Newborns haven't pooped since Friday

[annettemarie]

If they don't poo by tomorrow I will call the doc, but I thought I would get some input here as well. Molly and Matthew will be 3 weeks old on Tuesday. They were both jaundiced and had some poo issues is the beginning-- they were cup and syringe fed formula while I was in the ICU after the birth, but their bilirubin levels kept going up and they ended up being bottle-fed formula until this past Thursday. Matthew had been doing fine with the formula, but Molly had poop issues from the beginning, so whenever we had a little bit of donor breastmilk, I gave it to her. I was finally clear to breastfeed this Thursday due to some hardcore meds that can metabolize into cyanide.They've had no formula since Wednesday, just breastmilk. Now neither one has pooped since Friday. They're both doing a fair bit of straining, tooting, and fussing and I can tell they want to poo, it's just not happening.

I know breastfed babies don't necessarily poop every day, but I am concerned because they are so new and seem so uncomfortable. They have plenty of wet dipes (disposables; right now my number one priority is getting them nursing). I've tried baby massage and bicycling their legs.

[matey]

I dont know about your specific case, but my dd went through a phase where it would be every 3-5 days. She would get uncomfortable but eventually it all came out. She would strain and had some REALLY bad smelling gas.I did become concerned without checking mothering first because my son pooped on a very regular cycle. My dr. talked about fiber and prunes and whatver. Then I checked mothering and saw that I shouldn't worry. She pooped eventually and after a while, she started pooping on a more regluar basis.

I read somewhere that it just meant she was using up all the goodness of the breastmilk. I don't know if that is medically correct. I do know that she poops better now and that in talking to people and looking on here, my situation was very normal.

[Lauren31]

I remember that DD would go 3ish days before she would poop at that age... eventually it was like 1 time every 10 days! Keep count of the wet diapers, breastmilk is readily absorbed into their bodies and their bowel movements are different while EBF and not on any formula. If they seem very uncomfortable then I might call the doctor.

[Knitting Mama]

While it is true that most breastfed babies who go for days without pooping are just fine, it would concern me if it was my baby and she was clearly uncomfortable. Every time she has gone days without pooping it hasn't made her uncomfortable at all.

[CherryBombMama]

my ds didnt poop for a week when he was 3 weeks old!

then he EXPLODED in his diaper (lol) and has been pooping every couple of days now since then

it will happen soon!!

[Llyra]

I would be mildly concerned, I think, but not too much. Their digestion may need to adjust to the change in diet. It may be that your supply is lagging a bit, and will catch up soon. If they're peeing a lot, and their weight gain thus far (on the formula) has been within a healthy limit, I think I would roll with it for a few days, and see what happens.

[JBaxter]

Our record was 7 days here then OH MY I used scissors to cut the onesies off LOL  We had poo up the back and under the arm pits.    As long as your baby isnt in pain and has plenty of wet diapers I wouldnt worry.  IF you want you can use a little vasoline and message the out part of the anus in little circles if they are loaded it sometimes makes it come out.  Warm baths and bicycling the legs helps too.

Im betting its just she is getting good momma milk and doesnt need to poop yet.

[annettemarie]

Thanks everyone! Matthew pooped last night but Molly is still holding out on us.

[annettemarie]

And we did end up giving Molly a suppository-- she was really uncomfortable,  straining and grunting, and it was interfering with breastfeeding-- and she's doing much better now too. They're both having lovely breastfed baby poos. Yay!