One Month Old Baby Not Pooping – Should I Be Worried?

by: Anonymous

My daughter has the same problem. She has not pooped in 3 weeks on her own. I have to help her every time using a suppository. the doctor also told me is that it is k that I have to give her time to develop, but I am going crazy just looking at her pushing and getting red but nothing happens. I don’t know what to do. when she does poop with my help the poop is not hard and is normal in color and sometimes water-like. But she is having no pain at all.

by: Anonymous

My daughter is 5 weeks old and for the last 4 days she has not been able to poop without me giving her a suppository. she grunts, and pushes so hard her little face turns red, then nothing but a fart comes out. When ever I call the doctor he just says to give her another suppository.

Is this normal? What should I do? She seems to be in pain.

by: Anonymous

My son is 3 weeks old and having irregular pooping. He also grunts and turns red only to pass gas. Someone stated that he may have a HERNIA but he was also checked by his doctor who didn’t see anything wrong. Any suggestions!!!!

by: Anonymous

I have a 3-month-old little boy and he has problems pooping on his own also. He is breastfed but when I went back to work I had to supplement one bottle of Enfamil formula.
When I started that he went 4 days without pooping. And after that, he went up to 7 days without pooping. I tried the Karo syrup, pear juice, prune juice, and the rectal stimulation but nothing seemed to work. I tried the suppositories last and as soon as I got half of it in there was an explosion. Boy was it big. I was so excited he pooped I didn’t care about the mess.

by: bee

totally normal. my 2-month-old baby didn’t poop for 7 days. then he’d have a bowl movement and then not go again for days!! this used to happen for a while. dr said it was normal b/c some babies get the perfect amount of nutrients from breast milk and their body won’t excrete poop! I was soo worried back then. now my baby is 2 yrs old and we laugh at how worried we used to be!!

by: Anonymous

I have a 6 week old and she is only breastfed but has only pooped once in 3 days. It was watery and the dr said she should be pooping at least 3 times a day. She used to but now she seems like she is having pain bc she is grunting and cries when she passes gas and it is like a mini-explosion every time. very stinky too. she is crying a ton and she also has a stuffy nose. I have a fever and a cold and was wondering if that had anything to do with her not pooping. plus I have not gone #2 either but I am not in a lot of pain.

by: Anonymous

I have a 5 week old and he began pooping grass green poops. He is exclusively breastfed. He became very gassy and would only sleep for a few minutes and then would start crying like he was in a lot of pain and would spit up a ton of milk. We began using a lot of Mylicon and Gripe Water. For his one month checkup his Dr. observed his spit up and him beginning to cry, his poop had not yet turned green. She said it might be lactose intolerance and acid reflux. She told me to get rid of dairy products from my diet and to feed him shorter time periods closer together. I wasn’t quite sure if I believed her diagnosis so I began to research lactose intolerance and ran across lactose overload. I was reading off the symptoms to my husband and he said that sounded just like our son. The only thing he didn’t have yet was pooping the bright grass green poop. Well shortly after reading that he began pooping green. I called the Lactation Consultant the next morning and she told me to pump to get rid of the excess fore milk I was producing. (Lactose Overload is a fore milk/hind milk in-balance). I was instructed to pump 30 minutes before his feeding time. I got a ton of just straight fore milk – up to 4 oz in like 15 min or so). Well, his poop started to go back to its normal mustard color but has what looks like spinach pieces or tea leaves. Then he totally quit pooping. The spit up is a lot better now. He barely spits up at all now. It has been over 2 days so far. I am going to call the pediatrician in the morning and am going to a Le Leche League meeting on Tuesday. Anyone else has any experience with this?

by: Anonymous

my six weeks old is bottle-fed and she has been pooping like every other day..and the poops are as loose as water nearly…why? what should I do?

by: Anonymous

Today is the second day my six weeks son is not pooping. He strains, he goes red while doing it..cries a bit but not continuously. am worried..am on formula n breastmilk..(only a couple of times on breast)..since am trying to prepare to start work.
HOPEFULLY will poo soon,…

by: mike

Pediatrician says our 7 weeks old should be pooping four to five times per day. He was going once per day or once per two days and he was very unhappy. We didn’t get the connection until he told us. It’s gross but stimulation of the rectum with a foreign body – like a suppository – will cause things to move along. He told us to lube up a rectal thermometer and insert it only an inch or two, wiggle it gently. One to two minutes of stimulation relived our baby of a little poo. This got things going after four or five tries over an evening/night. Now he is pooping more regularly and not as miserable. We are so grateful! I had to share to let others know this. Good luck.

by: mike – again

Just like the title says – don’t burp a breast fed baby. If he needs to burp, he will. If you burp him he will upchuck some of his milk and along with it stomach acid. If he is straining they give him a suppository or place a lubed rectal thermometer an inch or so up his bottom to stimulate his bowels. A minute of that will produce some poo. He may protest a little or it may calm him down – either way, it works.

by: Baby Help Line – Paula

Hi,

Yes, I think it is quite normal for young infants to experience “explosions” when pooping. I don’t know why it is so but experienced it with both our youngest kids. I assume it might be related to their still immature digestive systems.

Best,

Paula

by: Anonymous

Our 14-da- old infant has not had a bowel movement in 10 days. She is exclusively breastfed. We took her to the ped today who is suppd pro-breastfeeding and she said to supplement her with juice.
Is this normal to go 14 days?
thanks

by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi,
If your baby is only 14 days old, I’d say no, it isn’t normal to not poop. At that age breastfed babies tend to poop very often, even after every feeding.

I also think it sounds very strange for a Dr to simply recommend juice for a newborn baby. Has she started to pass normal breast milk poop (i.e. yellowish)? Is she wetting 6-8 heavy diapers every day? Increasing in weight?

I really think you should contact another doctor immediately to have your daughter examined. She might be completely healthy, but with such a young baby one should not take chances.

I wish you good luck. Please let us know how things are going.

Warm wishes,

Paula

by: Denise

My son turned 3 weeks old today. He pooped once in the past 24 hours when days before hed poop at least every 2 to 3 hours. He’s still peeing regular but is it normal for him to not poop so much?

by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi Denise,

Is your baby breast- or formula-fed? If he is breastfed, he is likely to be fine, although at this early age most babies do poop several times per day, just as your son usually do. However at around 4 weeks, most babies’ digestive systems begin to mature, and they tend to start pooping less frequently. So this could be the reason. Just wait a little bit more, maybe one day, and see what happens. You can try some gentle baby massage for your son, to help his tummy. (But at his young age, do it with his clothes on or in a very warm room. Most newborn babies hate being undressed.) If he does seem ill (in pain, for example), of course contact a doctor, especially since he is so young. If your baby drinks formula, he might be a little bit constipated.

Here you’ll find a guide to signs of constipation and some tips on what to do.

Warm wishes,

Paula

by: Anonymous

There really are so many things that can be factoring into this. Personally, I really wouldn’t worry yet. Having 5 kids of my own I’ve experienced quite the variety of baby poop and this simply doesn’t alarm me. Here is why.

Breastfed babies usually have several bms a day for the first several weeks (how long depends on baby). After a few weeks, some continue with several bms a day but it is very normal for a bf baby to slow down to 1 a day or 1 a week or one even every 2 weeks. (you don’t have to take my word on it, bf books will tell you this. I recommend Dr. Sears The Breastfeeding Book). If baby isn’t acting in pain, and belly isn’t distended &/or hard it’s ok. Babies digestive tracts are very immature until around 12 weeks and many changes can occur during that time. Sometimes (keeping in mind babies’ behavior while not going potty) the newer ones make such faces because it’s just an experience they are learning to get used to. Also, it is easier for humans to have bms from an upright position as opposed to laying down, so this cam help if there are struggles. Breastfed babies will hardly ever get constipated. Bm is a natural laxative. Baby’s immature stomach could take a couple weeks to adjust to the new formula that’s being supplemented. I know…babble babble. Hope I can ease your concerns.

Definitely check out a bf book. I wouldn’t jump straight to a suppository that could be harmful for babies health, or the thermometer to help move baby (what if you hurt the intestinal tract) unless things progress to worse. If baby is happy over all and growing well, well then enjoy less poop diapers to change.

by: Anonymous

my daughter who is barely 7 weeks have not defecated for a period of 3weeks now and her sleeping pattern is worrying coz she is more of a nocturnal and sometimes switch to day n sleep less and stay awake the whole night. I am an unexperienced parent, please advice me what to do

by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi,

If your daughter of 7 weeks hasn’t pooped since she was 4 weeks old, you should go see a doctor first thing tomorrow. I don’t know if she is breastfed or formula-fed, but you need help to figure out why she doesn’t poop and what should be done to help her. Is she urinating enough to we 6-8 heavy diapers per day? Increasing in weight? Does she seem overall healthy and not in pain?

In any case, take her to a doctor and have her examined. Since she is so young, she should be pooping almost daily even if she is breastfed.

Wish you good luck and please let us know what the doctor said,

Paula

by: Anonymous

Hi, my 3weeks and four days old baby has not pooped in 6days. He is mainly breastfed but takes Similac advanced once a day but mainly breastmilk 98%.

I am super worried, I have given him prune juice, water, even put up a thermometer up his anal to stimulate bowel movements all to no avail. I am scared and worried I don’t know what to do… What’s more worrying is d fact that today he started grunting as if he was having forced pain.

Help Help Help before I lose my mind and head….

by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi,

I just saw your comment. Has your baby pooped yet? The fact that he was grunting is probably a good sign. If he hasn’t pooped or if the poop was hard or very painful, I thing you should discuss it with his doctor. Your baby is a bit too young to poop that seldom. On the other hand, since he is mainly breastfed, he could be in a growth spurt and simply digesting all the milk. Most breastfed babies don’t go into these periods of irregular bowel movements until they are around 2 months old, but it is individual.

Best of luck,

Paula

by: Andrea

My 8 week-old girl is grunting and hasn’t pooed in 4 days. I breastfeed all the time except for at her late-night feeding I don’t have enough breastmilk so I pump (usually about 1.5 oz.) and mix it in a bottle with 2 oz. formula. I have been doing this for about 2-3 weeks now, and bowel movements were normal until 4 days ago. I did notice that the last one she had was like peanut butter in color and a bit runnier than peanut butter in consistency. She is grunting a lot and seems to have a lot of gas. Is this something I need to worry about? Help!!!

by: Paula (EasyBabyLife)

Hi Andrea,

8 weeks is a typical age when breastfed babies start pooping less frequently. They grow quickly and digest what they consume. Since you just mix one bottle with formula and breastfeed mainly, I really don’t think there are any reasons to be concerned. Babies are often gassy at this age, and you can try helping by doing some tummy massage.

If you want to increase your milk supply, let your baby breastfeed every second hour for 48 hours. That will create a strong signal to your body to create more milk.

Hope this helps,

Paula

by: Anonymous

My boy is 7wks old and is formula feed. I’m giving him Similac. Recently he started to poop very little every time he farts. We have to keep changing his diapers every time he farts. His poop will be yellowish and his butt seems reddish from all those farts n poops. He seems to grunt when his doing it but never cries. He will poop abt 7 to 8 times. I’m worried cause this is the 1st time I am experiencing this. Is it normal?

by: Anonymous

My baby boy is 6 weeks old and since he was a week old he has problems going number 2 At first he was on Similac advance but then I switched to Good start because that is what I get with wic.He became constipated shortly after switching him. His doctor said give him a little Karo and water I need still very hard or extremely big but still pretty hard bowel movements. So we switched formulas to Good start protect has probiotics in it I thought it was going to be my cure all but no still the same problems he can not go without help the karo water juice I just took him to the doctor Monday and she said he sounds like he has a little bit of colic and to give him juice watered down 3:1 twice a day she said his bowels are just immature So I have been yesterday he had a great bowel movement followed by a little bit of diarrhea so I didn’t give him juice that night now back to being constipated so my question is could it be the formula could he have an intolerance to dairy? He also has a little bit have acid reflux,a lot of gas, tummy is bloated poor sleeping habits.. any advice would be great thank you

by: Anonymous

Our 3-month-old 30 weekers is not pooping on his own. Our pediatrician said its perfectly ok to stimulate when constipation is NOT the concern. He also said that baby will NOT rely on us helping him (he said that baby will not remember) and that once his sphincter matures he will begin to go on his own. He gets very fussy on day two of not pooping and we have to stimulate him or he will not take in anymore formula. Just not positive we are doing the right thing.