Baby's Bowels

Updated on July 08, 2008
H.D. asks from North Las Vegas, NV
18 answers

Hi!
My 10 week old only goes "poop" a few days a week. Sometimes up to 3 or 4 days inbetween bowel movements. He never strains or seems in pain, and they are dark green in color and like toothpaste in consistancy. He is on Similac Sensitive formula and eats about 30 ounces a day. My pediatrician says it's fine, as long as he doesn't seem bothered by it. Also my daughter and I also only move our bowels every other day or so. Just wondering what others thought about it. Thanks! :-)

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J.W.

answers from Los Angeles on

My doc says they can go up to 7 days without one and it is fine! Seems crazy, but my little one went 4 days and was fine. As long as when he goes it is not hard you are okay. : )

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J.D.

answers from Reno on

It sounds perfectly normal to me, being that he's only ten weeks old. His stools will harden when he starts on solids, but if he's still not straining then, I wouldn't worry about it.

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D.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

apparently a lot of children do this and are fine. However, my neice's baby always had infrequent bowl movements that the doctor said were fine and they were not. Finally, at about 8 months she became very sick and had to have emergency surgery. She had a partially constricted bowel. They had to remove part of her intestine, now she is fully recovered. I would try the water and other suggeations. My babies were on soy formula and they had bowl movements everyday, frequently more than onece a day. I hope your baby is fine.

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L.T.

answers from San Diego on

He's fine. Don't worry.

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P.K.

answers from Las Vegas on

Hi H., your Dr. is right, if your child is not straining and does not seem constipated, I wouldn't worry about it. I was never regular until about two or three years after I had my son. Something that seemed to help is I cook only with olive oil. It is a natural laxative that keeps you regular. By the way, I am 40, so I have gone a while with not being regular, and the Dr. told my mom the same thing "years" ago.
Thanks, P.

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U.S.

answers from San Diego on

We had that issue too. Our Dr. also said they don't really start to worry unless it is 4 or more days, unless she is uncomfortable. One suggestion they did make was to work a little water into the regimin. One time it got really bad, so they recommended working half water/half white grape juice for the day (along with formula) and sure enough she pooped that evening. Prune juice also works, but can cause gas and upset tummies. I am also on your's and your daughter's schedule. Is he on rice cereal or other foods yet? Now that she is a bit older and acutually when she started on foods, it became more and more like 1 time every other day and then mostly daily.

Best of luck and I'm sure it will work itself out.
U.

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

That is NOT normal to have a bowel movement every few days. The body needs to elimanate daily and preferably twice a day after eating a meal.Sounds like you need to look at the diet and work on that as well as supplimentation. This problem can cause a health challenge down the road.

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S.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

My daughter was the same way as a newborn/infant, only she moved her bowels less frequently than your son. She moves her bowels more often now, but not daily. It's just what is normal for her. I wouldn't worry about it.

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D.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

when too many days would go by w/ my son i would use a suppository..you can get the kind for kids at the pharmacy..CVS etc..i talked to the doc about it and she said.."good mama"..and that they're harmless. i only did this once in awhile..i still use them on him once in a "blue moon" no pun intended..well...
i used one the other day..don't change the diaper too soon after ..just made that mistake!

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J.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

Usually green indicates a food sensitvity in breastfed babies, so you might want to change formula for a week or two and see if things improve. Nutramagin usually is the least allerganic. It's also more expensive, but worth it to see if that's what's going on.

The frequency is different for every baby.

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T.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

http://www.herbalremedies.com/baby-calm.html
I use "Baby Calm" (magnesium supplement) every day for my 8 month old daughter and she poops like clockwork every morning. I didn't find this product until she was about 5 months old and she would go 3-8 days at a time without pooping (and be miserable).

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A.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

My daughter was the same way on formula. Now at 3 she only poops every other day or so. As long as its not hard pebble-like and he's not having a hard/painful time passing it, no worries.

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J.L.

answers from San Diego on

As long as he is not in any discomfort he should be ok the green in color and pasty is normal, he will probably poop more as he east more. My babies were onsimulac with iron, so they pooped more frequently. J.

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C.

answers from Las Vegas on

I took my baby (now 6 weeks old) to the doc about a week ago with the same concern. I've always heard that breastfeed babies poop after every feeding and my son was only going once every few days. My doctor said the same thing as everyone else did here. As long as the baby is not uncomfortable and the poop is normal (soft, not hard pebbles) there is nothing wrong. There is a difference between constipation and irregularity. Constipation is when the poop is hard and uncomfortable to come out, but irregularity is not going on a predictable schedule (which is fine).

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M.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

my son was the same. It continued all the way until he was one. His doctor never let me worry too much and said the same as yours. My son still poops about 2 or 3 three times a week! He is healthy and fine.

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W.A.

answers from Honolulu on

It's totally fine. I freaked with both my babies cause they would go up to a week sometimes without a BM. Their systems are still developing and it shouldnt be a problem. Even now my son is 5 months old and he still goes only one a day and sometimes not for a day or two ..but he makes up for it sometimes and has a BM 3-4 times a day. Both my kids were breast fed and bottle fed up till 4 and 5 months. Even when they went on straight formula (she Enfamil Lipil and he Similac advance) they would go a few days without .I wouldnt worry, especially if your doc said not to. just one other thing for us to worry about with babies. :)

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J.V.

answers from Santa Barbara on

Sounds normal to me.

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T.N.

answers from San Diego on

I have a 15 week old lil boy at home, and he too only has BM every few days! I was worried and freaked out by it at first, but read a few books and talked to my doctor and everyone said its pretty normal! As long as they are not in pain and struggling to go, then its perfectly fine. They said they can go up to 4-5 days without going at all with no worries. Seems weird to me, cause I know if I dont go regularly, it bothers me! =)

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