Amount of poopy diapers

cali1710

I tried searching this but unless I didnt search the right words I didnt see anything about this.  My LO is 3.5 weeks and the last 3 days she only has had one poopy diaper a day. When she does have it, its a big one. She is exclusively formula fed. How many poopy diapers should they be having? Prior to this she had 4-6 a day.  She has lots of wet diapers and isnt crying in discomfort or anything.. 

Achae

cali1710 said:

I tried searching this but unless I didnt search the right words I didnt see anything about this.  My LO is 3.5 weeks and the last 3 days she only has had one poopy diaper a day. When she does have it, its a big one. She is exclusively formula fed. How many poopy diapers should they be having? Prior to this she had 4-6 a day.  She has lots of wet diapers and isnt crying in discomfort or anything.. 

Some babies can go a week without pooping. Some go every day and some at every meal. As long as they aren't constipated and straining to go it's nothing to be concerned about. 

bbrownlee1

My son is almost 5 weeks and within the last week has done the same thing.  I'm thinking he is just transitioning into fewer since he doesn't seem to be having an issue. 

MissMheMhe

His gut is getting more efficient at using the nutrients from the formula and is regulating. I believe normal for formula is once a day or every other day. Breastfed babies can potentially go a week as the breast milk is more nutritionally balanced and thus the produces less waste. As long as he doesn't seem to be uncomfortable, he should be fine! 

cali1710

Thanks all! I figured it was hust her regulating but wanted to know what was normal. 

BarrettJ89

I asked my pediatrician the same thing. My LO is 5 weeks today and was having probably three a day, but now we are lucky to have one in a 24 hour period. Even the one poop we get a day, it usually isn't as much as I'd expect. He said that's completely normal. He said that many babies can go up to 4 days without a poop (uhh miserable, much?).

teachmegs817

The GI doctor I went to yesterday for my son, because we were experiencing this issue too, told me it's completely normal for a formula fed baby to go anywhere between 4-7 days without a poop.  Even if there is straining and pain associated with getting a bowel movement out, as long as it's not pellet like when it does come out, you're okay.  

DS was straining/grunting/scrunching/ you name it and while I knew that pooping every day wasn't a necessity, I just didn't think it was okay for him to be in this much discomfort from it.  The doctor told me that it is all apart of DS's ability to regulate and "figure out" how his bowels work. He is 2mo old today and I was told to brace myself, as it could last for another 1-2 months before things start getting better.  Even though it's miserable on him and makes me feel awful for him, his stool is loose and soft even if it is inconsistent and not every day.  There isn't too much we can do for him, to bring relief.

cali1710

Could you imagine going 4-7 days without pooping?! Poor things!!

MissMheMhe

Going that long really isn't a problem for breastfed babies. Our milk is so nutritionally perfect that there really isn't much that the body doesn't use and leave as waste.  

teachmegs817

@cali1710 I could not imagine that for myself no, lol!  DS is on Nutramigen which is a partly broken down formula, so he shouldn't go any longer than 4 days without a BM.  It's a thinner formula once mixed with water, so it should digest easier and be gentler on the stomach for him.  So far, it's been really great for him.