All Communities > Breastfeeding Moms > breast feeding constipation

breast feeding constipation

Justine - posted on 11/16/2009 ( 4 moms have responded )

10

28

I wondering if anyone else have had this problem I have been breast feeding and love it however my child been not able to poop without help I have let him go for 5 to 6 days and had to stimulate for the last couple of weeks. I was instructed by the doctor to give him a stool softener to get him to go to the bathroom. I tried the stool softener in the bottle with the breast milk did not have a change. I recently was unable to express enough milk and tried the soy milk for the baby with the stool softener and the baby is going like a champ. Has anyone else had a problem with breast milk constipating the baby?

Join Circle of Moms

Sign up for Circle of Moms and be a part of this community! Membership is just one click away.

Join Circle of Moms

4 Comments

View replies by

Rebecca - posted on 11/16/2009

595

37

As Lisa stated this is totally normal! At about 6 weeks of age the stooling pattern of an EBF baby changes as less and less colostrum is found in the breastmilk (this is the laxative property of bm) thus reducing the amount and frequency of babys bowel movements. It is normal for a bf baby to go at a minimum 7-10 days without a bowel movement. You will however know that once a baby does have a bm that it can be "explosive" and very large. The stool should still be wet (can be mucousy, and thicker then normal even up to the consistancy of peanut butter), baby will also grunt, turn red and bear down when having a movement and this is also normal. Babys GI tract is still immature and dosnt have to coordination to move food along like you or I. As well breastmilk is very well digested leaving little to no waste so it can take days for baby to have enough waste built up to move along the intestines. I highly recomend not using rectal stimulation or suppositories to "help" baby to have a bowel movement as it can hinder the maturing and muscle coordination of the bowels preventing baby from having natural bowel movements. I as well am concerned that your babys Dr isnt more aware of breastfeeding babys stooling patterns and that all of what you described as being normal.

Sarah - posted on 11/16/2009

63

59

Omg, I am going through the same problem except this is the second week of it, I just found out my son has an allergy to milk so I have to really watch what I eat.

Mariah - posted on 11/16/2009

38

15

Although I was told the same thing as well that it is normal not to go #2 for a few days when you breast feed, the real question is is your child uncomfortable? If your child is fine and is not fussy and is not having a problem going when he does go then you are probable fine. When my child was like that he was uncomfortable and very gassy. I found a product called Colic Calm and tried that and within 24 hours he pooed and after another day or two of me giving it to him he was regular again and we haven't had a problem since. The product is all natural and I showed my Ped. the product and she said there was nothing in there that concerned her.

Minnie - posted on 11/16/2009

7,075

9

Wow, we've gotten at least three "is my breastfed baby constipated'' questions in the last day, haha.



Exclusively breastfed infants are not constipated. Not pooing for five days is very normal. Breastmilk is so supremely digestible that there isn't much waste, and now that your baby's digestive system is a bit more mature he just doesn't need to go.



I would not give your baby stool softeners. It seems strange to me that his doctor wouldn't be aware that breastfed infants can go even a couple of weeks without a bowel movement and that that is normal. But then again...



Just let your baby be. He's FINE.

Powered by RESPECT not THUMPS

Want to find out the opinions of this community?

Add Poll