Breastfed baby, no poop for 5 days and smelly farts

[Zenianna]

Okay - I know I'm being one of those FTMs who worry about nothing and everything.

My LO is 4 months old. He is EBF and breastfeeding is going well, he's a chunk but he suffers with gas. He has gone from being a newborn who had 12 poops a day to not pooping for 5 days and counting. Right now farts are waking him up every night. We have tried everything, bicycle legs, gripe water, colief, infacol... You name it.

I hear that he should have outgrown colic by 4 months... Now his farts smell. They never have before but he is having lots of stinky farts that clearly make him uncomfortable.

Is this a normal part of his digestion maturing?

Should I consider introducing baby rice soon to help? (He is a very big baby)

Should I avoid weaning at all costs until his digestion is better?

Prunes? Probiotics for him? Probiotics for me?

I have no idea how to make him poop and be comfortable.

Should I just not worry and let him outgrow it?

Help. Has anyone else had a similar experience at 4 months?

Breastfed babies can go for up to 2 weeks without pooing. I think the longest mine went was 12 days. Completely normal. There’s just very little waste from breastmilk.

Thank you. I just feel like he is uncomfortable. Hopefully it is all normal for him.

It's normal. Mine were all EBF. They all pooped multiple times a day to begin with, but when they were around 3-4 months it slowed down to once or twice a day. Two of them sometimes went several days between poops, I think the record was 12 days. At the time I was worried, but I read that constipation is almost impossible with EBF babies. Basically, it's like a huge growth spurt when they use all the nourishment they get and there is no waste produced for a few days. They grow out of it.

But watch out, there is sometimes a HUGE poo when they start again....

Completely normal. You can be utterly certain he will poo when you’re out / you’ve just put clean clothes on / it’s the least convenient time ever

And no baby rice. Even when he’s 6 months old and weaning. Just normal food will be fine!

And obviously, if you think he's not OK, check with your doctor...

You could give him a tiny bit of cooled boiled water just to help him out. Longest my son went was 14 days without pooing and he was very uncomfortable by then, Dr advised that a little bit of water would do no harm, don't let him guzzle it though!

It’s fine but if you take him before he goes out take 3 changes of clothes for him and one for you.

4 months old here and poos around once a week. Totally normal. I don't know how formula fed babies compare as this is my first. I quite like the lack of dirty nappies! Will be sad to see that change when weaning starts

@DingleyDel

Breastfed babies can go for up to 2 weeks without pooing. I think the longest mine went was 12 days. Completely normal. There’s just very little waste from breastmilk.

Exactly this. Had a similar query from a mum when I was giving baby their 12 week jabs the other day. Did double check with a GP, but this is exactly what I said. As long as they aren't uncomfortable (crying and scrunching legs up etc) and don't have a hard tummy, then it's usually fine.

Thank you everyone. He is a little unhappy with it, but he has always been gassy. It's a lot of changes for him.

Yes, I'm expecting a mega poop! He's bound to do it when we're out and about and he's wearing something nice!

Dc3 struggled with poos in the first six months. (Turns out he’s deity intolerant, which only came out when he started weaning), but I found that if I took him out in the baby bjorn, he pooped without fail. Think it was the upright position and the jiggling about / slight pressure on his tummy.

🤦🏻‍♀️ #dairy intolerant

Yes breastfed babies don’t poop a lot but if he’s uncomfortable and gassy, I’d be looking at your diet OP. Are you eating plenty of fruit (non citrusy) and veg and drinking plenty of water. Try to keep your diet bland for a bit - pears, brown rice, potatoes, chicken soup, green veg, no spicy/rich food and see if it helps?

Start carrying an outfit change for both of you if you go out. You may need it.

Don’t give him food yet. Way too young at 4 months. His tummy isn’t anywhere close to ready.

And just like older people, babies get excessive and pungent gas when they get a bit backed up. It will likely go away once the situation resolves.

My breastfed baby would only poo once a week when she was a few months old. The farts would get smellier and smellier and then she'd finally poo, and oh my goodness, I had to be prepared, it was quite the event!!!

Oh my breastfed babies farts were absolutely horrendous I used to get embarrassed if we were in an enclosed space with other people 😅 when he was 4 he went two weeks without having one the docter actually put him in on laxatives which didn’t help. Still suffers constipation now I’m not sure why.

Months *

Sounds very normal to me. My breastfed babies reliably went days, to the extent that I could safely go out without any nappy stuff if they'd just been a few days ago.

It's too soon to wean and baby rice is pap anyway. Just carry on as you are.

My son is 8 weeks and goes up to 5 days without pooping. We saw a physio last week who baby massaged a poop right out of him which was incredible. His farts are awful as well!!!

Oh my, this has brought back memories of day 8 without a poo and needing to go on a long coach trip with my little one (and their high needs toddler sibling)! I got us up extra early to do bicycle legs, tummy massage etc, and the absolute joyful RELIEF when they finally went half an hour before we had to leave the house was like nothing I've experienced before or since. Obviously it was an epic and pungent nappy, and I was so very glad not to have to deal with it on a packed coach. I've literally had nightmares about it.