Help me help baby poop!

July 5, 2009 4:05 AM

My 3-month-old son has suddenly become constipated. What do I do?

He's been exclusively breastfed by mom for his entire short life, and has also shown a healthy faculty for bowel movements. In other words, he poops plenty. At least three or so times a day, and sometimes as many as nine or ten poops a day.

That is, until about three days ago. He just...stopped pooping. He's breastfeeding and peeing plenty, a lot actually. But the kid hasn't pooped in 72 hours, which is very uncharacteristic for him. He doesn't seem to be cranky and isn't crying any more than normal.

My wife drank some prune juice this morning, as the things she drinks will end up affecting the kid, but 12 hours and multiple feedings later it's had no effect.

(I know you're not my doctor, but) is it probably ok to give the kid some highly diluted prune juice? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

posted by zardoz to health & fitness (20 comments total)

At three months he should not have prune juice or purés yet (I've been told - but I do know a mother who diluted some juice and handed to her baby anyway), however, lay him on his back, massage belly (you'll feel where the constipation is), play "ride a bike" with his legs, and massage belly from navel out (the way the intestines run). A teaspoon of olive oil can help - I'd try that first, and belly massage first. There's something called "microlax" at the pharmacies here - last resort and you need to consult a doctor first.
posted by dabitch at 4:14 AM on July 5

It's okay, but the key here is: He doesn't seem to be cranky and isn't crying any more than normal..

That's your answer; if it's not bothering the baby, it shouldn't be bothering you.

Also, I dunno if you guys no, but babies change it up when it comes to poopies quite a lot through their development lives. Four days is well within the margin, I quote:

"6 weeks onwards: between 5 stools in 24 hours to 1 every few days (up to a week). (This is because the colostrum in the mothers milk diminishes and no longer provides such a laxative effect). http://www.llli.org/FAQ/bm.html

Don't stress it, and enjoy your baby times and precious sleep when you get it!
posted by smoke at 4:15 AM on July 5

For little llama, we were told sometimes she'd poop a bunch in one day, sometimes she wouldn't poop for several days, and (I'm warning you, this is about to get gross):


That sometimes it would be yellow, sometimes green, all shades of brown, and that we didn't need to worry about any of it.

So we didn't.

I would base the degree of concern on whether the baby is comfortable and otherwise eating and peeing normally. If he's okay, the only people with a problem are the parents who are speculating about how horrible it's going to be when he finally does poop.

Godspeed, sir.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:19 AM on July 5 [1 favorite]

Agreeing with both above. Lets hope you don't get the warning! TMI! rocket poop when changing him tomorrow. My advice; get out of the way!
posted by dabitch at 4:24 AM on July 5

He's not constipated if he's exclusively breastfed. It's just not possible. Lots of babies who are breastfed can go for very long periods without pooing. Babytaff went for about 8 days between poops for about 5 months. ToddlerTaff used to go for four days without pooping.

Constipation is diagnosed not by the period of time between motions, but the consistency of the poo.

My "bible" for parenting, Babylove by Robyn Barker, the early childhood nurse.... says that up to three or four weeks is ok too.

Don't worry. I promise you he's not constipated.

Happy to answer any poop questions via memail if you like. Currently breastfeeding a 7month old who just started solids.... another topic I know lots about.
posted by taff at 4:41 AM on July 5

"Some breastfed babies, after the first three to four weeks of life, may suddenly change their stool pattern from many each day, to one every three days or even less. Some babies have gone as long as 15 days or more without a bowel movement. As long as the baby is otherwise well, and the stool is the usual pasty or soft, yellow movement, this is not constipation and is of no concern. No treatment is necessary or desirable, because no treatment is necessary or desirable for something that is normal," says Canadian breastfeeding authority Dr Jack Newman.

(It's not really: drink prune juice, make prune milk. This explains.)
posted by kmennie at 4:41 AM on July 5

Oh.... and yes, it will be huge when it does come. If he starts to go for long periods without pooping, start carrying a change of clothes for him in your nappy/diaper bag. You may well need it when it does come.

All the best possum.
posted by taff at 4:44 AM on July 5 [1 favorite]

Sorry to multi-post... but I think the thing that is worrying you is the sudden change. I should have made myself clearer. That sudden change is completely normal. Have parented/night-nursed 8 babies and they all did it at some stage.
posted by taff at 4:47 AM on July 5

Thanks, all! This is great info, I appreciate it. And it takes a load off.
posted by zardoz at 4:49 AM on July 5 [1 favorite]

*favorites that pun*
posted by dabitch at 5:06 AM on July 5 [1 favorite]

If he starts to go for long periods without pooping, start carrying a change of clothes for him in your nappy/diaper bag. You may well need it when it does come.

You may also want to consider a change of clothes for you, too. Just in case you're holding him or have him in the frontpack or something when it happens. I have a friend whose baby would fill up a sleep suit with breastmilk poo, when she got around to pooing. It's all part of the fun!
posted by slightlybewildered at 5:12 AM on July 5

We did the bike riding trick, as well as lots of very gentle tummy massaging, and it tended to help work things through. To echo what lots of people are saying, you're probably safe as long as the baby isn't unhappy! Watch out for the blast when it comes!
posted by swrittenb at 5:55 AM on July 5

My son at that age was pooping once every two weeks. The peadiatrician said this was within normal parameters for an exclusively breastfed baby.

As I understand it (IANAD), diagnosing him with constipation would require both observing him struggle unsuccessfully to produce a BM and hard stools when he did have one.
posted by winston at 7:34 AM on July 5

Taff is totally right. Around that age my now 8 month old atarted pooping once a week. It was a biggy tho. We played poopy roulette with leaving the house.
Around six months he started being a once a day pooper.

Somethings that helped get him more 'regular' - tell your wife to stay hydrated. Seriously!! I also cut back on daily. &lso baby will start getting into a poop cycle with your wife. If she poops, baby will soon too. Do bike pedal motions with baby's legs. Have her in a sitting position.

If baby is really constipated the poo will be hard pellets.

Also, I love mefi but I find quicker parenting answers on parenting 101 on livejournal.
posted by k8t at 7:40 AM on July 5

Daily - dairy
posted by k8t at 7:43 AM on July 5

Just jumping in to add my "don't worry" to the others, at least not yet. My exclusively-breastfed son used to poop only every few days--but it was a doozy!
posted by not that girl at 10:16 AM on July 5

My personal experience: My daughter would only poop once every 7 to 10 days. We had her checked out, as long as she was not in any pain, and the BM was "normal", we were told that all was well. "Bottom" line (ha ha) was that it was not a problem, just her way. My son, on the other hand, could fertilize an acre of farmland each day...
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 11:48 AM on July 5

For some reason, feeding my daughter prunes always solves this problem.
posted by sporaticgenius at 2:20 PM on July 5

Sounds like nothing to worry about, but let me tell something it could be...

Around 5 months, my breastfed son appeared to be constipated and was a total fuss pot. We were on a trip and couldn't see our pediatrician, but they recommended to try an infant glycerin suppository. These work. Poo everywhere. But we got home a few days later and he was still unhappy. Off to the lactation consultant. Seems he just wasn't getting enough milk per feeding. So we transitioned him to formula. All was better from that point on.

He wasn't constipated, he wasn't getting enough to eat!
posted by jrishel at 7:08 AM on July 6

Good data point actually - breastfed infants kick up the feeding at three months and 5-6 months (and again later but I forget when) by nursing more (making mom produce more milk). Mine, who was hungry like a vampire all the time, made it abundantly clear that nothing in the world apart from nursing would stop her from crying/fussing at these times, so I gathered that it is rather obvious when these phases appear since the babies turn into little FEED ME SEYMOUR adorable monsters, forcing mom to nurse twice as long until the milk production has successfully been kicked up a notch. Poop waits at these times since they need more food.
posted by dabitch at 2:08 AM on July 9