Why does my life revolve around pooping??

[mimi_mommy]

I am so tired of poop and talk of it and the stress it brings.

My DD has always been a shy pooper....she is EBF and pooed only once every couple of days....for awhile when she was first born she was on formula (doc's recommendation, I don't even like to think about that time) I chose to stimulate her BM's with a q-tip in her bum rather then use suppositories or other chemical stimulations.

For awhile DD would only poop is encouraged to do so with a q-tip and I had to do it every day otherwise I would spend the night up with her while she tried to work it out. I finally got her on to a "schedule" and then introduced solids. DD is 6months and definately a babe that was ready for it. We are now back to not having a poop in four days. She is showing no signs of discomfort, actually hasn't had that much gas and is very happy. I have started giving her prune juice in hopes of encouraging her to poop but it hasn't seem to work. I can get a bit out of her with the "q-tip" trick but i know by the amount of food she is eating that the waste produced is not matching. The doc's are encouraging me to put her on formula because she is very petite, 27iinches long but only 13lbs 11 ounces but I really want to avoid formula especially with the not pooping....so my big question is, how do you get a 6mnth babe to poop and clear her bowels?? Help

[dejagerw]

EBF babies sometimes go a long time without pooping, and it's completely normal.  Breastmilk is just such a great food that so much of it is utilized by the body, and a lot less waste is created.  My DS would sometimes go 10 days without pooping.  And then when he went, he sure went.  He was never constipated though.  If your daughter is not constipated I'd try not to worry about it too much.  What does her poop look like when she goes?

[mimi_mommy]

Originally Posted by dejagerw 

EBF babies sometimes go a long time without pooping, and it's completely normal.  Breastmilk is just such a great food that so much of it is utilized by the body, and a lot less waste is created.  My DS would sometimes go 10 days without pooping.  And then when he went, he sure went.  He was never constipated though.  If your daughter is not constipated I'd try not to worry about it too much.  What does her poop look like when she goes?

Thanks....she is eating some solids which is where my concerns lies....when she poops it is solid. That being said she isn't showing any signs of constipation. I know I should relax and let nature takes it course...but I worry and wonder how such a little baby can store so much waste

[Knitting Mama]

Well, she probably isn't storing that much waste. The reason EBF babies sometimes go for a while without pooping isn't because they're saving it up, it's because there just isn't any waste. So what she has is from whatever bit she isn't absorbing from the breastmilk and what she gets from the solids.

[TSomm]

Try the chiropractor.  My babe goes days without pooping but then after the chiro appt she poops regularly every day.  Over time it starts spreading out again and I know it's time for another appointment.  Then again, poop!

[dancingflower]

Oh, my baby is also what you call a shy pooper. But I never really worried. His most frequent regular routine was every other day and very often he spent 4 days without going. Well, he never seemed uncomfortable and because the google searches I did turned up many results that said it was normal for EBF babies to go days without pooping, I didn't bother.

Then came solids, and that's when I assumed I should be more aware of constipating foods. I mean, I should watch out to discern what was his normal pattern from what was real constipation. I wouldn't do anything "mechanical" to help him but nutritional like the prune juice you used for example and remember to offer water with his solids. His solids consumption is still very irregular so his poops are also. Today for example, he did nothing and I'm not sure but I think he skipped yesterday too. So i tell my Mom and DH not to forget water. Tomorrow he spends the afternoon with my mom and she always gives him beans, which make him go. Also the fruit DH choose when shopping today was pears. So he will go.

Only once in these 11months he seemed to be feeling discomfort to go.

Some babies are like this, if she seems fine, don't worry.