P.V. asks from Dallas, TX on May 02, 2007
Poop Concern?
Hello mommys, I have a two week old infant who I am breastfeeding. His stools are a little runny. Could it be diarrhea or is it normal for breast fed babies to have runny stools.
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J.K. answers from Dallas on May 03, 2007
Hi P.
First I like to say Congrat's on you newborn.
I strickly breastfed my daughter. Her poop was very runny till she was 4 months. It started to thicken up when I started her on rice cerole.
Its very normal :)
J.
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C.H. answers from Dallas on May 05, 2007
I had the same concern with my first baby. I've come to learn that USUALLY breast fed babies' stools are runny and in my case, the younger the baby the runnier the poo. A very sudden change in consistency is one thing to look for however, this may not be helpful for you since your baby is only two weeks. Keep in mind that a baby's NORMAL stool often looks like an adults diarrhea. Diarrhea tends to have a more unpleasant odor and sometimes has mucus. It is common for a newborn to cry when having a bowel movement so that is also not necessarily an indication. Until your child's next check up, which should be soon, just watch for signs of dehydration such as a sunken in soft spot, and also other symptoms of illness. The best thing that you can do for your child is to continue to frequently breastfeed him for hydration and to prevent diarrhea. Breastfed babies get diarrhea half as much as formula fed infants and usually never get constipated. Also watch his little tooshy to make sure all of these loose movements are not causing too much irritation. My pediatritian once told me that as long as there is SOME substance to the stool other than watery liquid it should be ok. It's normal to be concerned but remember that your motherly intuition is the most valuable tool you have. You'll know if something is wrong. Good luck!
S.B. answers from Seattle on May 02, 2007
It is very normal for breast fed babies to have runny stools! Explosive, even!! LOL!
J.K. answers from Dallas on May 03, 2007
Hi P.
First I like to say Congrat's on you newborn.
I strickly breastfed my daughter. Her poop was very runny till she was 4 months. It started to thicken up when I started her on rice cerole.
Its very normal :)
J.
M.P. answers from Dallas on May 02, 2007
Perfectly normal! It's not diarrea at all - the poop should be runny until you start giving him more solid foods.
H.R. answers from Dallas on May 03, 2007
This is very normal. I was a little put off by the consistancy of my baby's stool as well. It stays that way until they begin solids (which we just did, and i miss those easy to clean soft stool diapers)
A.D. answers from Dallas on May 02, 2007
It's very very very normal for breast fed babies to have yellow, runny, "seedy" looking stool....
E.L. answers from Dallas on May 02, 2007
L.C. answers from Dallas on May 03, 2007
That is totally normal. Until you start introducing solids into a breastfed babies diet (around 6mo), their stools will remain somewhat runny.
A great resource for all of your breastfeeding questions is:
http://www.lalecheleague.org/
There is information online and support groups in your area.
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