My 7 Month Baby is Not Pooping for Weeks?!!

by Dana
(ny)

My 7 month baby has not been pooping for already 14 days. The last 3 month he is pooping very rarely. He is still breastfeeding and we give him some food: oat cereal, fruit and vegetables; but not a lot.

We went to the doctor; he said that he is ok.
But I'm not so sure about this; we tried everything natural and sometimes suppository. But he still goes very rarely ... we are so worried!!
Please give us any advice!!

Ps: When he was 4 month we gave him some formula for one day, then we gave up, but since then he doesn't do regularly (he was fine till 4 month, then after formula something went wrong)

Baby Help Line:

Baby Not Pooping For 14 Days

I completely understand that you are worried. For any grownup, imagining to pass motion every 14 days doesn't seem ok, of course.

When your son does pass stools, is it very hard or painful for him? That could indicate that he is constipated.

If not - i.e. if his stools are soft and he is not in severe pain, I'd say your Dr is right! Since your son is "so old" and still mainly breastfed (which is great!) he is very likely to digest almost all the nutrition he gets.

At around 4 months many babies seem to need more food (maybe the reason why you gave him formula) and two of our kids (breastfed) started pooping every 14 days at this age. No constipation, nothing wrong, just no poop, which seems very strange the first time you encounter it!

Since your baby is now 7 months, and needs even more food than a 4 month old, I'm not very surprised that he passes stools rarely. The little bit that does come out is probably mainly related to the solid foods you give him.

So, unless your baby is truly constipated, (find symptoms of constipation here) don't worry! Instead enjoy this "clean" time", it is doomed to stop as soon as you boy starts eating more solid foods.

Hope this helps!

Paula

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My 7 Month Baby is Not Pooping for Weeks?!!

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Feb 22, 2009

Still okay?
by: HALEY

My baby is 10 months old, breastfed and eats 3-4 meals per day. Is the lack of bowel movements still okay? She goes every 6-8 days.

Feb 22, 2009

Depends on the stools
by: Baby Help Line

Hi,

It all depends on whether your baby appears to be constipated or not. If the meals are only a small part of the total intake; it isn't strange, but if she mainly eats solid foods, it seems to be a bit unusual to go that seldom. Are the stools hard? Painful bowel movements?

If she seems to be OK and not constipated, then it is likely to be OK, otherwise you might want to try to help her by adding for example more apricots, pears, prunes etc to her diet and less carrots and dairy products.

Hope this helps,

Pauls

Sep 15, 2009

Hirschsprung's disease
by: Dwight M

Hello Dana,

I'm not jumping the gun but it wouldn't hurt to suggest to have your baby tested for hirschsprung's disease. This is a disorder of the colon in which certain nerve cells known as ganglion cell are absent causing chronic constipation especially in infants. This causes the part of the colon nearest to the anus to not contract causing a blockage leading to excruciating discomfort and pain.

Nov 25, 2009

Same here
by: Paul V.

We have kind of a similar situation. Our daughter is now about 5 1/2 months and she is exclusively breast-fed. Yet she only goes about every 10 days (sometimes less sometimes more). But when she does go it's a complete deluge. The other thing is that she seems uncomfortable (and hence CRANKY) for days before she finally lets it all out. Doc says she's growing well and looking good, so nothing to worry about, but it sure makes for long stressful days when she's ornery and not getting her usually long solid naps.

Aug 01, 2010

poop
by: jax

My little Jazmynn had the same pooping problem, she is also still breastfed and she is now 7 months. the past week we have introduced her to goats milk and she loves it...and now she is pooping regularly, she drinks water throughout the day too and she is still breastfed but i found that the goats milk really helped with the digestive system.

Aug 21, 2010

My son poops rarely also
by: BD

Since I switched my son to 1 or 2 solid meals a day, he started pooping irregular. Now he is 8 months and poops about once every 14 days. I've gone to the doctor and gotten a poop softener which sometimes works but I hate using it. He is also breastfed. He has had a few constipated poops in the beginning but now seems to poop without pain. I've switch my diet to goat milk and no gluten and it hasn't seem to help. He doesn't seem to be uncomfortable and I don't notice him trying to go with nothing coming out. There is no stomach blockage that I can feel and I've even checked with my pinky also. I give him all organic pears, prunes, pear juice, probiotics and homeopathic constipation drops and still he doesn't go for 14 days. When he does go, its a lot but only one time that day! I eat almost all organic foods, raw milk, cod liver oil, high vitamin butter oil and Kamboocha (for probiotics) to give him the best nutrients I can. Maybe he's just absorbing it all? I'm going to try another natural doctor to see what he says but it just worries me that he doesn't go more frequently. It's good to know I'm not the only one.

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