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Myth or not? baby doesn't need to poo poo

909 Views 14 Replies 14 Participants Last post by  Sarah W
i was talking to another mom about my dd's constipation (6 days between poos and then they're painful) and she said when her dc wasn't pooping AT ALL, the pediatrician told her that it was because her dc was just processing his food so efficiently and burning it all off that there was no waste. has anybody heard this before? is this possible??

ADDED: to clarify, my dd is 9 months and has had less and less frequent poops since starting solid foods three months ago. the other dc had also started solids.
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BF babies can go very long periods without passing stool and that is perfectly healthy. Breastmilk is used very efficiently by babies bodys so there is very little waste.

If baby is BF and not passing stools but seems comfortable, there is no concern. But if baby is uncomfortable I would see her care provider to possibly deduce a cause and discuss treatment options (such as diet change for mom)

FF babes who experience constipation should always be seen as it could indicate a real problem.
Dd would routinely go 14 days between bm's when she was ebf, but they were soft and caused her no distress. It was weird and sort of freaked me out, but my very mainstream ped reassured me. Even now, she still will go 2-3 days between bm's.
thanks! i guess i should have been more clear. my dd is 9 months and has had less and less frequent poops since starting solid foods three months ago. the other dc had also started solids.
Quote:

Originally Posted by treehugz View Post
thanks! i guess i should have been more clear. my dd is 9 months and has had less and less frequent poops since starting solid foods three months ago. the other dc had also started solids.
Ummmm, that doesn't sound right at all. I'd consider seeking a second opinion. The body is made to have a bowel movement after every meal. Most people don't do that. Most are doing well if they have one a day. More than that on solids could very well be a sign of a problem.
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I don't know about not pooping ever, but DD went forever without going. You know, a week goes by, you start to carry a change of outfit for the baby, an extra blanket, and a huge stash of wipes. Two weeks go by, and it's a change of clothes for YOU, the baby, blankets, wipes, and stuff to clean up the car. Anytime after that, you're almost afraid to leave the house for fear of explosion
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EBF, looooong times between poos totally normal.

After solids, not so much.
Quote:

Originally Posted by *Karen* View Post
EBF, looooong times between poos totally normal.

After solids, not so much.
That's been my experience. All 3 of my girl were EBF, DD1 pooped after every feed and every solids meal, but immediately after the introduction of solids, her poops changed to more 'solid poops'. She would get constipated regularily and I needed to add in a teaspoon or so of warm prunes with her breakfast to keep her regular. DD2 pooped once a week when EBF and changed to daily or every other day with soilds intoduction. DD3 pooped every 3 to 6 days when EBF, now poops at least once a day with solids.
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I personally feel babies should go just about every day, even if EBF. I know that's not the opinion of most, but it has been my experience with both my kids (they got uncomfortable after not going for a day or two), and also the holistic ped said they should go every day, as did the chiropractor. So there are some people who think they should go every day (solids or no). DD2 (7 mo) is mostly EBF and still doesn't go every day, but we are working on digestive issues, so I'm not overly surprised. At least now it doesn't seem to cause her discomfort, so I'm less concerned about it than I was before. Ideally I'd like her to be going every day, but there's only so much I can do.

I think once they're on solids they should be going every day or close to it. As a pp mentioned, they should probably be going even more frequently, but very few people eat the paleo diet our bodies are designed for, so again, no surprise.

Pooping is our body's most effective way of ridding itself of toxins, and you better believe breastmilk is full of toxins. It's really sad, but it's true (Having Faith is a great book with more info on this). So I don't buy the "don't need to poop because it's a perfect food and perfectly utilized" argument
.
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If pooping is painful when your LO goes, there's a problem regardless of diet or frequency of poop.

Increase fluids and fibers, cut back on binding things like cereals, and get a second opinion.
Quote:

Originally Posted by treehugz View Post
thanks! i guess i should have been more clear. my dd is 9 months and has had less and less frequent poops since starting solid foods three months ago. the other dc had also started solids.
Once on solids it changes everything, and they should be going every day (or close to it).
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what sort of solid foods is she eating? white rice and bananas, or flax and squash? Is she still getting breastmilk (if so, how often?) I'd guess all that would make a huge difference. (I have an 8 mo, but he doesn't eat food yet, so I'm no help with the frequency of poops for babies who eat foods. He only goes every few days, and it doesn't appear to be painful.)
Plus you have to remember there is more in poo the just unused food. There is spent blood cells, dead whatever else cells. Strange inedible things that accidentally get into your mouth (ever read the thing where people on average eat a few spiders a year in their sleep!
)
albeit babies aren't doing much spider eating, cell killing or strange inedible eating, so they can go a bit longer then a grown person.
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Shanana View Post
I personally feel babies should go just about every day, even if EBF. I know that's not the opinion of most, but it has been my experience with both my kids (they got uncomfortable after not going for a day or two), and also the holistic ped said they should go every day, as did the chiropractor. So there are some people who think they should go every day (solids or no). DD2 (7 mo) is mostly EBF and still doesn't go every day, but we are working on digestive issues, so I'm not overly surprised. At least now it doesn't seem to cause her discomfort, so I'm less concerned about it than I was before. Ideally I'd like her to be going every day, but there's only so much I can do.
I agree. My practitioners also disagree with this conventional belief that it's okay for breastfed babies to go days & days without poo. They feel that infrequent stooling is often a symptom of food allergy/intolerance.

So you have to distinguish what you're defining as "normal". Is it common for breastfed babies to go days without stool? Yeah, it is. But just because it's common doesn't mean it's healthy.
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Quote:

Originally Posted by *Karen* View Post
EBF, looooong times between poos totally normal.
Yep. Our ped said that she could go to around a week without going as her digestive system matured. Breast milk can be used almost entirely by their body.
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