4 Month Old Doesn't Poop!!!

Is your baby doing a lot of "switch" nursing. Some babies do that and this results in them getting a lot of the foremilk (which is mostly water) but no hindmilk (which is the fat and nutrients). This can result in infrequent diapers as well.

The baby needs to be emptying at least one breast. Try offering one breast per feeding to see if this helps.

Some babies go once per week (ours always did and my granddaughter goes like clockwork on Sunday afternoons). Some will go as long as 15 days. If babies are having less frequent bowel movements, then there should be a LOT of the bowel movement. As long as it's pasty, soft and yellow and the baby continues to gain weight. You have no worries.

Three weeks without pooping is *not* healthy or normal for anyone. All of that feces is recirculating toxins in your daughter's developing body. It should be coming out 2 to 3 times a day in a healthy digestive system.

If you are breastfeeding and your daughter is that constipated, it is because your diet is low in water and fiber.

You need to drink at minimum half your weight in ounces of filtered water plus half your baby's weight in ounces. So if you weigh 130 pounds and baby is 12 pounds, you should be drinking at least 71 ounces of water. Keep track by filling a water bottle that has ounce measurement on the side.

If you are not consuming at least 5 servings of raw fruit and 8 servings of raw or lightly steamed vegetables, you can increase it by making raw fruits and vegetables the center of your diet.

Diet is really sooo important now. Your baby is still developing, and if you are eating a lot of processed/prepackaged foods that contain trans fat, High Fructose Corn Syrup, refined sugar, food dyes, etc, that stuff is going to the baby through your milk. READ LABELS! It is sooo important to eat a clean diet right now.

Books I highly recommend everyone read are:
Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman
Disease Proof your Child by Joel Furhman
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell

Healthy wishes,

G. G.
Certified Health Educator
www.totalwellnessmentor.com

Hi D.! My son went through this when he was that age. If you have started solids you can try mixing some prume juice or some Gerber pureed prunes in with her cereal. You can also give a little bit of water each day. I think breastfed babies are typically more regular than formula-fed, so maybe she just needs a little more liquid in her diet! I wouldn't do too much water, but hydration is definitely key to going regularly. I hope this helps...good luck!
M.

My son did the same thing. I was getting a little worried. What you should try is prunes. Go and get baby gerber prunes. I would feed her the whole thing or at least half. It might take a while for that to pass, but that should help her poop. Or you can try Kayro syrup (dark) in a bottle or water or her milk, whatever you want. Water might be better. If that does work...go to the last resort and go get some laxatives. I know some people are against them, but it helped my son out. If you get the wax ones then you really need to do, i know this sounds bad, is stick it WAY up there. She should pass that within and hour. If not sooner. If those suggestions don't work...go to your pediatrician.

What you said about breastfeed babies is totally wrong. I breastfeed my 2 daugthers for over a year and both went at least once a day. I am currently breastfeeding my son who goes around4-5 times a day. Having a bowel movement means they are getting enough food. My pediatrician constantly asks how often when they are young to make sure they are getting what they need. I would definately consult your doctor because it is not normal or healthy. Maybe you need to consider changing your diet. I know if you eat a lot of diary that is not good and milk can make stools hard etc. Talk to a doctor.

My daughter is 6 months and has always had issues with this.
1. I had to use a thermometer for over a month and a half to get her going.... that route will definately work but isn't the most glamorous.
2. There are baby suppositories that my doctor said were fine to use if the baby doesn't go in a couple days.
3. My Dr also said to give her 2 ozs of water with a tsp. of sugar.
4. After all that work, I was told to put prune juice in with the formula/milk.
Most importantly, don't let that little angel go more than 3 days without pooping. Hope this helps and good luck!

Please seek her doctors help - quickly. My daughtet still has BM issues, at age 3, so I know how it is. But 3 weeks is dangerous, and it is WAY past time to be talking about prunes and such. Please call her doctor. THEN, after she is ok, you can focus on what her diet should be.

I sure hope you didn't mean your baby doesn't go poop but every 3 weeks. If so, you definitely need to talk to your pediatrician. I was always told if they don't go poop by 5 or 6 days, something needs to be done.

My daughter had problems pooping until she was potty trained. She used to get Lactalose (prescribed by her doctor)in her bottles when she was really little. We did that for many months. That medicine made her have very loose stools plus I wasnt sure if I agreed with her doctor about how to treat this problem. I finally took her to a specialist when she was about a year and a half to make sure she was okay internally. They said she was fine, that some kids just start associating going poop with pain and they try not to go until they absolutely have to. The specialist told me to give her Miralax (over the counter)in her milk/juice. Miralax worked great! I also used BabyLax (over the counter) when it had been a couple of day since she had pooped. It is a clear liquid that you squeeze into the rectum. It made my daughter poop in less than a minute. You should definately talk to your doctor about your options since your baby is still very young. I have been in your shoes before when it comes to this. Good luck in finding a solution that works for your baby.

what does your doctor say?
when my first son was a few months old we started giving him
rice cereal. that was when he stopped having bowel movements
unless i helped him. we took him to the doctor and he had a
membrane up in his rectum that was ok when he was only nursing but with the addition to the cereal he was not passing his movements with out my help. they had to go in and break the membrane and it was a simple procedure in the doctors office. please discuss this with you babies doctor.
and i hope this is helpful.

D.,
call your dr. she shouldnt go 3 weeks w/out a bowl movement!

D.
what does the doctor say. I was concerned about my daughter when she was little but that was once a week, once every 3 weeks seems scary...

Good Morning D.,

I had the same problem with two of my children, the oldest is 10 years and the younger is 5 1/2 years old. At the time, my pediatrian suggested giving my child, very diluted baby apple juice or pear juice, but apple worked better. With my daughter who is now 10, we had to give a bulb syringe to help her start the process, but she was 5 days old at the time.

I would advise you to contact your pediatrian and ask what they suggest. It could be as easy as you changing something in your diet, to help your little one be able to go. But I do recall, my pediatrian stating that breastfed babies do not follow the same pattern as formula fed babies, meaning that they do not poop as often.

Take Care,

J. Woods
Mom of 3 active and wonderful children with one on the way!

I hope you meant every 3 days and not 3 weeks. If it really is every 3 weeks you need to address this with her doctor sooner rather than later. If you meant every 3 days, she's probably just fine! My son was breastfed exclusively and his norm was every 3-4 days. His doc said that was fine as long as that was his norm, when he did go everything looked like it was supposed to and he didn't seem uncomfortable because of the time length (which he never did)

Consult your pediatrician. 3 weeks is NOT normal.

First of all, GREAT job mom with the breastfeeding! You are taking the extra time and effort to give your baby the best you can selflessly. As for the pooping, if it is truely every 3 WEEKS, I would ask your pediatrician and keep a detailed chart of when she goes and how much, consistencey, etc. If it is every 3 days, it is normal. Her weight gain is important and her happiness is a key as well. If she seems bloated, cries frequently or seems uncomfortable in anyway, you can always put her in a warm bath and after about 5 minutes of soothing warm relaxation, use a lubricated thermometer and insert it in her bottom about 1/2 inch, just enough to stimulate her and the she shoud start to poop. If it doesn't work, try nursing her first and immediately getting her in the bath as soon as she's done. Eating stimulates the bowels as well. If she seems constipated and her stool is firm, you can offer a few teaspoons of apple or white grape juice from a medicine dropper into her mouth, instead of a bottle as she will quickly learn that bottle offer quicker, easier, SWEETER meals than mom and may quit breastfeeding, and you don't want that. It is too tempting to hand her a bottle, lowering your milk supply, giving you a fussy baby and ending your good intended breastfeeding. Stick with it, talk to you pediatrician and if it is every 3-4 days, even up to one week max, I wouldn't worry about and don't let your pediatrician tell you to suppliment or start solid foods if her weight is good already, she doesn't need it and it will only make life difficult on you. Your milk is changing this month to meet her greater calcium and protien needs so make sure you are eating well yourself, but if you take calcium tablets, make sure you also take magnesium to keep from getting consitpated yourself. Also, take you vitamins after your last feeding at night to allow for most of them to be absorbed by your body and not all excreted into you milk, which can cause a little constipation in babies. You body will pull what it needs to make you milk the best.

I read the other responses and it is normal for a breastfed baby to go up to a week without going, but 3 does seem like too long to me. I would really pay attention to the consistency of the poop. If it is hard then she is defintely constipated. If it is soft, yellow, and seedy then maybe she just needs to eat from you more often. The more she takes in the more likely something will come out. Maybe she's using all of the food she gets for the nutrients. If I were you these are the things I would consider...1.Daily infant massage to stimulate her system, 2.Try some Chiropractic, I've seen some amazing changes take place with infants and children. 3.Consider starting her on veggies rather than rice cereal once you go to solid foods. Avacados are a good one to start with and sweet potatos also. I just know that rice cereal has very little nutritional value and it may add to her problem. Veggies have more fiber and be a better choice. Hope this helps.
Good luck!