6 Week Old Daughter Having a BM Once a Week

Oh this is SO normal. When my daughter was a baby, I could practically predict it. She normally only had a BM about every 5 days. She also was exclusively breastfed. But, my, when she did have one, it was a lot! I wouldn't worry about it :)

When mu daughter was breastfeeding she didn't go BM that often either. But as soon as we started supplementing with formula (around 3 months) she started going everyday and it was yellow and stinky. If you're really concerned about it, you might want to start supplementing with formula. I used Enfamil with Iron, but I hear that the Nestle GoodStart is really good.

I breastfed my daughter & she had the same thing. Sometimes she'd go a full 10 days with no BM. The pediatrician said it was normal, and that there's less unused nutrients in breastmilk so their bodies absorb it all and there's less to get rid of.
Hope this helps.

Hi, I set up an account to answer this and similar topics, my baby was going once a week and docs said it was fine, which it can be, ut it wasn't in my baby's case. After the 3d weigh in when she was still not back to her birthweight they sent me to a lactation consultant and it turned out that I have low milk supply. So basically I was starving my baby, please check with your doctor if your baby is not underweight before deciding that she's fine going just once a week. If I could turn back time I would breastfeed her every single hour, but I didn't know my milk isnt enough, my breasts felt full but I only breastfed every 3 - 4 hrs, now I let my baby girl camp out at my breast, sometimes shefeeds for 3 - 4 hrs at a time and she caught up with weight, I also pupmped for 10 minutes in between breastfeedings. we also supplement her with 2 oz bottle of formula per day, we distribute it to her after breastfeeding.

I exclusively breastfeed my daughter. When she was first born she too would go several days without a BM. As mentioned, breastmilk has so much that baby actually USES there is very little waste to get rid of. Is she having serveal wet diapers every day? If so, I wouldn't be too concerned.

One thing I did find is that I had to eat plenty of fruits daily. When I slacked off, then baby's BM's became more irregular. I would look at your diet and try some different things. Make sure you're drinking enough water, eating some good high fiber foods, and keeping up with the fruits and veggies. What you eat affects your breastmilk. Things like bananas, too many apples or applesauce, breads, pastas, etc... can have binding affects. For me, my fruit for 'movement' is grapes. When I eat grapes daily my daughter has no issues.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about it. My daughters poo and farts stink BAD.. and always have. If she is going with some regularity, even if it is once a week ...then it seems like things are ok. Also, when she goes... is it hard? Or is it mushy? If mushy....then there is no constipation. Hard ...then you should talk to your doctor. You could also gently look around her anus to see if you can see any tears that might be causing her pain. If so, talk to your doctor.

Breastmilk is the perfect food for baby.... perfect nutrition, very little waste they can't use. You're giving your baby such a GREAT start in life!!!

a friend of mine had the same experience with her daughter (now 2 and a half and going everyday! ;))...neither of us could believe it when we compared notes, as all three of mine had gone more times than i could count in a day!! the dr.'s told her the same thing though--not to worry...it wasn't until her daughter started using the potty (she was early) that she became more regular.

My second child only had one every 10 days for a LONG time. The ped said it was okay as long as she was having wet diapers every day. It really worried me, but I got used to it, and comparitively to my 1st child that had a bm EVERY diaper every day, it was almost a treat. I just made sure that I kept track on the calendar, so that if it ever went longer I would be able to let the ped. know. good luck...you'll see she's okay.

B., I have a now 5 month old he is my 4th. We experienced the same thing when he was born. He would go days, then it would seem as if he were struggling and then he would also have very smelly gas and bm. My drs were also not concerned, I am breast feeding too. Our situation was very similar so I would not be concerned. It gets better soon, without you even noticing!
I am a 33 mom of 4, 8, 6, 3, 5 months. I am a elementary teacher on leave and loving being home!

Not to worry mommy! Breastfed babies only poop occasionally. It's totally fine. However when they do go......HOLY GEEZ!! It will be an assplosion!! Good for you for breastfeeding your baby. However, remember to watch for signs of obvious discomfort or hard stools. BM should be soft and yellowish in color!!

D.

Hi B.,

I know a week seems like a really long time for a 6 week old to go between having BMs. But it really is okay. As long as she's gaining 4-7+ ounces a week, she's doing fine. For the first month to 6 weeks, babies should have 3 BMs a day. After a month she can go several days between having BMs. For the first month to 6 weeks, the frequent BMs are a good sign that she's getting to the supply well. After that time, you're looking for her to have 6-8 wets (5 or so with disposable diapers) a day. When she does have the BM, it should be a soft smooth consistency -sort of like pudding to a thick paste. -Sorry I don't mean to be gross.

So, if your daughter is gaining well, she's doing great. You can get more support and information by attending local La Leche League meetings -your little ones are welcome to attend too. And they're free. To find a group near you go to www.llli.org.

Oh, I guess I should have mentioned at the beginning of this post, I am an LLL Leader and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

Best wishes,

S.

I also have a breastfed 6 wk old who has been having very few BMs. I don't remember this with my other two, but it looks like from all the responses it's quite normal. I just don't know what to do about her gas, I think it is quite uncomfortable for her at times. I guess I'll try more fruit and my husband says no more cabbage for me :(
Good luck with yours!

My older daughter, Jadyn, did the same thing (also breastfed). I would roll her knees like she was riding a bike to hep her pass gas. My grandmother thought it was the funniest thing to have her "toot" on command. If your doctor says not to worry, you shouldn't. Apparently, you have other things to worry about (like sleep) with two kids as young as yours are. ;o) Good luck.

I wanted to let you know that my childeren did this as well and they are 4 yrs old, and 11 months old. As long as she is peeing and the poop is not hard to come out she will be great. When this first happened to me I was just as worried and everything turned out great

B.,
One of my boys would only have a BM every 7-10 days and he was just fine, but at the time I found it to be rather upsetting. It just doesn't seem like it should be normal.
One thing the pediatrician told me that helped was it wasn't the frequency of the BM's but the consistency of them that is what they look for. For instance if the stool is hard and and difficult for them to pass that is bad, but if it is soft and passes easily then nothing to worry about.
Try not to worry, easier said than done I know!

They are telling you the truth.... babies can go 7-10 days without a BM when you are breastfeeding. It shocked me too! If you want to increase the BM's eat some bran muffins, it always worked for me! She would poop within 2 hours of me eating one :)

My son is 3 months old and when he was about 5-6 weeks old this happened with him too. He just stopped poo-ing every day and went for 5 days without a poo. It scared me too because he's breastfed and I thought that what went in had to come right back out and I just couldn't remember my daughter doing this. But, I googled it, and read that it's normal at about 6 weeks for breastfed babies to stop going poo every single day. As long as your baby is urinating well enough, the articles said, then you know she's getting enough breastmilk. You can always check with your pediatrician, though, to quell your fears.

HI B.,
My son went every 8 to 10 days. I thought that this was not normal but I guess it is. I did have to use a Q-tip with vaseline and insert it into his butt to help loosen him a bit. I hated doing this every time but it usually made him poop instantly. It was like the bowels were just sitting there and he needed a little help. My doctor was the one who told me this was okay and she showed me how to do the procedure. I did this on the 9th day if he hadn't gone yet. As soon as I started him on cereal he went everyday. I also gave him prune juice diluted with water. Good luck!

My 7 month old daughter has been like that from the beginning, too. It concerned me at first because as a newborn, my 2 year old son would poop as soon as he latched on, almost every time. Then my daughter came along, and she poops every 5 days or so. My pediatrician said the same thing, it's completely normal as long as the stools aren't hard and difficult for her to pass. Their little bodies digest the breast milk very efficiently and there isn't a whole lot of waste. It has NOTHING to do with the amount of fiber in your diet. Fiber does not pass into breastmilk.

My daughter didn't go very much at all when she was that young. That will change, believe me :). As far as the gas, try the Mylecon drops, the work great.

Hi B.,
We had a similar situation with my son when he was 4-5 months old. He too was brestfed at the time and had a stretch of a few months were he was only going about once a week. Per our doctors advice, we started giving him dark Karo syrup (1 or 2 T. a day in breast milk bottle) and that seemed to help. I've heard of giving the Karo syrup in juice or water, but I didn't want to make juice a regular staple in my child's diet and heard that they got the water that they needed from the breast milk. Of course, if your doctor is not concerned, then I would not worry about it too much unless your daughter seems uncomfortable or in pain or if she goes longer than a week. Good luck!

My son stopped having them around 2 weeks (kind of scary). They did all the tests to make sure there wasn't a blockage. All was GOOD! I breastfed also and they explained to me that he just used up everything he was getting. So unless she seems to be in distress, don't worry about it! It really was a blessing, not many dirty diapers at all. My son is now a 6'3" father-to-be in December!

I had 4 kiddo's who did the same thing. All 4 exclusivly bf babies, and they would all have times that they wouldn't go for a week. As long as baby is peeing well, and the poop isn't hard to pass, it is fine. Like many said before, your breastmilk is SO perfect for YOUR baby, they just don't have much waste to poop out.

it's REALLY REALLY normal for a breastfed baby to only poo once a week. Unlike formula that has a lot of fillers, and undigestable protiens breastmilk is 98% digestable, your baby won't poo until her bowel is full enough to trigger a movement. As long as the poo is soft seedy mustardy brown color (not hard or pellet like) she's fine.

As for the gas, do you have gas along with her? What you eat can cause digestive gas in your baby as well. I couldn't eat green peppers with my 2nd baby because they gave him gas.

My son was the EXACT same way. I breast fed him as well and the Dr.'s and nurse's were not concerned at all. They said it is perfectly normal. I didn't think it was either, but since they were not concerned with it, there was not much I could do. My son is 8 years old now and completely normal, so I wouldn't worry yourself with it.

I had the same problem with my son (now 22 months) and I also breastfed him. All my other babies went daily, if not even more often. He started off just like them and then one day it stopped. My pediatrician had me anally stimulating him once a day. This issue lasted for quite some time. He had abdominal x-rays and they said everything was fine. I did lots of praying because in my mind this was not normal. And one day after several months he started going daily again. So I know what you are going through. My son was probably 6 months old before the issues subsided. Good luck and I hope it does not take that long for your baby!

what you eat is what she digests through your breast milk. Are the foods you are eating conducive to regularity? Once a week isn't normal for any human being. Check your diet to see if what you in fact are digesting is binding and gaseous. Fiber related foods and proteins that break down should be considered.

It's hard not to worry about that but my little one had a similar situation and the doctors said it was okay. My son had a hernia (totally unrelated to the no BMs - do don't worry), and the surgeon said that some of the breast fed babies just absorb so much of mom's milk and nutrients that there really isn't that much to pass. I would think as long as she's wetting diapers normally and doesn't seem too uncomfortable she's okay. Our docs said it's common for them to be uncomfortable with gas but that they shouldn't be unomfortable when they're passing stool.

Dear B.,

First of all, pray and ask God to help you be concerned when it is needed and forget it when it is not needed. Being a breastfeeding mom is so great for your daughter, I commend you because not many women will take the time to nurse a baby any more because it is very time consuming. Many years ago, when my baby was new, she was totally breastfed and not pooping at all. The doctor told me that breast milk is for human babies so it is digested and used very efficiently by the baby's body so it does not need to poop as much as we think it does. Also the doctor and nurses told me that when your baby needs to poop, she will. Boy oh boy did she poop!!!!! When she needed to poop she pooped so much that it went all over her and me. Fortunately we were just behind our house at a Tupperware party and I took her home and put her in the baby bath tub and scrubbed her gently to get all the liquid and seedy poop off of her. Hers always looked seedy.

Anyway, check into LaLeche League. All local hospitals usually have a local phone number you can call. You can also do a search for LLL.com and find out a local place you can call members and ask questions. You can also go to their meetings as a visitor unless it has changed since I was a member.

I know that when you breastfeed your baby is depending totally on you for nourishment and that is a scary thing. But it is the best way you can feed your baby. Just you drink plenty of water and other fluids to keep the milk supply good. If you drink more water, it may be easier for her to toot (some people say fart) and poop as well.

Get as much sleep as is possible. You can also mix a little plain dry rice baby cereal in your breastmilk that you express and feed her with a spoon at night to make her sleep longer if you are seriously in need of some more sleep. She will spill a lot out at first but will get better at it later. Only do this if you are very sleep deprived because exclusively breastmilk is always the best for babies.

Hope this is helpful.

L. C.

My son's did the same. I could usually tell when he needed help by the way his gas smelled. At the doctors approval used a Q-tip with vaseline and inserted the very tip into his butt to help lubricate it a little. It made them go almost immediately. I could see the relief on his face. I also made sure I gave him water on a regular basis mixed w/ a bit of Karo Syrup. That's what balanced him out. They are now 9 and 4 and boy oh boy they don't have problems now. LOL

It is normal for a breastfed baby.

when she is a bit older you can give her pear juice (mixed at least 50/50 with water..)

that will usually get a baby to go ...

Since you are breastfeeding, it could be something YOU are eating. Dairy and eggs are the usual culprits, but some vegetables like broccoli, cabbage or yummy chocolate can cause digestive issues with babies too. My experience with my breastfed babies was just the opposite...poop every diaper. On the other hand there is very little waste produced from breastmilk so she could be using everything she eats. Does she have 8-10 wet diapers a day?
I would recommend contacting a Le Leche League group leader. She would be an experienced breastfeeding mom who probably knows more than most doctors about breastfeeding. You are doing the best thing for you and your baby...GOOD GOING!!

Normally the Doc's and nurses know what they're talking about. Keep an eye on what comes out though. If it's hard and looks like play dough, you should let the doctor know - she's probably constipated. If it's pasty, she's fine. If it's watery, again, let the doctor know - that's diarrhea. Also, color is important too. Watery and greenish isn't good - that could be Clos Diff or Rotavirus. Keep in mind that different foods will also cause her to poop in different colors as she grows older.

I have an 11 week old daughter and we've had a similar experience. She's mostly breastfed - receiving 2-4 oz of formula in the evening. She has a bm every 4-5 days and our dr also wasn't concerned. He said she'll go when she needs to go. Her gas is also very stinky :) Our little girl is doing great the infrequent bm's don't bother her a bit.

My son was the same. He had one every 5 days.

Just be sure you have a change of clothing, blankets, socks, etc....because when my son's BM finally came, it was HUGE!!

Are you nursing on demand rather than on a formula schedule? that's really important. Is the child gaining weight normally and having a lot of wet diapers? Do you realize that a nursing baby's bowel movements are usually small and pasty? I'd try to get her to drain one breast completely at each feeding before attempting to switch her to the other. The richer, hind milk comes part-way into the feeding and she needs it to grow on. Also, emptying signals your body to produce more milk. Stay in touch with your doctor. You can also check out the info on www.llli.org. Click on Resources then on Answers. My first child did this for awhile and it resolved itself over time. Some babies are gassy - occasionally it's something in the mom's diet but not always. If something gives you gas, it may do that to her too. Hang in there! You're giving her the best gift you can by breastfeeding her! You're a good mom!