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My baby poops after every feed


How often should a newborn poop?

Yes, it's normal if your baby is pooping after every single feeding. You’ll quickly discover that when it comes to newborns, poop frequency comes in a wide range of normal.

Some babies are just more productive poopers than others. It’s perfectly okay to end every feeding with a diaper change, or to not see a single bowel movement for a few days. Your baby pooping a lot probably isn’t an issue, unless you’re changing three or more extra-watery diapers a day. In that case, it could be diarrhea, which is something to let your baby's doctor know about.

How often should a newborn poop?

It varies. Poop habits differ a lot from baby to baby. The average frequency is one or more bowel movements daily. But some newborns produce five or more dirty diapers a day in their first 2 weeks of life, while others go for days without pooping.

It’s not unusual for newborns to poop a lot, since they spend most of their waking hours eating. In general, breastfed babies poop more than formula-fed ones. In fact, your baby may poop while nursing and again once they’re done – which is why you may want to wait a few minutes after you're finished breastfeeding before swooping in with a clean diaper.

Because breastfed poops contain more liquid, they’ll look more watery than the stools of formula-fed babies. (See real photos of the different kinds of baby poop here.)

When a breastfed newborn poops after every feeding during the first few weeks, take it as a good sign – it means they’re getting plenty of milk. Even though formula-fed babies may have less frequent bowel movements than breastfed babies, it's normal for them to poop after every feeding as well.

The frequency of your baby's bowel movements may start to slow down by the time they're around 6 weeks old, but some babies continue their pattern of pooping after every feeding for much longer. (It’s not uncommon for some 1-year-olds to poop five times a day. )

How long can a baby go without pooping?

If your baby hasn’t had a bowel movement in a few days, there’s no need to immediately fear the big “C” (aka, constipation). Babies can go days, or even a week, without producing a dirty diaper. A breastfed baby can go even longer – as long as two weeks without pooping if they haven’t started on solid foods yet.

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If the bowel movements your baby does make are soft, constipation probably isn’t an issue.  Exclusively breastfed babies rarely get constipated because breastmilk is an economical food. Your baby gets just what they need, with little waste leftover to poop out.

True constipation in babies typically happens from a change in diet, a lack of fluids, or an illness. The telltale sign is hard, dry stools. If your baby is constipated, they may get extra fussy and look like they’re straining uncomfortably when they try to go.

Should I ever be worried about my baby pooping a lot?

Generally, if your baby's bowel movements are fairly consistent and they’re acting like their usual self, frequent poops aren't a cause for concern. However, if there's a sudden change in your baby's pooping pattern and their stool becomes watery, check with their doctor. Very watery bowel movements could be a sign of an infection.

Call the doctor if your baby has any of these other poop-related symptoms:

  • Pulling their legs up to their stomach (a sign that their tummy hurts)
  • Straining to have a bowel movement
  • Poop that looks like small, hard pebbles or is extra watery
  • Irritability
  • A swollen belly
  • Blood in their poop

If my baby is pooping a lot, are they more prone to diaper rash? 

Babies who have frequent bowel movements can be more susceptible to diaper rash. Constant contact with stool can irritate the sensitive skin on their bottom.

The best way to prevent diaper rash is to keep your baby’s bottom clean and dry. To start, change their diapers more often. Wash their skin clean with warm water during each change.

You may want to coat the area with a diaper rash cream or a product containing zinc oxide or petroleum jelly to create a barrier. And instead of putting on a new diaper right away, let your baby go diaper-less for a little while each day so their bottom can fully air dry. If these tips don’t relieve the diaper rash, give your baby's doctor a call.

Read more:

A new parent's guide to baby poop

Age-by-age guide to feeding your baby

How much formula newborns and babies need

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Breastfeeding and Baby Poop - What's Normal? — Leva

While poop is a subject that can make your stomach churn, knowing the normal color, consistency, and frequency of stool can give you a lot of insight into your baby’s health.  If you are breastfeeding, the appearance of the poop can also give you clues as to whether your baby is consuming enough milk. 

What is the normal appearance of poop for breastfed babies?

In the first 24 hours of life, your baby will produce meconium stools – blackish, tar-like poop made from the mucus, amniotic fluid, skin cells, bile, and other materials that he/she consumed in the womb.   The colostrum in breast milk has a slight laxative effect which will help rid the body of this meconium.  In the next 24 hours, your baby should produce another two poop diapers, which will start to become a mustard-colored, pasty poop with the consistency of cottage cheese.  This poop may also contain small amounts of mucus. 

Within three to five days, the poop will take on the typical appearance of breastfed baby poop – a mustard color, seedy in texture with a sweetish scent. 

How often will my breastfed baby poop?

According to studies, there is no "normal."  Some babies may poop after every feeding (5 – 12 times a day), while others may only poop once every three to six days.  One study found that on average, babies poop 3 times a day in the first week, twice a day in the second week, 1.8 times in the third week and 1.5 times a day in the fourth week.  In the second and third month, babies pooped 1.4 times a day, which reduced to 1.2 times a day in the fourth month.  Although it may seem strange, the frequency (or infrequency) of your baby’s bowel movements aren’t a cause for concern, as long as your baby is getting enough to eat and is steadily gaining weight. 

Why does my breastfed baby poop after every feeding?

Pooping after every feed indicates that your baby is getting enough to eat.  Breastfeeding tends to fill the stomach up, stimulating the digestive tract, causing a bowel movement.  In the beginning, you may notice that your baby poops after every feed, but this frequency slows down as her digestive system matures and she settles into a routine.  In the first few weeks of life, it is normal to poop after every feed, or at least once a day.

How do I know if my breastfed baby has diarrhea?

Most breastfed babies produce stools that have a slightly loose or runny consistency.  This occurs because your baby absorbs most of the solids from your breast milk and passes the more liquid components.  However, if your baby is passing stools that are watery or greener than usual, it may be a sign of diarrhea.   Diarrhea in breastfed babies is often caused by a virus and carries the risk of dehydration.  It also often causes a diaper rash.  Contact your doctor for an official diagnosis and a treatment plan.

Why has my breastfed baby stopped pooping?

Breastfed babies rarely get constipation.  Babies usually poop more than once a day in the first few weeks of life. Less than this could indicate that he/she is not getting enough to eat.  At around the age of six weeks to three months, your baby may poop once a day to once every three days, which is normal.  If your baby is not pooping at all, it could be a sign of a health issue.  Other symptoms that could signify a health issue include:

  • Stomach bloating

  • Refusing feeds

  • Excessive crying

  • Fever

Call your doctor if your baby has not had a poop for longer than a week, and is accompanied by the symptoms mentioned above.   

How do I know if my breastfed baby has constipation?

As mentioned before, constipation is rare in breastfed babies.   Babies often look like they are straining during a bowel movement, but this does not indicate constipation.  Straining usually occurs because they spend a lot of time on their backs and don't have gravity to help them expel the stool.

Indications of constipation are:

  • Hard poop.

  • Extreme discomfort and crying during a bowel movement.

  • Bloody and hard stools.

  • Not wanting to feed.

If you notice these symptoms, you may want to visit your doctor, especially if it goes on for a few days.  Breastfed babies generally only develop constipation when solid foods are introduced.  Foods that cause constipation include rice cereals, bananas, cow's milk, and low-fiber carbohydrates such as bread and pasta.

When should I worry about breastfed baby poop?

As long as your baby is pooping consistently – whether after every feed or once every three days, there is no need to worry.  Her stools should also be soft and mustard-colored.   You may need to call your doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms:

  • Her pooping frequency changes abruptly, where she was once pooping after every feed; she now doesn't poop for more than three days.

  • Her poop becomes hard or thicker than the consistency of peanut butter. 

  • You notice the presence of mucus in her diaper.

  • Her stool becomes light-colored or white, signifying a liver issue (or a stomach bug).

  • Her stool is black or red in color – which could indicate bleeding.

In conclusion, knowing the signs of healthy baby poop helps you keep a handle on whether your baby is feeding enough and if there may be indications of an illness.  There is no 'normal' pooping frequency in a breastfed newborn.  Some babies will poop after every feed, while others poop once every three days.  As long as your baby is producing soft, mustard-colored poop with a seedy consistency and is steadily gaining weight, you have nothing to worry about.  

What to do if the child poops after every meal?

A child's stool is one of the most important indicators of the functioning of his digestive system. It perfectly reflects what the baby ate, how much food he ate and how his body reacted to it. That is why young parents need to constantly check the contents of a newborn's diaper or the discharge of an older child.

However, with such control, many mothers ask - why does the child poop after almost every meal, and is this normal? It’s worth starting with the fact that each baby is individual. How many times he defecates can depend on many factors. nine0003

There is no strict standard for this indicator. Of course, constipation or diarrhea are manifestations of indigestion, but there is no need to immediately panic. It is worth understanding the reasons for this phenomenon and consulting with a specialist.

Contents

  • How many times should a baby poop?
  • Age norms for defecation of children
  • Additional criteria for normal stool

How many times should a baby poop?

The first thing young parents should remember is that their child owes nothing to anyone. nine0003

The number of visits to the child's toilet depends on many factors

Moments that directly affect the number of bowel movements in a child are:

  1. Age. The older the child, the less often it defecates;
  2. The degree of development of the digestive system. This is especially noticeable in newborn boys and girls;
  3. Power type. Formula-fed babies poop a little less than breast-fed babies;
  4. Presence of concomitant pathology. A variety of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract can bring an imbalance in the normal mode of defecation from an early age of the baby. nine0012

In connection with these nuances, it is necessary to understand that if a child poops after each meal or 1 time in 2 days, then this may be normal in both cases.

The main criteria by which it is worth evaluating the physiology and "normality" of this process are:

  1. General well-being of the baby. It is necessary to pay attention to the facial expression of the crumbs at the time of defecation, to the sounds that she makes. When instead of the usual groaning there is a loud cry, then something definitely disturbs her; nine0012
  2. Regularity. 8-10 times after each feeding indicates good intestinal motility. However, 1 bowel movement, but every 2 days, is also an indicator of the stability of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The main thing is the well-being of the child;
  3. Presence of pathological impurities. The usual feces are mushy, yellowish in color. If particles of pus, mucus, blood or undigested fragments are found in it, look for it, then you should consult a pediatrician.

Age norms for defecation of children

The older the child, the fewer trips to the toilet should be.

It must be understood that over time, the digestive tract matures more and more and begins to function like in adults. This is manifested by a decrease in the frequency of bowel movements.

To avoid confusion about how many times a baby should poop, there are conditional normative indicators of this process, depending on age.

They look like this:

  • 1-3 months - 10-12 times a day. The child can defecate after each meal;
  • 3-6 months - 4-7 times a day;
  • 6-12 months - 2-3 times;
  • In children after 12 months, defecation occurs on average 1-2 times a day. If a child poops after every meal for a year, then you should carefully monitor his diet. Such an increase in the number of bowel movements may indicate the presence of a disease, so it is better to consult a doctor.

Additional criteria for normal stools

In addition to the number of trips to the toilet, parents need to monitor the nature of the feces. This is especially important during the neonatal period. In the first 3 days, when the baby is still in the hospital, doctors constantly ask mothers if he pooped, and how.

stools in children can be both frequent and not very

Important criteria to pay attention to are: