Infrequent Pooping in Babies

Constipation in Babies

Chris Minogue, a Mothercraft nurse, has helped families for more than thirty years navigate the tricky waters of parenting. She can help you with any questions about night waking, catnapping, or other challenges. In this episode, she takes on the following challenges.

• A 2.5-year-old night wanderer
• How many milk feeds should an 11-month-old baby receive?
• A six-month-old child who wakes up regularly during the night to feed or for her dummy
• A four-month-old baby who is not pooping regularly
• The cat napping of a 6-week-old
• Leave your young child with grandparents for 3 nights: Tips and tricks
• A 7-month-old with separation anxiety
• Advice on preventing mastitis

This article examines the causes of infrequent pooping in babies. and the symptoms and treatments for constipation among babies.

Constipation in nursing babies is rare but can occur. Breast-fed babies tend to experience fewer changes to their bowel habits. This is because formula-fed infants have more difficulty digesting breast milk.

Constipation in older children is common. It accounts for up to 25% of visits to pediatric gastroenterologists and about 3 % of visits to outpatient pediatric clinics.

Constipation can be diagnosed if a baby has hard pebbles like stools or a distended stomach. Constipation is not always indicated by the frequency of bowel movements. Each baby has its own schedule.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that infants should only be fed breast milk for the first six months of their lives. They recommend that babies only receive breast milk until 6 months after birth unless their doctor has recommended otherwise. Parents or caregivers may introduce solid food to the baby after the first six months.

Parents and caregivers may notice a change in their baby’s bowel movements, colour, and consistency when they switch to infant formula.

A 2018 study by Trusted Source looked at the bowel habits of 83,019 Japanese newborns. The authors found that most cases of constipation occurred when a woman switched from breastfeeding to infant food, whether she had a vaginal or cesarean birth.

After starting solid food, a baby can develop constipation and harder stools. Constipation can be caused by certain foods, such as dairy milk and rice cereal, in infants younger than one year.

Constipation Can Also be Caused By:

• Too little liquid. Liquids aid in the smooth passage of stool through the bowels.
• Illness. Infections may cause a decrease in appetite in babies or result in vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration as well as constipation. Constipation can be caused by medical conditions that affect the gastrointestinal tract.
• Withholding stool. Doctors call this behaviour “withholding”. Babies can avoid painful or hard stools by purposefully avoiding them. Babies with diaper rash can also avoid discomfort by withholding.
• Stress. Stress can be caused by new environments, travel, or weather changes. Stress may affect their physical health, resulting in constipation and a change in stool frequency.

Does a Woman’s Diet while Breastfeeding Cause Constipation?

If you are breastfeeding, you may be wondering how your diet will affect the breast milk that you produce and if it can impact the digestive health of your baby.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breastfeeding women don’t need to avoid certain foods.

The baby may not feed after the woman has eaten a certain food. In this situation, the woman might want to stop eating that particular food for a little while and then reintroduce it later.

While breastfeeding, women may want to limit or avoid coffee because small amounts pass from the mother to the infant through the breast milk.

Experts say that women who are breastfeeding can consume up to 500 milligrams of (Trusted Source) per day. Coffee can lower iron levels in breast milk. This may lead to mild anemia.

While most women don’t need to restrict their eating habits while breastfeeding, it is important to consume a variety of nutritious foods.

Symptoms of Constipation for Babies

Constipation can be indicated by changes in bowel movements in adults and older children, but not necessarily in babies.

Newborn babies can have several bowel movements per day. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), from 3 to 6 weeks (Trusted Source) of age, breastfed infants may only have one bowel motion per week because breast milk contains minimal solid waste.

After 6 weeks, breastfed babies can go from several days up to a full week without bowel movements.

When a baby is straining to bowel, they may cry or get red. But straining doesn’t mean that your baby is constipated. It may take some time for babies to learn to have bowel movements.

Constipation Symptoms in Breastfed Infants Include:

• Being excessively fussy
• Crying for extended periods
• Refusing to feed
• A hard, distended stomach
• Rectal bleeding
• Passing hard or bloody stools
• Crying during a bowel motion
• Weight loss or weight gain

Normal bowel movements vary from one baby to another. Parents and caregivers need to monitor the bowel habits of their babies and note any changes. This can help parents decide when to take their baby to the doctor.

What Should I Be Aware of Regarding My Baby’s Stool

• What is normal for a breastfed infant’s bowel movements?
• Both diarrhea and constipation can be treated with the same treatment
• When to contact your child’s healthcare provider

There are many different types of normal bowel movements for exclusively breastfed babies. You may be more concerned about the frequency, colour, and consistency of stools than you thought.

You should know what your baby is used to so you can recognise when he or she starts experiencing constipation.

What is Normal Poop for Breastfed Babies?

Your baby’s first diapers may be soiled only once or twice.

Changes in Your Baby’s Poop Frequency

• Some babies continue to stool after eating, even though they tend to have less poop as they age.
• During growth spurts, your child may go for several days without pooping.

As long as your baby’s stools have normal colour and are soft, you can consider them healthy.

What to expect for breastfed babies when they have yellow or mushy stools?

Breastfed babies can have a yellow, mushy stool. There are still many shades of baby poops. Here is a guide to help parents with newborns identify the colours of poop.

• The first stool that a newborn passes after birth is either black or dark green and tarry. Meconium is the name for this type of baby poop.
• Yellow-green. The colour of your baby’s stool may change to this once the meconium stool is gone.
• Yellow. Newborns who are breastfed usually have a loose, seedy stool that looks yellow.
• The poop of your baby may be yellow or tan, with hints of green. It will likely be firmer than breastfed babies. It’s likely to be softer than peanut butter or soft clay.
• Green. Green baby poop can also be typical. This is not a cause for alarm.

Your baby’s poop may contain different colours once he or she starts eating solid foods.

The frequency of pooping in babies also varies. Some breastfed infants pass stool only once a week. It’s okay as long as the stools of your baby are soft, and if they continue to gain weight, nurse. Formula-fed infants usually poop only once per day. Some infants do not have a regular pattern of pooping.

Call your baby’s doctor if you are concerned about the texture, colour, or frequency of your child’s stools. It is important to call your doctor if you notice that the stool of your baby is:

• Even after many days, the colour of the skin is still black
• Red or Bloody
• White or whitish grey.
• Full of mucus
• Watery or more frequently than normal.
• If your baby is on formula and strains when pooping, you may need to pass less frequently than usual.
• It is often hard, dry, or very difficult to pass. It may also help your baby to drink a few ounces of liquid from a sippy cup with each meal. Fruits and vegetables can be helpful if your baby is eating solid food.

Be prepared to describe the stool when you contact your child’s doctor. Notify your doctor of the colour, size, texture, and frequency with which your baby passes stools. More details are better. This will help your baby’s doctor determine if any treatment is needed.

What to expect from your babies?

Many parents wonder what to expect from changing diapers, or nappies, as they are also called, of a baby who is breastfed. How many diapers should I expect to see? How many dirty diapers is normal? How should they look?

Parents use many different terms to describe dirty diapers around the world: poo, poop, bowel movement, and stool. Parents may use the terms urine, pee, or wee to describe wet diapers.

You can tell what’s in your baby’s diapers by keeping an eye on them. The stooling patterns of breastfed babies can vary widely. Normal urine patterns tend to be consistent.

You can try home remedies (with the permission of your doctor)

Ask your doctor whether you can try home remedies on your child, such as:

• Liquids: If you have a baby older than 6 months, give him a few ounces of water.
• Food: Give your baby fiber-rich food if they are eating solids. This will help them pass poop. Pureed fruits, sweet potatoes or prunes are good options. While fibre-rich foods can make your baby feel gassy, they are often helpful in reducing poop.
• Exercise: Your child might need to move to help them go! Your baby may benefit from moving their legs in a cycling motion. Try holding your child up in your lap so that they appear to be “walking”.
• Massage your baby and take a warm bath. Try massaging the stomach and body of your child. It can relax them and help their digestion. Try a warm bathtub for them to relax.
• Medicines: If the changes you make to your diet, exercise, or feeding do not help, then your doctor may recommend an infant glycerin suppository. They have to be placed into your baby’s rectum. However, they will be relieved when they have a good poop and may sleep peacefully. If you’re considering this, talk to your baby’s doctor before making a decision.

Conclusion:

Frequent pooping is normal in infants, especially those babies who are still breastfeeding. Infrequent pooping on babies is part of the digestive system development. As long as your child is eating well, gaining enough weight and appearing comfortable, the occasional longer gap between poos shouldn’t cause concern. If you notice any signs of discomfort or a change in your child’s behaviour, consult your doctor to make sure everything is okay. Enjoy these early days and trust your instincts!