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Breastfed 3 week old only pooping every few days - help!

bride727bride727
in Breastfeeding

My DS is 3 weeks old and is breastfed.  When he was first born he was pooping fine - actually, he was pooping a lot.  Once they turned into the regular "breastmilk poops" (yellow and loose) he stopped going.  Basically the only time he has pooped has been when we used a glycerine suppository (doctor's orders).  He goes 3-4 days, we give him one, he immeditately poops, then doesn't go again until we do something to stimulate the area (a rectal thermometer has also worked).  He is gaining weight well, peeing lots, and seems fine other than that.  The only other issue is that he has lots of gas - like TONS!  I assume they are related as he is usually gassiest right before we finally get him to poop. 

 

Anyway, I was just wondering whether anyone had been through this or had experience with what may be going on.  I plan on bringing him back to the doctor this week if things don't improve, but I would love to hear from other moms too.  I just hate to see him so uncomfortable!

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Re: Breastfed 3 week old only pooping every few days - help!

  • liza0828liza0828
    My LO poops very infrequently... she sometimes goes 2 weeks.  It happens sometimes with BF babies.
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  • Nikki1007Nikki1007
    Its perfectly normal. My DD only goes once a week. Her pedi and 3 NICU doctors all told me it was fine. When she seems uncomfortable I will sometimes use the rectal therm (per the pedi).
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  • binnyskitchbinnyskitch
    After passing her meconium in hospital, DD did not poop. 4 days after leaving the hospital...I stim'd with a suppository! Out came lots of typical BF poop. Same thing happened again, so 4 days later I stim'd again. Then AGAIN 2 days later. At this point I was crying and begging pedi for GI referral. She called the GI and GI said to wait up to 10 days before giving another suppository because up to 10 days can be "normal". Soooo, I waited and watched DD (no fussiness, no distention, no vomiting). 6 days of waiting and she finally pooped on her own. She's now 10 weeks old and has been pooping just about everyday ever since that day. I'm glad my pedi consulted with GI because, otherwise, I would have been stimulating every 3 to 4 days and who knows if she ever would have learned to go on her own!
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  • jesh1111jesh1111 member

    for several months of his life my son went once a week. lots of wet diapers but pooped once a week. (breastfed)

    he is perfectly healthy and now goes once a day since he is on solids. 

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  • *KC*luvs*RJ**KC*luvs*RJ*
    Breastfed babies can safely go up to about 3 weeks without pooping.  It's nothing to worry about because they use nearly ALL of the milk you give them.  No worries, mama!
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  • bride727bride727
    Thanks everyone - sounds like my DS is not the only one!  My biggest concern is that when he hasn't gone in a few days he has a lot of gas.  Then when he does finally go he is so much more comfortable and less gassy for a couple days.  I definitely don't want to keep stimulating him, and the doctor did warn us against that.  But I really think he needs to poop more!  My DS#1 didn't go at first, but we stimulated him once and that was all it took to get him going more regularly.   Maybe time will just work this out.
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