# Of Poopy Diapers per Day for a 6 Week Old?

Hello. My son is 12 weeks old and we had many issues as well. what out ped told us is that it takes 2 weeks for the formula to get in their system and get things moving, etc. And this is very true. I tried switching formula too, but that did not help and we were advised against soy. So, after 2 weeks, my son seemed absolutely normal again but still only poops about every other day. Doc says this is fine. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Congratulations on your new baby! I can only tell you my almost 6 week old poops non-stop. Until about 2 weeks ago almost every diaper had poop. Now some are only wet, but she poops multiple times a day. We have always bottle fed so I don't know if that makes a difference. Congrats again!

It may be too much iron in the formula. YOu said you tried soy but have you switched brands to something with a lower iron content. That can make babies constipated. It is normal for formula fed babies to poop less than breast fed babies but since he's uncomfortable I would look to other options and check with your doctor.

Soy causes constipation so if it was recently then he may still be feeling the effects from the soy (and really soy doesn't have a lot of value- most milk allergic kids are allergic to soy also. The nutrition in milk-based formula is superior to that of soy).

Each baby has a usual frequency and once every 2-3 days is fine unless he is uncomfortable. Formula is constipating as it has lots of iron.

I would avoid Mylicon personally. It isn't really an instant cure for gas as many people think because to be effective it has to travel through the digestive system first.

You could try glycerin suppositories. Often using a rectal thermometer is enough to stimulate a bowel movement. You could try a little prune juice as well.

Good luck.

Each baby is different. My doctor has told her not to be concerned with the quantity of poops, but how they look. Ask your doctor. Also, don't switch formulas unless the doctor tells you. A week is not really a long time for a baby to get used to a formula. We tried everything (making sure the baby was burped, kept upright etc), but she was still gassy. When she was gassy we would rub her tummy in a clockwise rotation. Sometimes, we would just hold her. I would walk her in the house. The pediatrician told me that most babies have a fussy time. Unfortunately, my baby's fussy time was 11pm to 2pm. :) She grew out of it. Good luck.

Hi K.,

I don't want to alarm you, but this sounds like your son may be constipated. 2-3 poopy diapers a day would be more normal than only 1 every 2-3 days. I would recommend taking him to see a doctor for helpful advice. My son's pediatrician recommended nursing as long as possible - and we've nursed for 14 months now, my son NOW becoming interested in solids. The only times he constipated was when I tried solids earlier and he wasn't ready.

The same thing happened to my baby girl around 8 weeks when we switched from breast milk to formula. After a month of being on Enfamil Lipil (contains constipating Iron)we were at our wits end because she was so uncomfortable while pooping. Then our Pediatrician told us to switch to Similac Alimentum...it's a hypo-allergenic formula. Problem solved. It is quite expensive at 25.99 for a 16 oz. can, but it works so that is all that matters. Like someone said below, Soy is constipating. Also, it is not a good idea to just keep switching formulas. Once our girl started solids her poops became a little hard again and we now give her 2-4 oz. of prune juice daily.

I have a 9 week old little girl and breastfed for the first 3 weeks. She pooped several times a day while breastfeeding/supplementing. But after I stopped breastfeeding her poops got hard (like big people's poops) and only once a day if that. I talked to my doctor and he said that it's not uncommon for babies to only poop once a day or even every couple days. But if the baby has hard poop or is uncomfortable then something might be "off." We gave her 1 teaspoon of Karo syrup in a bottle and it softened up her poop and she's been doing good ever since (it's been about 3 weeks now). My suggestion to you...if you feel like something isn't quite right, call the doctor. Get your peace of mind.

When my daughter was that age she pooped once every 10 days!!!!! I was breastfeeding with one bottle of formula a day. I called the doctor a million times! He assured me that everything was fine and that some babies poop 10 times a day while others may poop once every 10 days. She was not constipated, that's just how much she pooped. Once she started eating oatmeal she became more regular. I hope this helps.
Good luck K..

Hi K.:

I breast fed my son up to 10 weeks and he pooped about 1-2 days daily. I would keep him upright for burping and his Dad for 30 minutes after each feeding (a lot of work but worth it) to ensure he got all of his burps out of the belly. He never was colicky nor was he gassy. I switched from breast milk to INFAMIL POWDERED FORMULA in a can and made his formula fresh every day. This was the best way to reduce gas on his tummy in my opinion. The premixed brands were too thick and harsh tasting.

Moreover, I would mix the formula with the hot water in a glass pitcher not plastic and store in the refrigerator until needed.

Also, make sure the nipple hole is not too large for his age because he may be getting the milk too fast and that could cause gas. Make sure the formula is not giving him gas too.

B.

It sounds like he's having a hard time adjusting to the formula. If you have him on the Enfamil with Iron, that is definately going to constipate him. We went through so many formulas before we finally ended up with the lactose free. I actually think that all babies should start on lactose free, it's better for their digestive systems that haven't fully developed yet.

You may want to talk to your Dr. about changing the formula. I might not be a good fit for you baby. Babies do poop less with formula than nursing, but the baby should not go days without pooping. Your baby is probably constipated. The iron in the formula causes it.

Hello K.,
Congratulations on your new baby! I want to tell you about acidophilous, or probiotics. My MIL is into natuarl medicine and wholelistic approaches to healing (I am not), so when my son was born 2 years ago, she suggested infant acidophilous. I have taken acidophilous before (it works GREAT for cold sores), so when she said to give it to my newborn, I was a little skeptical. I asked my pedi about it and he said it was all natural and it was fine for him. What acidophilous does is gives the intestinal tract all the healthy bacteria it needs to work correctly(also known as "flora"). That means no constpation for my son. Also, acidophilous contains the same strain of bacteria that is found in yogurt. I have been giving 1/2 teaspoon to my son since he was 6 weeks old(he is 2 now) and he has NEVER, been constipated. I am not kidding you, my son has always pooped at least 2-3 times a day (now it is more like 1-2 time a day)! We use Udo's Choice Infant Probiotics, that you can purchase at Fruitful Yield. I still give him 1/2 teaspoon every other day in him morning milk and he gets yogurt with his breakfast everyday.
I am sure you can go to any health food store for acidophilous, just make sure it has more than 1 billion viable cells per gram.
I urge you to give this to your son in his formula and you will see a huge difference in his bowel movements. This is what is printed on the bottle:

"One serving per day helps maintain healthy intestinal flora and strengthen the immune system".

Let me tell you again, I am not into "healthy or wholelistic" medicine, but for me to see what acidophlous has done for my son, I love it!
Please let me know if you use it and how it worked!
Good luck,
K. L
P.S. My son was also breast fed for 6 weeks and put on formula after. He NEVER has been constipated!