infrequent pooping

[maggie2]

I know that bf'd infants can have infrequent poopy diapers, but what exactly is normal? 

dd poops anywhere between every 5-10 days, and when she does, it's massive.   This has been the case for maybe the past 2 months (before that, it was a bit more frequent - due to the colostrum being a laxative I guess?).  She's 4 months now.  Her poops are the consistency of mustard/thin finger paint and are bright yellow - really - looks like yellow paint.  so I don't think she's constipated because of the consistency, but she does seem uncomfortable in the days leading up to her poo.  very gassy and sleep is disrupted a lot - I'm usually praying for the "event" to take place after a couple of days of the discomfort

Do you think she could be constipated?  I was figuring that because of the consistency of her poo that she wasn't.  Is there anything I can do to help her, or is it just something that needs to run it's course?

tia!

[Samuel's mum]

What you are describing is completely and utterly normal. She's definitely not constipated. Those days leading up are uncomfortable - massage with oils, warm baths can help.
Hopefully some other folks will have more recent experience to share!

[maggie2]

Thanks, Emma!

She just had her big poo, too!  She was on her activity mat when the explosions occurred   These poops are so big that I usually end up having to throw away whatever outfit she's wearing at the time

So glad to hear that this is normal!  Thanks again
Maggie

[Taji07]

Lol, I know about these big poos.

However, you might want to try Gripe Water (we use Woodward's). We used to have that as  babies and now we give it to our babies. It's something our veteran breastfeeding grandma's say we should give to baby generally after every feed but I tend to give it about 2-3 times a day.

Every time DS goes a day without a poo I will give him extra, put him in his little chair (he will be  four months in a week's time) and he will definately poo. It also helps with Gripe, wind and digestion.

It's quite good really. If anything it will at least help your daughter to be more comfortable before the big motion arrives.

Actually our elders would be  really horrified if a baby went more than 2/3 days without a poo, they would say "definately constipation" and instruct me to take more fennel seeds and Ajwain seeds (you just boil the two types together for 15 mins in water, strain, then drink) but I know the modern thinking is that it is normal and anyway, every baby is different, one may go more one may go less!

Are you giving your daughter Gripe Water?

Hope this helps.

[First Time Mom]

Just have to chime in and say we used Gripe water for my dd when she was younger and it helps with gas and discomfort.

I have a friend who's lo was like that back when she was 4-5 months old. We'd all be at a playdate and she would have her once a week explosion . Mom was always carrying around spare outfits and tossing the clothes she had on!

[elliesmama]

My dd is 4-1/2 mo and also has started pooping infrequently...usually we get a HUGE one every 2-3 days now.  Glad to know I'm not alone. 

Also glad to know that bf babies don't get constipated...but on the other end of the spectrum, can they get diarrhea???  I left my dd with my mom tonight and when I got home, she said that Ellie has diarrhea.  A huge poo, which I attribute to infrequent pooping, that was extremely watery.  She kept saying that watery poo isn't normal for bf babies, but Ellie's has never been very solid.  What do you think?

[Samuel's mum]

Throw away outfits

That must be serious!!!

I think that's why God invented buckets and a product called napisan (well, perhaps he didn't invent napisan but I'm sure he sent inspiration). Do you have napisan?

Laurie - Watery/ liquidy poos are also normal for ebf babies. Most bf babies are never particulary solid and that's not remotely a problem.

Diarrhea in a bf baby varies depending on what their normal is but this is what kellymom says:
"Diarrhea in a breastfed baby is diagnosed when a baby has 12-16 stools per day (or more often than the baby's regular stool frequency), watery stools, and an offensive odor to the stools. Just one of these symptoms does not in itself mean the baby has diarrhea."

An ebf baby can go once a week or even less frequently - once every 2 weeks (once they are older than about 4-6 weeks). Dr Jack Newman reported a baby going once every 21 days - I imagine they threw away a few outfits in his house!
It just all comes done to bm being digested efficiently by the body.

[deenz]

My ds (2mo) goes every 2-3 days as well, but his are really quite thick.  I don't remember my girls' poops being this thick.  But I think they went more frequently.  They are yellowy colour, but thicker than paint, quite sticky I guess.  Not 'formed' though.  Is this normal?? 

[JennandChloe]

My little girls' only 6 weeks old and has been doing this since she was 4 weeks, going every 5-7 days!! I was told my my midwife to take her to the chiroprator (there are ones that specialize in children and babies and they're VERY gentle). So I did and he said that the "poop bone" was out of whack so he adjusted her and the next day she had a huge poop!!! Whether this was a coincidence or not I don't know but it's worth a try right?

[First Time Mom]

Denise, yellow, thick, non-formed poop is considered normal for a bf baby. My dd's poop was not well formed until solids were well established and she had probably about 3-5 poops in a day.

[deenz]

Thanks.  I know that it's normal not to go for days for bf babies (even up to 2wks I heard!) but wasn't so sure about the thickness thing.  Maybe the less frequently they go, the thicker it gets??