Please help - baby has forgotten how to poo

[IWouldBeSuperb]

12 week old, EBF baby - no poo for 5 days now - usually 48hrs between poos at most -

Should I be worried? Call the doctor?

She's eating and sleeping ok (although has been eating more this week if anything, I assumed growth spurt, which makes it even more confusing!)

Lots of wet nappies and passing wind (but this has started to smell when it never has before).

Any advice would be gratefully received- she's my first and I don't want to overreact as she seems perfectly happy in herself- but this can't be normal??

Constipation not forgotten how to 🙄

Its quite common in breastfed babies. They can go a week or more without pooing. If she's happy enough I would just leave her a couple more days. Or you could go out somewhere nice with your best clothes on as that's bound to bring on a poo explosion!

It’s only constipation if the poo that comes out is firm.

You can do tummy massage or bicycling legs but yes baby will poo at the most inconvenient time.

My FF baby could go days without pooing. Warm bath, bicycle legs, massage all helped. As did taking him out to a cafe with no spare change of clothes. Or being late to an important appointment, he'd always manage to go just as we were leaving.

Good luck when it finally appears!!

I’d try gentle tummy massage.

Sounds fine. Just feed lots. Mine regularly went about 5 days between poos. As long as it’s soft and now pellets when it does come, it’s fine.

Breast fed babies can go up to 10 days without pooing so sounds totally normal!

My babies ( breastfed) all pooed about once a week. If your baby doesn't seem uncomfortable then I wouldn't worry:

Oh yes, nipping out to the shop with no spare clothes or nappy will work wonders (and it WILL be an explosive up the back job).

A friend's bf baby went 10 days without pooing and there was nothing wrong. Keep an eye, keep counting the days, try the massage/bath/cycle legs suggested above. If it goes much over a week and baby is otherwise well (wet, passing wind, no signs of pain) you could ring your gp/health visitor and see if they want to see her.

Thanks all - good to hear it's nothing to panic about atm- will try all the suggestions and keep my fingers crossed -

Never thought I'd be hoping for an inconvenient poo explosion!

There is something called infant dyschezia which means not being able to coordinate the pooping muscles. Is baby grunting, straining or otherwise uncomfortable? If not, baby is probably fine. In case you really want to help it along, you could take a cotton bud dipped in oil and insert it like a fever thermometer. Very, very gently! Sometimes that helps babies relax the sphincter. When you do that, make sure to lie baby down on a washable surface. It can work very fast and produce large amounts of liquid stool.