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Baby Not Pooping

by Spencer
(D.C.)

My son seems to be constipated and he is only 28 days old. What can I do he is still feeding and urinating, but now bowel movement.






Baby Help Line Response:


Hi Spencer!

Congratulations to you new baby! Hopefully, he has pooped already and everything is fine, but if not here are some tips for you.

You don’t tell if you are breastfeeding or not. If you are and if your baby has had normal breast milk poop earlier, chances are that he is only going through a growth period and therefore actually absorbs pretty much everything he eats. Also, at around 4 weeks of age, a baby’s digestive system begins to mature and the number of bowel movement usually decreases, especially if the baby is breastfed. If he seems completely happy and eats and urinates just as usual, there is probably nothing you have to do. The poop will come.
If your baby is formula-fed, the risk of constipation is higher.

Some symptoms of constipation are:


  • In a newborn, firm stools less than once a day with straining and difficulty passing them

  • In older babies, firm stools less often than 7 days for breast-fed babies and 4 days for bottle-fed babies

  • Dry, hard stools and pain on passing them

  • Hard, pebble-like stools passed by a baby who strains during a bowel movement

  • Signs of blood along the outside of the poop

  • Belly pain along with hard, infrequent stools


While it is normal for babies will strain from time to time to move the stool along through the intestines, crying is not. If you want to do something to help your baby while straining, try holding his knees against his chest to help him “squat”. This is also very effective for tummy pain to release gas.

If your baby is bottle-fed you can experiment with various formulas to find the one that has the least tendency to result in constipation. For some babies soy based formulas work better. For others, a hydrolysate formula, such as Nutramigen can make a real difference.

You can also feed your boy smaller amounts of formula more frequently, to help the intestines cope with the formula. Twice as often is a rule of thumb.

Make sure that you don’t add too much formula powder when preparing the formula. Take care not to overfill or tightly pack the scoop.
You can also try offering your baby some extra water – about 1 oz once or twice a day.

You don’t say how long it has been since your baby had his last bowel movement. 28 days old, the average is still some 4 times per day, but that really is an average. By the time your baby is 2 months old, the average has dropped to 1 time per day. But, as I said, the variation can be quite large. Two of our kids had periods at around 3 months old, when they pooped every 10-14 days. Very convenient… ;-D However, they were both completely breast-fed and showed no signs of constipation or illness.

Since your baby is so young, I would probably contact a pediatrician if it’s been a while since your baby pooped, breast milk fed or not, both to get advice on possible treatment for constipation and to make sure that your baby is completely healthy. Don’t use baby laxatives or glycerin suppositories without consulting a doctor first. It may be completely unnecessary.

I wish you and your baby good luck!

/Paula


Comments for
Baby Not Pooping

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Jan 14, 2008
 30 hours of NOT pooping-14 days old
by: Molly

I have been breast feeding my new baby and he had two EXPLOSIVe poops yesterday, but has not pooped since and it's going on 30 hours. I am worried. Should I be?
Feb 09, 2008
 KARO
by: Anonymous

A little Karo Syrup in his bottle once a day ( 1 tablespoon for 2-3 ounces) will help. Trust ME!!!
Feb 12, 2008
 My one month old is straining
by: Anonymous

My one month old is straining alot when he is trying to go to poop. It takes him a while to a day or two to get it out. Any suggestions?
Feb 13, 2008
 Baby Massage
by: Anonymous

Have you tried baby massage? It worked really great for my baby when he was like that. You should get a book that shows you in pictures how to massage your baby's belly.

/Maria
Feb 22, 2008
 THANKS
by: Anonymous

Thanks FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
Mar 04, 2008
 BABY NOT POOING FOR DAYS
by: Anonymous

My baby was 3 months old and did not poo after 4 days. She started to poo on the 5th day which was alot. Then she pooped every other day or so. She has been releasing gas everyday. Now she is in her 5th month and has not poo for 5 days now. I am still waiting to see how long it would take her to poo. Also, I am breastfeeding her since then. Hopefully she will poo real soon!
May 12, 2008
 3 month old
by: constipation

I am a breastfeeding mom and I started my son on rice cereal at 3 months a teaspoon every onther day ... and but I wasted more then he ate lol but now I bought the oatmeal baby cereal and he's had it once very wattery and now he's not pooping. Should I be concerned or is there something I can give him to make him poop? Its been a 2 days ruffly.

thank you
Jul 02, 2008
 baby bowel movements
by: Anonymous

Hi I am a mother of 2 and I had this exact problem. My first child started out having regular daily bowel movements, but once she hit the 4 week mark they dropped down to one every 7- 9 days. Those who I spoke with made it seem as though it was abnormal which was really upsetting. I was told to give her prune juice mixed in with her bottle. Needless to say that I was a wreck!My second child was the same way, but the information I received this time was that this was fine, that some babies are like that, but that I could help it along by using a Q-tip dipped in Vaseline and inserting it rectaclly. This really helped out as she would then have a poop later that day.
Aug 18, 2008
 no poop for 16 hours
by: rebecca

i breastfeed, but i give my baby formula for a day because i had a night out and she hasnt pooped since last night and im worried can anyone give me any suggestions.
Aug 19, 2008
 More breast milk!
by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi Rebecca!

Just continue breastfeeding. The poop will come and everything will go back to normal over the next couple of days. Breast milk is an excellent laxative for infants.

Good luck!

/Paula

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