Bowl Irregularity - SOLVED!

Since you are breast feeding, eat things that loosen him up odr help regulate the digestive system; yogert, prunes, peas. beans, etc. You might take a b-vitamin supplement which has pantothenic acid (B-5) in it which helps regulate the digestive system. Are you drinking enough water or giving him water?

Congratulations on resolving the issue!

I just wanted to put this out there based on a number of the responses you got - breastmilk is 80% or more water, so EBF babies DO NOT need to drink water in between feedings!

He could be a little dehydrated. Try switching breasts mid feeding so that he gets more of the watery foremilk and a little less of the thicker hindmilk.

Good luck (poor little guy)

Oh and don't worry about trying to alter your diet, the fiber that you would get from prunes that makes you more regulare doesn't get absorbed (that's why it works) so it would never end up in your milk.

it could be your diet, but usually when you ask a doc what to do, they will tell you to give them juice. water it down ( gerber has some baby juices that are good. unfortunately even if you started baby on food right now, it would probably make the situation worse. juice ALWAYS works.

My baby is 5 months also and breastfed...he goes poo every few days as well (usually resulting in a "blow out") anyways, his doctor said if he ever gets backed up to give him a little pear juice in a bottle and that it would fix him right up. Haven't had to try it, but I trust his doctor and would try it if I needed to. Good Luck.

Since it's hotter out now, maybe he needs more hydration, so either maybe offer the breast more often, or you could start giving a few sips of water every couple of hours:)

I don't think it is what your drinking or not drinking. Although if you are eating gassy foods, garlic, onion, beans, broccoli etc. this could cause him some tummy upset.

Stop eating this if so and see if this changes.
Trish

Hi A.,

Poop is always such a concern with our little ones! As mentioned, every few days with a BF baby can be normal, as can several times a day. I can see why you'd be worried with the signs of discomfort you are seeing in your baby, though.

Keep up drinking lots of water yourself - that's great! I agree that you might want to offer the breast more often and see if that helps. Also, when my daughter went through a bit of this same problem when she was an infant, the pediatrician did suggest a wee bit of juice in some water (a tiny amount of juice, like a tablespoon maybe - mostly water) and offer that 1x a day in a bottle or soft sippy (depends what your baby accepts and can manage). We did this on occasion and it did help (it wasn't something we did all the time though). We avoided apple juice and usually did either prune juice or white grape juice in the water (studies have proven white grape juice is gentler to the system than apple juice).

Being EBF (exclusively breastfed) is the ideal diet for your baby up to a year old or more, so that's super that you are doing that for him! Go, mama, go! As long as he is getting plenty of mama milk, he will grow and thrive. Other foods are really only needed for "eating practice" and fun until our babies are at least a year or more. Whenever you do decide to introduce first foods, I'd stay away from cereals as they can be very constipating (they are highly processed and there's no natural nutritional value there for baby anyway) and try things like pureed sweet potatoes, pumpkin, avocado, squash to begin with. Those are appealing, nutritious and also help with regulating poop. Incidentally, bananas are constipating, as is processed applesauce, so I'd avoid those for some months once you do start solids, till your son gets well established with his digestive routine, whatever it may be for him. When we did give our daughter applesauce, I always mixed it with pureed prunes to counteract the constipation factor, and she loved it (of course she loved straight prunes too, but they gave too much of the opposite effect! LOL!).

Best of luck in helping your little one get comfortable pooping again!

Blessings,
S. M.

PS I have the cutest magnet I got at www.cafepress.com...
"I make milk...what's your superpower?" :)

If you have the problem again, you can try mineral oil. It is 100% completely natural - no taste, no smell, no worries! It would only take about a teaspoon or two for a small baby. the oil will go into his bowel and will coat his feces so it will come out easier without straining. Since it is 100% natural, it can't hurt him, no matter how much you give him.

yes it can be your diet, do you poop frequently? my 6 month old was not pooping daily from 3 months on. daily i massage his tummy(clockwise) with a small amount of castor oil. its best to do it with some heat so that it absorbs(before bathtime) he usually poops once a day now,sometimes every other day. to help clean him out, you can drink prune juice...i've taken a small amount (1/2cup) in warm water in the morning. be prepared for a blowout even with that small amount, prune juice can be very stimulating to babies.
i know they say it is ok for babies to poop infrequently, but i don't think it is healthy to keep wastes in for so long, better to get them out even if it is a small amount every day.
goodluck,
M.

ps i saw one response suggesting mineral oil.....mineral oil is natural,but it is a PETROLEUM PRODUCT and has no place in or on a little baby,let alone a human being!

i'm glad he was able to go! As an additional idea... I increased my fiber intake with Fiber Choice pills. Some said that not enough fiber leeches into the breast milk to make a difference but it did for me. When he was younger, my son went from pooping once a week (maybe) to every over day! Try it, it can't hurt. If you are like me it can help balance out your diet of "eating when I can". Keep up the good work'

You can try the glycerin suppositories.

I have 4 kids all have been or currently are breastfeeding. Baby #1 had several poops a day forever. Baby #2 pooped every other day and never had any problem. Baby #3 went 8 days at his longest. He had a few times where he struggled and we just massaged his tummy if you rub clockwise with gentle pressure it is the same way that the large intestine pushes food along and can help. As long as his poops are soft I wouldn't worry. My current baby #4 is extremely erratic ahs had several in one day nad then gone 2-3 days. We don't worry. I wouldn't use suppositories without talking to your doctor it can create problems and dependance. Drinking more water for you won't hurt.

Hi A.,
My 4 1/2 month son at about 2 mos, wouldn't go for several days. Dr, said not to worry about it. When several days would go by and if he seemed 2 b uncomfortable, I would do the thermometer trick. Kind of gross and messy, but it worked and he would feel better right away. My doc did suggest diluted apple juice. My son is breastfed and
i felt kinda funny about juice at 8 weeks, so I did'nt try it. He now poops almost everyday. Good luck!

Is your little guy drinking water too? Try to get him drinking water out of a sippy cup in between BF sessions. If he is straining to go, HE needs more water.

Has he begun eating solids? That could be why he is beginning to have trouble. Call your pediatrician's office and ask to talk to the nurse about it to ease your concerns.

Hi there
I also have breastfed babies, pooping every few dasy is totally normal. If he is having a hard time try to massage his belly to help him a bit. It could be something you ate, I know that dairy can mess with them a bit. Whenever my kids have had a hard time I just rub the belly and it seems to help and it feels good.