Question 1

how often does a 3 week old baby should be having a bowel movement? is one time a day okay, should i be worried?

Accepted Answer

It's fine: One time a day is fine. If your baby goes only once every 3 days, talk to your doctor about what to do.

Question 2

my 5.5 week old baby has a very watery stool twice a day that spills from diaper and soils clothing can i give him something to thicken his bowel movements ?

Accepted Answer

What are you feeding: Your baby ? Breast fed babies have thin gravy like stools a lot of times . Formula fed babies with cow based protein may have lactose intolerance causing watery stools. In that case , formula may be changed to soy base or lactose free formula . Best to discuss with your pediatrician

Question 3

is it normal for a 10 week old infant who is exclusively breastfed to not have had a bowel movement in two days?

Accepted Answer

Normal: Your infant is likely experiencing a growth spurt.  This is common for infants during this age period. They are so effectively using your breast milk that very little stool will pass sometimes for many days. You may also notice your baby wanting to nurse more often.  This is your baby's way to increase your milk supply. Contact your doctor if your baby does not have stool for a wk or blood.

Question 4

my 12 week old formula fed infant appears to be constipated. is there anything i can do to help him have a bowel movement?

Accepted Answer

See below.: What do you mean by constipation?Some babies have a change in stooling pattern and may not stool every day,and then no need to treat.If your baby is having hard, infrequent stools and is uncomfortable,you can try to give him water in between formula bottles,and/or take his temperature rectally,which may stimulate him to have a bowel movement.If neither of those work, please call his doctor.

Question 5

my breastfed infant is a month old and for the last few days she has been having 1-2 bowel movements a day. is she constipated if so what to give her?

Accepted Answer

Probably OK: It is not unusual for babies to have change in stool pattern as they grow. . Also, it is normal for breastfed babies to have longer periods of time with no stools.  Breast milk is the perfect baby food, thus there is less "waste" so to speak.  If the baby's stomach is not distended, and he has a large soft stool infrequently this is not constipation requiring intervention.

Question 6

what to do for infant 5 weeks who is constipated. breast fed with rice cereal in pumped milk for reflux, also on zantac (ranitidine) two times daily.  has not had bowel movement in two days and is very fussy

Accepted Answer

Stop the rice: Stop adding rice cereal to the pumped milk (good job on breast feeding, by the way!).  Keep breast feeding and keep the zantac (ranitidine).  Rice cereal is very constipating!  for reflux elevate the head of the crib.  In addition to constipation, rice cereal before age 6 months is related to obesity in later life.  
You may also try a glycerine suppository (found in the baby section).  After 7 days call md.

Question 7

how many bowel movements should an infant have a day?

Accepted Answer

Bowel movements: An infant can have as many as6-8 stools a day depending if he is on breast or bottle. Breast fed babies usually stool more often.

Question 8

how long before infant has a bowel movement without struggling?

Accepted Answer

It depends: The problem is that babies aren't coordinated and don't open their sphincter immediately when they have a bowel movement. Also, it's harder to have a bowel movement when you are lying down. As long as the stool is soft, there really isn't a problem with them straining a bit. It doesn't necessarily mean that there is anything wrong. If the stool is hard balls, see your doctor for help.

Question 9

is it normal for my infant's bowel movements to be lightly colored?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Yes. Normally infant's bowel movements range from a light yellow or green to brown in color. This is quite dependent on the diet at the time. Once solid food is being introduced the color can vary day to day. If the stool is very pale (very light yellow to white) with any consistency it is important to have your infant examined by your pediatrician.

Question 10

how many bowel movements should my infant have?

Accepted Answer

Varies: The amount of bowel movements an infant can have varies tremendously.  It can be every few hours, once a day, every few days, or even once a week.  The important thing is to speak to your pediatrician if he/she is very uncomfortable when passing a stool, if the stool is very hard, or if there is a sudden and dramatic change in her bowel movements.

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Doctor answers about:

1 week old baby bowel movements

A member asked:

How often does a 3 week old baby should be having a bowel movement? is one time a day okay, should i be worried?

A member asked:

My 5.5 week old baby has a very watery stool twice a day that spills from diaper and soils clothing can i give him something to thicken his bowel movements ?

A member asked:

Is it normal for a 10 week old infant who is exclusively breastfed to not have had a bowel movement in two days?

A member asked:

My 12 week old formula fed infant appears to be constipated. is there anything i can do to help him have a bowel movement?

A member asked:

My breastfed infant is a month old and for the last few days she has been having 1-2 bowel movements a day. is she constipated if so what to give her?

A member asked:

What to do for infant 5 weeks who is constipated. breast fed with rice cereal in pumped milk for reflux, also on zantac (ranitidine) two times daily. has not had bowel movement in two days and is very fussy

A member asked:

How many bowel movements should an infant have a day?

A member asked:

How long before infant has a bowel movement without struggling?

A member asked:

Is it normal for my infant's bowel movements to be lightly colored?

A member asked:

How many bowel movements should my infant have?

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