# Baby poops every 4-5 days... is this normal?



## VTnurse (Feb 17, 2008)

I primarily breastfeed, but I supplement with approximately 6-8 oz a day of formula. My baby goes 4 days without pooping. I know that this can be normal in babies who just breastfeed, but since I'm supplementing, is this normal? He is 8 weeks old.

Also, is it too soon to give him apple juice or prune juice to help things along? The only reason that I care so much is that by the 4th day, he is VERY gassy and uncomfortable. In fact, I often have to give him a glycerin suppository to help him go. When he does go it's yellow, seedy, soft, and normal looking. (Maybe a tint of green).


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## leosmommy (May 11, 2008)

how old is baby?

why are you supplementing?

have you tried upping your supply so that you don't have to give your LO formula unnecessarily?

formula can be HARMFUL to the infant digestive tract...it might be why your LO seems constipated. I would stay away from foods to induce pooping because they could introduce contaminants/allergens to an otherwise virgin/immature gut.

IMO...try to stop the formula if at all possible and start a diary of what you eat and see if that helps. You may have to go on an elimination diet to aid your baby's digestion.

HTH!


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## kochanyk (Jun 30, 2005)

It's normal after 2 months for a BF'd baby to only go once every few days (my 2nd LO was once a week to 12 days). I honestly don't know if supplementing would change whether that's okay or not though- 6 oz/day isn't a terribly lot I don't think??? My LO was gassy and uncomfortable fully on BM so it could just be the way the baby is... as long as the consistency isn't weird I wouldn't do anything about it except mention it if you do well baby checks.


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## amberskyfire (Sep 15, 2007)

I agree that you should stop all formula. It can have a significantly bad effect on a baby's digestive tract. Also, giving formula as a supplement can decrease your milk supply and force you to have to feed more formula until your breastmilk dries up. It's never a good idea to supplement if you can make your own milk. There are lots of ways to increase your supply - mainly by breastfeeding as often as possible.

You definitely don't want to give your baby any kind of food or juice other than breastmilk. Giving these things directly can cause your baby to develop an allergy toward those foods. He is not yet able to digest anything but milk, so his body will treat those foods as foreign and it can give him serious tummy upsets or cause him to develop allergies toward it.

If your baby is exclusively breastfed, then it is normal for him to poop many times a day or up to once a week. Breastmilk contains no empty calories, so most of it is used up. As long as you are strictly breastfeeding and the poops are not solid or dry (they should be like mustard or pea soup) AND he is not showing signs of pain from constipation, then he's okay.

Also make sure not to limit his feedings. Breastfeed as often and as long as you can get him to, even if it's just comfort nursing. If you time feedings or feed until you think the breast is empty, you will be reducing your ability to build up your supply.

Also, don't feed a timed feed on each breast. Leave him on one breast until he falls asleep and feed the other breast at the next feeding. If you feed for a short time on one breast and switch to the other side, baby will only get the foremilk which is mostly water and lactose and has fewer nutrients than the better hind milk which comes near the end of a feeding.


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## treehuggermama (Jan 3, 2007)

I have know of bf babies to go even longer then a week to poop and then just have a blow out. My own 3 have gone 7 day stretches many times. Even with formula on board you don't want babe's gut/sphincters to get reliant on a suppository to poop either. Good luck to you!


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## dahlsk (May 23, 2007)

Yes, after the first couple months, my ds switched from a 2-3x a day pooper to a once a weeker (once in 9 days is the record!!). But he is ebf and has no signs of discomfort. I would agree that you should see what you can do to limit the formula and try to up your fluids to support bfing. Good luck!


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## Lily Eve (Feb 15, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *treehuggermama* 
I have know of bf babies to go even longer then a week to poop and then just have a blow out. My own 3 have gone 7 day stretches many times. Even with formula on board you don't want babe's gut/sphincters to get reliant on a suppository to poop either. Good luck to you!

Yep, my breastfed baby often goes an entire week and then it's a massive blowout, or else poops several times in one day after about a week.


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## VTnurse (Feb 17, 2008)

Thank you for all your replies. I agree that exclusively breast feeding would be best... but I have had severe supply issues. YES... these are true issues. I am a Registered Nurse with experience working as a lactation consultant... so I know just about all there is to know about increasing supply. I breastfeed every 1 1/2 - 2 hours (even still at 8 weeks)... THEN I pump after every feeding to increase supply. I've done mother's milk tea, fenugreek, increased protein, etc. I've had my thyroid tested, as well as checked for remaining placenta. It truly IS a supply issue. So, while I would LOVE to exclusively breastfeed and I am trying to get there, I still need to supplement. My 8 week old baby is nearly 14 pounds and the milk I am giving him just isn't enough.
I'd love more responses about the poop though!


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

It's within the range of normal. Breastfed babies can go up to a week without pooping, and formula has a constipating effect.

And 8 weeks is way too soon to be giving any sort of juice. When he's starting to get gassy/uncomfortable, you can try bicycling his legs or doing a hand over hand massage motion on his tummy. That always helped us.


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## Meg_s (Apr 13, 2006)

Mine used to poop every 10-14 days when he was exclusively breastfed!! HEAVEN!!!! It was so sad when other foods came in and he started to poop daily. Btw the poops were always perfect breastfed poops, not constipated or anything, and he was very very big. I think he just used it all to grow, and didn't poop any leftovers.


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## balancedmama (Feb 16, 2007)

I think as long as his poops are soft it is normal for him. My son regularly goes 4-5 days and his record so far has been 11. I do a lot of bicycling his legs and tummy massage. I absolutely would NOT give juice or anything else to get him to go - including suppositories. Babies get dependent on them. I know they get gassy and uncomfortable but you just have to work through that.


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