Seeking Relief

My pediatrician recommended 2 tablespoons of Karo syrup in 4 oz of water. Once a day until he passes. Worked great. I was also b.f. and supplementing with formula. Good luck.

My daughter did terribly on formula, she would go days and days with out pooping. She did fine on breast milk so I just tried my best to avoid formula altogether. Good Luck. They do make little baby suppositories, but I would try other options first. My doctor told me to use those if she had gone 5 days with out a poo. Good luck.

P., congratulations on your new baby.

This is alarming. A baby this age should poop multiple times a day.

Two things you need to do:
1. Call her pedi ASAP
2. Take her off the formula! This stuff is so bad for her digestive system. Yes there are babies who drink formula exlcusively and do fine, but there are many whose stomachs are damaged, get childhood diabetes and a whole host of other problems. Even if all you have is a few drops of milk, she does not need anything more than you give her. Also, as long as you are suplementing, your milk will never be enough. It adjusts to her needs. Barring any serious medical problems that you or your baby might have that prohibit breastfeeding exclusively, there is no good that can come out of supplementing with formula (I'm a lactation consultant, btw, I have studied this a great deal).

I would not be at all surprised if the problem were the formula being difficult for her tiny body to digest.

Good luck.

EDIT:

Paricia, I'm alarmed with some of the information you're getting. Please contact your pedi, a lactation consultant or a pedi nutritionist about this. Newborn babies, even breastfed, MUST poop many times a day or there might be something wrong, Once they are a little older, say two months or so, they can go a week or more (breastfed babies) without pooping and be OK, but for a seven day infant, this is something that you need to discuss with the pedi. DO NOT give a newborn a suppository!!! That is Dangerous!!!

And while I recognize that sometimes formula is the best thing we can do for a baby, it is scientifically untrue that formula cannot lead to type I diabetes other complications. Please speak with a professional who specializes in this field if you have questions about it.

I wish you all the best.

I breastfed both my daughters. The experience was different with each one since each one was a different child. My first daughter wouldn't stay awake long enough to eat so they gave her formula in the hospital. We were in the hospital for five days. I tried breastfeeding, but because of the formula it took longer for my milk to come in. Once we got home I breastfed exclusively. My milk came in sufficiently and she had no problem with bowel movements. It is not uncommon for exclusively breastfed babies to poop after every feeding. However, every breastfed baby is not the same. Your baby may be fine, but for your peace of mind I suggest you call your pediatrician. I am not a fanatical breastfeeding mom. I don't see anything wrong with using formula if that is your choice or if it is necessary. I dont' think your child will suffer life altering problems if you use formula. I do believe if you are able to breastfeed for whatever amount of time you are giving your baby the best possible gift. Breastfeeding is extremely convenient(no bottles, formula, or hot water to pack when you travel) and economical (breastmilk is free, formula isn't always free). It will also be an unbelievable experience for you and your baby.
I suggest eliminating the supplemental formula for now so you can fully establish your milk supply. In seven days with your daughter taking formula as well, your milk supply is not sufficiently established. If you can, try breastfeeding exclusively for two weeks with no supplemental formula. If you determine later that you need to supplement or you don't believe your baby is getting enough to eat consult with your pediatrician for the best formula for your baby. I would avoid suppositories completely. They are difficult to find because they are not recommended. There are other more natural laxatives that your pediatrician will recommend. When my five month old breastfed baby didn't poop for four days in a row my pediatrician recommended lubricating a rectal thermometer and inserting it to stimulate her bowels (the same effect as a suppository). I was very uncomfortable and nervous that I would hurt her so I finally gave up. I tried one tablespoon of Karo syrup in her bottle of breastmilk. Nothing seemed to work. Eventually, she just pooped on her own. There were a couple of other times where she went four or five days without pooping. She eventually went on her own. As she started eating cereal and babyfood she went from pooping after each meal to pooping once a day at 10:00 a.m. Now at nine years old she poops every night right before she takes her shower. This is all normal for my child. My second child has a different story and schedule. Your child will have a story and schedule of her own. Good luck!

sounds normal. we were told to give a bit of light corn syrup in some formula to help. also i did not know i could give my baby water, as i was told not to but that was only for the first few days, or weeks. cannot remember. a number i called all the time with questions was the hospital nursery and asked for the nurse. they are there 24/7. congrats on the new baby. durring the day i would call and talk to the pedi nurse.

I know that my daughter had the same problem, and it turned out to be the difference of the milks. Check with the Dr. on the next visit if this keeps up.

Congratulations on your baby. I had the same issue with my daughter. Keep in mind that by nature women and girls are more constipated than boys. I used tri glycerin suppositories on my daughter. Ask your Pediatrician first to see what they recommend.

Best of luck,
Elisa M

Hi,

just from experience, the formula may make her constipated. Breastfed babies generally do not get constipated but when i gave my son formula it did. You may need to ask your doctor if he can recommend a different type of firmula.

C

Don't worry about it. My first daughter pooped about 12 times a day, so the second one worried me sick because she was so different. I know it's hard and seems weird, but my 2nd daughter was the same way as yours. She didn't have her first poop after being born until 3 days later! I was frantic and kept taking her to the doctor. She would go 7 to 10 days with no poop all the time. I was so worried but she is absolutely fine. As long as they can hear gas moving in her bowel and there is no obstruction then she will be fine. Good luck!

don't worry unless you feel your daughter is struggling to poop! Most breastfed babies do not poop everyday--since breastmilk is absorbed easily, your baby may just be not producing any waste which is okay--it means she is using all those good nutrients!. My daughter who we just breastfed would only poop like once a week in the beginning and then it was a big one! If they are constipated you will be able to tell easily--if you see her struggling to push poop out or if it is hard and tiny. Then I would say ask your doctor. I am not sure why you are supplementing so early, but breastmilk is also a natural laxative and maybe just breastfeeding will help too. Remember she is just 7 days old and her digestive system is getting used to something new and it just takes time. Formula is also harder to digest for babies and if you aren't able to just breastfeed your doctor may suggest a different formula that is easier to digest. But definitely talk to your doctor before switching anything!!! because the more you switch things the harder it is for baby;s system to get used to it!! good luck--

That happened to my daghter also and the doctor's office told me not to worry until it had been 7-10 days! What?!? Anyways, call them to ease your mind and see what they suggest. You should be able to try a glycerin suppository. Thats what I ended up doing on my daughter and she went immediately and was fine. Best of luck to you and your new little princess! =)

Definitely call the doctor - that's a long time between poops for this age. My guess is that she is either blocked up or not getting enough food. I had a low milk supply in the beginning and didn't realize that my baby wasn't getting enough to eat. Sometimes demand isn't the only thing that is keeping your body from producing enough milk - there are other reasons, such as anemia, etc. Check with your doctor to make sure she is getting enough to eat.

Formula can be quite constipating for some babies, so this could be normal. However, with the combination of formula and breast milk, I would think she should be having at least a bowel movement a day or ever other day at this age. I would contact the doctor and ask about this. Does she appear to be uncomfortable? Also, chances are that your wife doesn't really need to supplement. If you want to give formula at night so that she can rest, that is fine, but she should pump at least once during the night to make sure she keeps her supply up. You can save the milk she pumps in the fridge and give it to her the next night (just don't microwave it...put the bottle in hot water or a bottle warmer to warm it). And try to have her nurse ON DEMAND exclusively during the day. Even if baby just nursed an hour ago, if she seems hungry, nurse again. This will help to get mom's supply to increase. Supplementing with formula tends to be a vicious cycle that ultimately ends up with mom's milk drying up. If she doesn't plan to nurse for very long (she's returning to work or something), then it probably doesn't matter as much. But if she's in it for the long haul, she should go ahead and start to do things now that will ensure her success. I can guarantee you that your little one's tummy problems will begin to disappear if she starts to have more breast milk than formula, and will most likely go away altogether if she is exclusively breast fed. Best of luck and congratulations!!

My son would go a good while between bms when he was little. I don't know if he was that little though. He did go a whole week one time and it totally freaked me out but he was fine. I have always heard that breastfed babies do go longer as they use most everything in the breast milk for nutrition. I would call the dr of course but if she is still peeing frequently she is probably ok. The fact you are supplementing with formula helps you to know she is getting something down bc you can measure what she took in. Best wishes and congratulations!

You should call the pediatrician for assurance that your daughter is alright, which I suspect she is because she is passing gas and you do not indicate that she is in any pain. I agonized over this with my first child. The doctor finally did convince me that "normal" varies for each person and that my son's normal bowel movements were only twice a week. That son is now an adult and it's still only twice a week, which is normal for him.

P.,

This is normal. However, call the doctor to make yourself feel better. Also, if you need to supplement, GO AHEAD! I know there are people who believe that breastmilk is the only way. Good for them. However, not everyone can breastfeed and that is OKAY. I ended up not being able to nurse my son. He was a total pig and I couldn't keep up with the demand. I started supplementing and it was a different child. You are the mommy and you know what is best for your child. Also, formula is NOT going to cause your child to get diabetes or damage their stomaches. There are several different types of formula that are very gentle on baby's tummy. Congrats on the new princess! They are a joy and challenge!

As others have stated, it is normal. My oldest pooped at every feeding but my other 3 would go 7-10 days between BMs. As long as when your baby poops it is soft and not hard and pebble like all is well.

Call your pediatrician!!!!!