Normal For 8,5 Month Old To Poop Once A Week?

by shupp2010
(new mexico)

My son is 8.5 months old and poops about once a week. Is this normal?

I feed him breast milk and baby foods. He doesn't seem to be in pain or anything; it just seem so strange that he only needs to poop once per week.

Baby Help Line:

Infrequent Pooping, No Pain - Normal?

If there's one thing I've learned in bringing up my five children, it's that pooping habits can vary enormously from one child to another! So it's really hard to say what's 'normal' in terms of how often a baby should poop.

I don't think it's particularly common for babies to poop as infrequently as once a week, but it's not totally unusual either.

The good news is that you are breastfeeding (formula seems to cause poop issues much more commonly than breastmilk) - so, if your little one doesn't seem at all distressed by only pooping once a week (ie he doesn't appear to be in pain during the week and the poop - once he passes it - is normal in appearance and comfortable for him to pass) then I wouldn't be too concerned.

If there IS any distress (pain or hard stools) - or if you still have concerns - I'd recommend having a word with your doctor, just to be on the safe side. It would also be a good idea to take a closer look at your baby's diet, perhaps cutting back a little on the more constipating foods (applesauce, white bread, pasta, potato and - the most common culprit - rice cereal) and offering a little more of the foods that can help baby 'go', such as pears, peas, peaches, apricots and plums.

Here is another forum thread with "older" babies that don't poop very often, that you may find useful.

I hope this helps,

Christine Albury

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