Constipation in 3 Months Old

by Fiona
(Guyana)

My 3 month old, breastfed baby seems constipated. Since she hit 3 months, she poops every 3 or 4 days. Strictly breastfed.

Now recently she didn't poop for 1 week and I took her to the doctor. He inserted his finger up her rectum to check for any hard substance but found none. Right after she had a full bowel motion, but he said to give her lots of liquids, nothing to worry about he said.

She did it for another 3 days, but now another week and nothing.

I don't wanna use the bowel insertion thing, can be too dangerous... What else to do?

PS. I work full time and my baby hardly takes the bottle, refusing it (w breast milk), I go home at lunch time to feed her and then at 5 pm when I get home. Think maybe its because she hardly feeds?

FG

Baby Help Line Response:

Breastfed 3 Month Old Constipated Or Not...

It is actually normal for breastfed babies at around 3-4 months to have very infrequent bowel movements. Two of our kids had periods of up to 14 days without any pooping at around this age. No problem, just less diaper changes.

So what to do is actually nothing!

So you don't have to worry as long as your baby is happy, gains weight and urinates as she should.

And you might be right, the infrequent feeds make her really digest everything she eats, but again, as long as she gains weight and is content it is not a problem.

If you do want her to eat more, try breastfeeding her frequently in the evenings and maybe at night. Also, you can have her care-giver at daytime offer her milk in a cup or on a spoon instead. Some babies prefer that. (Great thing that you manage to continue to breastfeed her despite going back to work!)

Finally, check out our bottle-feeding tips – maybe there are a few tricks you can try to make your baby accept the bottle.

Good luck!

Paula

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Constipation in 3 Months Old

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Mar 14, 2008

Thnx
by: Anonymous

Hey

I tried the spoon and cup, to no avail either...but now she is not fighting off the bottle as before, when she coos we put the bottle in her mouth, she does not suck, but when the milk drips out she swallows with ease while cooing, think this is improvement?, hope she eventually starts sucking!

Mar 15, 2008

Constipation
by: Anonymous

Hello Fiona,

I have been breastfeeding my baby all the way since she was born and she is not on solids as yet.

When my baby was 4 months old she did not poo for 5 days and I was worried. I called her doctor and he told me its normal once there was no signs of fever and blood in her urine or poo. Once baby is healthy, eating, and happy there is nothing to worry about.

There was another time she did not poo on the 7th day until the 8th day she pooed. Now, she has a few days here and there where she does not poo. Some babies do not poo for more than 10 days or so. So its normal.

Jul 02, 2008

Hello Fiona,
by: Anonymous

How frustrating. Even when breastfeeding you MIGHT get your baby to gulp some baby prune juice--just a tablespoon may help. Also, if they baby is not crying, raising up the legs in pain, or listless you may just need to ride it out. Try changing YOUR diet to foods like fruit juices (prune juice). Good luck.

Nov 18, 2012

hi fiona NEW
by: Anonymous

my son is 3 months old he has had 1 day of not pooing,, he feeds quite regular about 10 ounces each feed. he doesnt do much sleeping but when he does he 6 to 9 hours each time,, after 6 hours today he woke up for his feed and when he finished he started to strain for a poo with each strain he cryed and i could see it was hurting him,, he eventually had a poo when i changed him his poo started off red due to some blood and the rest was a greeny yellow and was rather hard as if it was a plug,,, coukd he be over eating ??

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