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5 mos old breastfed baby pooping every 3rd day, should i be worried?

post #1 of 10
Thread Starter 

 

my dd is exclusively breastfed and in the last month has started to poop at first every other, then every third day, and once went four days.  she nurses well every 3-4 hrs (day & night), has continued to gain weight and has regular wet diapers so i think she's getting enough food, so what is this?  any one else had this experience? should i take her to the doctor?

post #2 of 10

Totally normal :)  If she is happy and everythnig else is normal, don't give it a second thought.

post #3 of 10

Yup, normal! If peeps and weight gain are good then count your self lucky - fewer diapers to wash or buy!

 

Exclusively breastfed babes can go up to 10 days between poops :)

post #4 of 10

My ped told us that the criteria they use to tell if a baby is constipated or not isn't the frequency (although I imagine there's some hypothetical upper limit...), but the consistency. As long as they're not hard and your LO isn't straining (like, in pain... not just baby poop noises), then you're good to go!  thumb.gif

post #5 of 10
Thread Starter 

thank you everyone! i will be grateful for the fewer poopy diapers!

post #6 of 10

Just be aware that if the kid goes 5-7 days between poops -- when it happens, you'd best be ready with a full set of clothes for baby and possibly mom.   And possibly a fresh carseat cover.....

 

(another reason I liked my cloth diapers; the cover almost always contained the jet of poop that would shoot up the back, vs. the disposables we used when travelling, where it was like someone spraypainted something.

post #7 of 10
Originally Posted by savithny View Post

Just be aware that if the kid goes 5-7 days between poops -- when it happens, you'd best be ready with a full set of clothes for baby and possibly mom.   And possibly a fresh carseat cover.....


 

If my DD misses a day, it's like Armageddon in her clothes... I'd need Wellingtons and a raincoat after 5 days!

 

To the OP: it's totally normal, as long as the baby's gaining weight. She's just using her milk very efficently. 

post #8 of 10
After about six to eight weeks of age, lots of babies start pooping very infrequently. It's because breastmilk is digested so efficiently. It's entirely normal and as long as the poop is soft when it comes, and there are no other red flags like poor weight gain, there's no problem. It doesn't happen to all kids-- my DS, for example, was an every-fourth-day guy, but his twin sister continued to "go" four or five times a day all the way until she was weaned. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. winky.gif

*******
This doesn't concern the OP, obviously, but it's worth putting it out there that infrequent pooping in a newborn is not a typical or expected pattern-- if a baby under about six weeks isn't pooping several times a day, that can sometimes be a red flag that there's something going on-- that for whatever reason baby isn't getting enough milk. I wouldn't dismiss infrequent pooping in a young baby-- I'd be watching weight gain carefully, and looking for ways to increase baby's input, with the help of a good supportive and qualified healthcare provider.
post #9 of 10

Was going to say the same as everyone else!  Totally normal and beware the explosion!  I remember once when DS went 7 days without going and then I set him in the jumparoo . . .  yikes.gif

post #10 of 10

My little guy was a every 3rd day pooper from 6 weeks until a month ago (4 months), now he goes every other day. When he goes longer, I can tell he gets uncomfortable and can usually expect a big one! Luckily he usually doesn't hold it for more than an additional day.

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