5 Week Old May Be Constipated

This is a completely normal transition for a breastfed baby. The book, "Baby 411" is very helpful too.

It's totally normal for a breastfed baby to go several days without a BM. And breastfed babies can really have erratic poop schedules. It might be 3x day for 2 days, then nothing for 4 or 5 days. Provided she's not in pain, you have nothing to worry about.

If the gas becomes problematic again, check out "gripe water" or even give her a little water with a tiny big of Karo syrup.

P.S. The clinical definition of "constipation" is dry or hard stools, and/or fewer than 3 bowel movements in 1 week. Not everyone needs to poop every single day:

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/constipation/

My little guy did the same thing at this age. My pediatrician told me that at this age, babies become very efficient at using all of the breastmilk, and therefore have very little waste. So, it is completely normal for a breastfed baby to only go once a week. As long as she isn't in any apparent discomfort, don't worry. She will eventually go. "Enjoy" the diapers while you can. :)

I agree with everyone else, my 2 and 1/2 month old son only goes about once a week but when he does I called them poop explosions. My first son did the same thing. Especially if they are going through a growth spurt they will "use" everything from the breast milk. Like another mom said if she is wet at each diaper change and not in pain she is fine. My first son went 15 days without pooping once.
M.

I agree that the book "Baby 411" is an EXCELLENT resource. I refered to it often in my son's first year and still use it now. She has a great definition of what constipation is and is not. Like someone else stated, it is hard stools that are painful to pass.

BF babies' bodies can more efficiently process the milk and so there is less waste to pass. So yes, you go from 6-10 a day early on to none for a week. I personally found it a wonderful break from poop. :)

Your baby is NOT constipated. At this age babies are absorbing and using every bit of breastmilk they take in. You may notice that your baby is eating more frequently or will be soon. It is all because she is getting ready to grow quickly. I repeat. Your baby is not constipated; she just doesn't have anything to poop out. Many breastfed babies go 2 weeks with out bowel movements. If she doesn't seem uncomfortable do nothing. Tummy message can help with gas relief.

Hi K.,

My son who is now 2 and poops at least twice a day did the same thing your daughter is doing. I never felt comfortable with it despite the fact that everyone told me it was normal. He would go once a week and did this for months. After about day 5 every week I would start trying things because he did seem a bit gassy to me. I tried the Karo syrup - it did not help. I tried eating more fibrous foods myself - it did not help. No matter what I tried - it didn't seem to help, he would go when his body was ready. I avoided any gassy foods - no broccoli, no spicy foods, no sauerkraut, etc. After he went poop he was a happy go lucky kid again. He eventually grew out of this stage and boy was I glad!! I never knew that bowel movements (or lack thereof) would be such a large part of my days!!

Good luck - it does get better! D.

I agree. Breastfed babies can go up to a week without a BM.
Dairy could make her gassy, as can a lot of green veggies. Mylicon drops work great for that.

even in babies it is normal to not go every day...
as long as she is wet, she is doing just fine.

I've never heard of a bf baby with constipation. All of my kids started having BM only every 3-4 days when they were solely bf. Keep a journal and see if you see any patterns.

Hi K. my son was like that and my two nephews. I was told 3 different things. One was to mix apple juice 3oz juice 1oz water and that worked for my nephew instantly, then 2nd I was tod 1 tbsp caro syrup in 4oz of whatever the baby drinks (breastmilk or formula), then 3rd and last I was told to do the same with apple juice but instead use prune juice. Sometimes it can be so bad she might need a medication from the doctor. With my son having to be on a medication for GERD it would make him constipated and only the medication would work. Hope you find something that works. Good luck

constipation is NOT the abscence of stool
it s hard, chunky, painful passing of stool. sure, you can be concerned that shes not pooping, but dont point the finger on constipation unless she has a lot of discomfort and pain with passing stool/

something i think you could do is increase fruits and veggies you are eating, as well as getting some milled flax seed, and sprinkling that on your cereal, yogurt, even sandwiches, whatever. it has no real flavor, but it might be a bit crunchy LOL. either way, this flax is fiber essencially, and fiber doesnt get digested, instead it absorbs water and passes through with the stool to make stool softer. this means you will also have to drink more water.
try that out for a while and see how things go. obviously, if you get loose stools, you have had too much! LOL. only a small amount of flax to start until you see how your body reacts to it. it should pass through in the milk somewhat, to help baby out.

good luck
www.askdrsears.com is also a good place for info...

Hi K., I am a mother of nine grown children and 41 grandchildren. It is very common for breast fed babies to go many days without a bowel movement. You might try ,if you are concerned, a warm water bottle with a little cairo syrup in it. That should help her bowels and babies need water. My husband is a general surgeon and has been a big proponent of giving babies water for years. They need it. Take care M.