breastfed baby not pooping « Back to Group Discussions

[spitrof]

Does anyone have any experience with a breastfed baby pooping very infrequently? My DS will be 2 weeks old tomorrow. He had a meconium poop at birth and then a few small ones soon after. He then didn't poop for about a week, and that was mostly meconium too. Our pediatrician was not too concerned, saying some babies (even breastfed ones) only poop once a week. She suggested glycerin suppositories if he appeared to be uncomfortable. She also thought that maybe since I was taking percocet for pain (episiotomy :() he was constipated from that.

At about 9 days old he got really fussy and looked like he was trying to go. We gave him a few minutes and then tried the glycerin suppository. Within about a minute of trying to put it in (he kept pushing it out) he had an enormous breastmilk like poo (very thin). But now we are day 13 and have had no poop again.

I am trying not to be crazy worried about him, he certainly is comfortable, able to pass gas and with a soft tummy. He has plenty of wet diapers and nurses every 2.5-3 hours for 15 minutes each side. I just need some reassurance that he is okay. 

[Just1More]

Yep, variation of normal.  This baby goes several times a day, but I've had a few who went longer between times.

I have found that if I hold them with their back against my belly, facing out, and with their legs pulled up, frequently they will go if they need to.  It's key to keep their backs straight, and their heads up (not slumped on their chest).  I usually hold them under their upper legs, but any froggy like position will do.  It doesn't always work, but several of mine have seemed to know exactly what they were supposed to do. 

You might consider, though, if he seems uncomfortable, a food issue.  Ds had really thick poo, peanut butter like, infrequent, and, at times, greenish.  Turns out he couldn't handle it at all if I ate wheat.  He still would go longer times between going, but it wasn't quite so much, and he seemed more comfortable.

[julieandemmett]

 I just jumped on here to see if I could find an answer to this exact issue. We have had no poop here since meconium (almost a week now). Everything else normal, belly soft, etc. peeing frequently, eating lots. It is worrisome :( Good to know it can be normal.

[persephassa]

our pediatrician said it was normal, too. orryn had several meconium poops at the hospital but after we left he had no poops for two days... then when we were at the ped's office the first time & undressing him to be weighed he pooped on their scale :) he's just an infrequent pooper. i chart wet/dirty diapers a day on a piece of paper over the changing table... he goes 2-4 days between poops and then has a mega poop. and like 10-14 wet diapers a day. i think as long as they are peeing enough & feeding enough (& long enough to get fore & hind milk) they are fine, even if they aren't pooping frequently.

poop, poop, poop. 

[lindsayjean]

My first was a once a week popper.  Boy those poops were fun to clean up.... lol