“Normal” pooping in babies
![When it comes to pooping and babies, you should be concerned with frequency and consistency. Babies may struggle with pooping due to dehydration, they anticipate discomfort or pain, or they experience infant dyschezia.](https://images.medicinenet.com/images/article/main_image/baby-crying-while-pooping.jpg)
Newbabieshave a lot to adjust to once they leave the womb. As your new baby begins adietofbreast milkor formula, theirdigestive systemmight not produce consistent bowel movements immediately. Therefore,constipationin newborns, also known as infant dyschezia, is normal.
Fortunately, it can oftentimes be treated at home.
During the first days of your baby’s life, they will have very dark,sticky stoolsthat are called meconium. Your baby has been storing this kind of poop in their system since before they were born.
As your child starts to drink breast milk or formula, the meconium is pushed out of the intestinal tract and clears within a few days. Then, your baby’s stools should be tan, yellow, green, or a combination of these colors.
These first poops shouldn’t be very stinky, but they might smell a little cheesy. First stools will have the consistency of pudding, scrambled eggs, or something similar, with a lot of little seed-like particles.
When it comes to pooping and babies, you should be concerned with frequency and consistency. After the first few days, your baby should have between two and five soft poops within a 24-hour period. This is considered typical for the first 6 weeks. It’s possible for healthy babies to poop more or less than this as long as they’re not showing any other signs ofconstipation.
After 6 weeks of life, your baby’s bowel movements will probably decrease. If your baby is gaining weight and seems happy, it can be normal for them to poop anywhere from multiple times a day to just once a week.
Normal pooping for each baby is different! What you’re feeding your baby will affect the consistency of their stools, especially once you introduce solids into theirdiet.
Signs of constipation in babies
If your child is constipated, they could show physical signs or exhibit discomfort in their behavior.
Symptoms of mildconstipationyou can try to treat at home include:
- Your baby’s stools are hard, dry, and crumbly. They may look like marbles.
- Your baby is crying while pooping and visibly uncomfortable while trying to poop. It’s normal for babies to strain, but not to be inpain.
- Your baby’s poop orgasis unusually stinky.
- Your baby is eating noticeably less.
- Your baby’s belly is hard to the touch.
Check your baby’s anus if you think they have infant dyschezia. If their stools are hard enough, they can produce small tears in the anus that can bleed and cause more discomfort.
If constipation is serious, you should get in touch with your healthcare provider or emergency care immediately. Serious signs of constipation include the following:
- Your baby is throwing up.
- Your baby has afever.
- Your baby is lethargic.
- Your baby has a swollen stomach.
- Your baby has bloody stools.
Causes of constipation in babies
Constipation in babies can happen for a number of reasons. For small babies, it’s typically because they aren’t getting enough fluids. As they get older, they might try to avoid bowel movements because they anticipate discomfort andpain.
Infant dyschezia can also happen because your new baby doesn’t know exactly how to work their body. Your baby’s stomach muscles need to tighten while their butt muscles relax in order to poop. Some babies struggle to coordinate initially.
Treating constipation in babies
It can be nerve-wracking to try and treat constipation in yournewborn的孩子。不要给他们治疗,除非it has been prescribed or recommended by your healthcare provider. If your baby takes breast milk, you may need to feed them more often. If your baby takes formula, pay attention to how you prepare their bottles:
- Are you closely following the directions on the package?
- 你把足够的水瓶子里吗?
- Are you using the scoop that came with the formula? Note that different brands of formula may use different-sized scoops.
- Are you packing the formula powder tightly into the scoop? Make sure it’s full of loose, leveled powder.
- Are you adding the powdered formula into the bottle before the water? Add the water first to make sure you’re using the correct amount of water.
If you have only recently begun introducing solids into your baby’s diet, try these things to encourage regular bowel movements:
- Encourage them to drink water or watered-down juice in between meals.
- Offer pureed or chopped fruits and vegetables with every meal, including stewed apricots, stewed prunes, or steamed vegetables.
- When possible, add water to your baby’s solid food.
On top of these tips, you can try:
- Moving your baby’s legs around as if they were riding a bike to promote movement in their bowels
- Giving your baby a gentle tummy massage
- Bathing your baby in warm water to help their muscles relax. Note that if this works, your baby will poop in the bathwater
- Holding your baby’s legs in a frog-leg or squat position
It can take a few weeks or even a few months for constipation to disappear. It is hard to watch your child struggle with this, but it may just be a matter of waiting for them to learn how to use their new body. Remember that grunts and visible pushing will stop as your baby becomes more practiced with pooping.
![](https://images.medicinenet.com//images/slideshow/healthy_eating_s1_family_eating_healthy.jpg)
SLIDESHOW
Parenting Guide: Healthy Eating for KidsSee SlideshowSeek help
You can ask your healthcare provider to check to see how your baby is doing. Be prepared to answer questions about their sleeping routine, eating habits, and developmental milestones. You should also offer information about your baby’s behavior while they are trying to poop, like if they strain or cry for an extended period of time before successfully producing a bowel movement.
If your baby is less than six weeks old and is seriously constipated, you should visit your healthcare provider to make sure it isn’t a sign of an underlying condition. Trust your instincts, no matter what age your baby is. You know best what is normal and abnormal when it comes to your child.
Health News
- Young Kids Eating Too Few Greens, Drinking Too Much Soda
- Complication Risks Rise in Pregnancies Among the Very Young
- Moderna Will Offer Free COVID Shots to Uninsured After Emergency Ends
- Two Vaccines May Soon Shield Seniors Against RSV
- Bruce Willis Diagnosed With Frontotemporal Dementia
More Health News »
Health SolutionsFrom Our Sponsors
Children's Wisconsin. "Infants straining to move bowels."
Kids Health. "How Can I Tell if My Baby Is Constipated?"
La Leche League International. "Constipation."
Pregnancy Birth & Baby. "Constipation in babies."
Top Why Do Babies Struggle Pooping Related Articles
Boost Digestive Health
Upset stomach? Some foods may be the culprits, and bad habits may be to blame. Treat your body right with these simple nutrition tips on how to deal with with diarrhea, gas, reflux, and more digestive ailments.Can You Still Poop With Impacted Feces?
Digestion is the process of breaking down food in the gut so that it is in easily absorbable forms. The food travels from the mouth to the food pipe, stomach, small bowel, and large bowel to be finally eliminated through the anus. The small bowel (small intestine) absorbs nutrients from the food.Constipation
Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low-fiber diets, laxative abuse, and hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.Constipation Myths and Facts
Constipation results in fewer bowel movements. Laxatives, home remedies, and diet changes may bring constipation relief. Change habits that constipate you and adopt lifestyle changes to benefit your intestines and bowel. Bloating and chronic constipation are relieved with the right medical treatments.Constipation: Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid Quiz
Take this quiz to find out what foods to eat, and what foods to avoid to prevent or relieve constipation.Poop Type and Color
The different shapes and colors of your stool can tell you something about your health.How Can I Relieve My Baby's Constipation Fast?
学习最好的10家为缓解infa补救措施nt constipation, which include providing hydration, adding high-fiber foods to your baby’s diet, and giving warm baths.How Much Prune Juice Should I Drink to Poop?
Digestive problems are one of the common health complaints. Constipation is the most common digestive problem in the United States. It is defined as the occurrence of three or fewer bowel movements that are difficult to pass in a week. The stools in constipation are dry, lumpy, and hard.Is Green Poop a Sign of Infection?
Green poop may or may not be a sign of infection. The normal color of poop is brown, due to the bile pigment present in it. Any other color (green, red, black) needs attention. Abnormal colored poop may be due to changes in food habits, medicines or underlying medical causes.The Truth About Poop: Test Your IQ
Everyone does it, but no one talks about poop! What do changes in your poop mean? Take this quiz to learn about how your body functions!12 Foods to Eat to Relieve Constipation
Constipation is a common problem, and almost everyone has been constipated at one time or another. There are foods that can help prevent constipation and also provide relief, for example, kiwi, prunes, beans (your choice of type), berries, certain seeds, potatoes, and popcorn.15 Foods That Cause Constipation
Constipation or the decrease in frequency and/or difficulty in passing stools (bowel movements) can be caused by a variety of problems. Check out these top 15 foods to avoid because they cause constipation. Some foods to avoid include, white rice and bread, caffeine, bananas, alcohol, processed foods, and frozen dinners.What Should I Do If My Poop Is Green?
Learn why your poop is green and what you can do to treat it. Black, bright red, and pencil-thin stools are red flags for colon cancer. Other signs and symptoms of colon cancer include changes in bowel habits such as diarrhea and constipation.When Is Green Poop a Sign of Infection?
Green poop is a common issue, but sometimes it's a sign of infection. Learn green stool's signs, causes, and treatment options. Black poop is usually a common condition, but may signify underlying medical conditions.When Should You Worry About Your Baby’s Poop?
You may need to worry about your baby’s poop when it is abnormal in terms of consistency, color, quantity and other factors.