time it happened the doctor gave him a suppository - which had the desired effect! but since then i've let mature take it's course. a b/f counsellor told me that the milk is so good that most of if is absorbed so they don't have much waste.

My exclusively bfed ds pooed several times a day always at extremely inconvenient times. My exclusively bfed dd would go 3-4 days without a poo and would scream for hours just before she did do one even though it came out liquid. In the end I decided that not only was I saving lots of money on nappies, but since screaming accompanied every poo, I was probably lucky she only did then every 3-4 days. It's totally normal for their digestive systems to vary.

My DS1 used to only poo once a week and DS2 could go longer but he did seem to be uncomfortable the last couple of days before a poo, I just tended to think along the same lines as SofiaAmes, saving lots of nappies.

Dr Newman who is an expert on BF says he has seen cases of BF babies not pooing for 1 month - they were fine but it is not the norm.

anto, I've just had the same problem with my 6 week old (b/fed) DD2, who after passing her meconium did not go again for nearly 2 weeks, and then not again for 10 days. Having tried boiled water and oj with no success, I took her to the Dr, who checked that her abdomen was soft with no obstruction, and sent me away saying it would probably sort itself out. After another week I called him back and he referred us to the hospital. Constipation can be a symptom of all sorts of things, and poor DD2 underwent a series of tests. All clear thankfully, and she is otherwise thriving. The final diagnosis was constipation which should sort itself out.
I tried drinking a glass of prune juice, and each time she went within 24 hours. She has since gone spontaneously, so it does seem to be getting better. She is still very windy, and I might try cutting out dairy for a few days to see if it makes any difference.
I definitely recommend the prune juice, although I would warn you that it had quite a dramatic effect on me as well as DD2!
HTH and best of luck

Hi everyone

Thanks so much for your messages - it really helping knowing that DD2 was not abnormal and that difficulties pooing are quite common in BF babies.

Lisac, will be trying the prune juice...can't say I'm looking forward to the effects on me but if DD2 produces a nice big poo I will be a truly happy woman (3yrs ago wouldn't have believed I could ever type that sentence!).

Pupuce, the mind boggles at the thought that any baby could go for 1 month without pooing!!! Shocking! You should smell DD2's farts after 1 wk without any poo - a grown man who had drunk 10 pints and eaten a kebab the night before would be ashamed of them!

I know what you mean about the smelly farts - it's incredible that they can produce such noxious gas!

dd2 had only gone for about 48 hrs without a poo (7 wks old now) and was a totally up the back, slightly darker yellowy brown than the normal yellow mustard. mmm. then dd1 did us an unexpected poo in her nappy this morning (she's potty trained during the day, just a nappy at night) which was to say the least - ahem - squishy!

Am so glad to read this thread. DD2 at 8 weeks old has not gone for 9 days and is exclusively bf. DD1 was bottle fed and I never had this problem. Tried prune juice on DD2 this has not worked but am off to try a large glass myself. Just nice to be reassured there are others out there....Hv said yeaterday if stomach is soft and DD acting normally shouldn't be a worry......BUT IT IS!