Help! worried :( fully BF baby not pooing for over 2 weeks? Barb??

Hi all,

Im so confused and worried about my little Annabel, shes 4 months old and fully BF, I havent had these issues with my other girls when they were young as they were comp fed.

Annabel hasnt done a poo now for about 16 days :( I did read somewhere saying itmaybe normal? I just want to ask anyone what they think? Before that she went 10 days before doing a huge poo that went all the way up to her chest!! so im worried about her. I do have an appointment with her GP on Wed just in case but would really like your thoughts also? what is normal for a fully BF baby who isnt on solids? Her nappies are always wet and she does really smelly farts:lol: shes not unhappy in herself, she only really had one unsettled period a day really which maybe is normal?

and Barb, if you are reading I really would love your advice, is there anything I could help her with, thats natural? thanks in advance!

Bel
xxx

I would think if she's not distressed by it, then it wouldn't be a problem. But yep... watch out for when she does it! LOL. My DD goes for days as well without pooing (which makes a nice change from the 3 a day pooers that my other 2 were!) but yeah... stinky farts for a few days before the poo.. and whammo... massive explosion when it does happen!

There are tummy massages that you can do to help the bowel move. Maybe have a look into that?

Hi, At this age it is pretty normal. Note: for babies under 6 weeks old it's NOT normal. things change quickly. If she is growing (though weight slows at this age, breastfeeding well and not unhappy just wait and see (with a mop and bucket on standby!)

thanks Barb! I weighed her 10 days ago and she was 6.19 and today she was 6.30, is that good for 10 days? im not sure?

ETA: is it anything Im not eating causing her this?? or something I am eating?

Perfect

phew! I always worry about her weight and my BF as I never have been able to fully BF any of my babies until now! had low supply with the other girls, thanks so much Barb!

My Annabelle does this too :) She started off every two days, then every three, then was pretty regular once a week. Then she freaked me out by going ten days twice in a row, I couldn't understand how she was holding it all in! And like your DD, her farts are really stinky and she's doing them all day lol.

Only just this week she's changed again - did a poop yesterday after only 3 days, then another one today. I guess we can never know what they're gonna do!

I remember the first time DD did this. I think she went about 14-16 days and then we were sitting there and I literaly heard this bubbling sound and :o there was poo from her shoulder blades to her toes!!!! I was mortified :rofl: I soon got used to it as she would go long periods frequently, but it was a shock in the beginning. Sounds normal tp me, just be prepared over the next few days ;)

Hugs hun glad you have been reasurred.

Perfect advice!

Feel free to sms or fb if you are worried at any time xoxo

My fully breastfed 5 month old daughter does this also. A perfect carbon copy for what you have all described.

I have found she becomes more regular if I take a daily probiotic. It also helps reduce the stinky gas.

Gripe water (the non-alcoholic one) really helped my bub, when she was "stuck". LIterally two mins later, problem resolved.

Congrats on having the bf-ing working for you and bub, this time round Belle, i can hear in your post, that that is a big deal for you, so i'm thrilled to bits for you.

I've only had one bub, but i can empathise, that if you had had a nb before, but not bf-ing, it might be pretty human, to compare with what your other nbs did (on formula) as that would be your reference. I remember panicking heaps with a nb, i had no reference point, everything was so new and overwhelming.

the ABA helpline is 1800 686 2 686 if you ever need it.

great having Barb on BB isn't it? she saved me many times!

DD2 went four weeks once. I knew cause she had a explosion of poo at an ABA meeting. Then by the next one she still hadn't poo'd but the disgraced herself on the way home. My friends use to say ABA gave her the ****s lol

I remember from somewhere that it doesn't really matter how long they go in between poo's as long as when it shows up it's massive and soft. Sounds like she's got that one down! My DS greatly enjoyed doing a massive poosplosion in the car, we've had so many highway nappy/outfit/rinse the baby changes!

Tegam: LMAO!

Thanks so much for all your responses girls, I really appreciate all your thoughts.

We saw the GP this morning, she asked me just to try cool boiled water 30mls once a day for 3 days and see if that works, if not try microlax after 1/3 of a tablet or less as a supository?

thanks girls.

Gigi, you very right hon, I so treasure being able to BF fully this time round.

Feebs, god bless you too hon will be in touch xxx

Wow. That sounds a bit OTT from the GP? Is she straining with constipation? It'll all come out eventually :)

One of the bubs in my mums group was a poo every 10-14 days kind of baby and apparently that was completely normal! He was BF too!

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Wow. That sounds a bit OTT from the GP? Is she straining with constipation? It'll all come out eventually :)

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Dear god do not give a bf baby a microlax that's horrid!

My DD went for 17 days without pooing once. There's not a nappy made that can contain the end result!

But it was soft and no issues and completely normal for a fully bf baby. Enjoy the break - because soon enough she'll be eating family foods and you'll miss these poo-absences!

PS No way would I be taking your GP's advice. I suspect she does not see a lot of fully bf babies and is not aware of how to treat them. This is the treatment for a ff baby, where this would be a problem. And there's no need to give cooled boiled water either. Call the ABA to confirm, but this is completely normal for a bf baby and there's really no need to do anything except wait a day or so.

When DS went week/s between poo's he would still grunt occasionally, and do some seriously noxious farts! I'd ring the ABA if you're still concerned, it would be very unusual for a bf baby to be constipated though and I'd be hesitant about introducing any drugs to her. Give it a few more days and try to emotionally prepare for the mountain of poop :) Buy big gloves!

Your GP is a loony... It will come eventually. If shes not upset by it, i wouldnt worry. She will let you know if shes in pain, im sure ;)

dont worry im not even going to go down the Microlax road at all, I may try the non-alcohol gripe water maybe if she doenst poo in the next few days? last time she did any poo at all was 15 oct thats why im so worried :(

Wow hun crazy GP.

If you are really worried move her legs like in a bike cycling, or try cooled camomille tea or a small amount of prune juice. But if tummy soft and she is not distressed I wouldn't worry.

thanks all so much
she finally did a poo!!!! not a explosion yet bit more solid than a normal bf poo heres hoping for more! I didnt give her anything med wise to poo

yay thats great! Im sure you had a smile from ear to ear.

LOL its funny when we get so excited over poo..

Yay! I remember J went 15 days without one and everyone warned me it would be huge and it wasn't, he then followed that regular sized one with another 10 days without one and then did the same again! I remember marvelling at how efficient the body and breast milk are!

Yay! Clever girl :) She does sound very efficient!