Breastfeeding
Bowel movement pattern during breastfeeding
Indy
Our cheerful little boy is now 4 months old and I'm still exclusively breastfeeding him. He's growing well and looks happy and very healthy. Now we do have some doubts about his bowel movements.
The last 3 times there's been more than 2 weeks between them and we've gotten things going with Lactulose.
We got this from the GP during the first time. Last Monday we went back to the GP and she thinks it's a big problem and wants us to give him Lactulose daily for a month. The child health clinic seems hesitant to make a statement and lastly I called a lactation consultant who says that it's no problem if the stool doesn't come for 2 to 3 weeks in healthy, breastfed babies. She says I should wait without Lactulose until he poops on his own.
We've given Lactulose 3x for 2 days now but giving it daily for a month doesn't feel right.
Since he doesn't seem to have any discomfort from it we're not going to follow that advice, so we're going to wait now without Lactulose.
I'd really like to know from breastfeeding moms what the bowel movement pattern is for your babies??
The last 3 times there's been more than 2 weeks between them and we've gotten things going with Lactulose.
We got this from the GP during the first time. Last Monday we went back to the GP and she thinks it's a big problem and wants us to give him Lactulose daily for a month. The child health clinic seems hesitant to make a statement and lastly I called a lactation consultant who says that it's no problem if the stool doesn't come for 2 to 3 weeks in healthy, breastfed babies. She says I should wait without Lactulose until he poops on his own.
We've given Lactulose 3x for 2 days now but giving it daily for a month doesn't feel right.
Since he doesn't seem to have any discomfort from it we're not going to follow that advice, so we're going to wait now without Lactulose.
I'd really like to know from breastfeeding moms what the bowel movement pattern is for your babies??
Replies
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Marije Guest #2
Hi Indy,
I was always told that it's practically impossible for a breastfeeding baby to get constipated (GP, CB nurse, and lactation consultant). Both my kids have had 'issues' (had them). Sometimes there was almost a 3-week gap, and I found it really unpleasant because I was worried they'd be bothered by it. With my oldest, it became more regular around 9 months. With the youngest, it's still very irregular, and there's usually about a 2-week gap.
I never got lactulose prescribed, even though I sometimes wished I could give it. On borstvoeding.com you can find more info about bowel patterns, and you'll also read there that it's really normal to have a 2-week gap.
Greetings,
Marije -
Indy started this #3
Hi Marije,
Thanks so much for your reply, and it’s nice to read that there are more people dealing with this “issue.” I’ve read that it’s probably fine, but people around me still react quite shocked, and breastfeeding moms don’t seem to recognize it. Eventually, you start worrying and on a fussy day, you might think he could be having discomfort.
With your oldest, you might think that the introduction of solid foods could be why they became more regular. How old is your youngest now?
My GP mentioned that if I ignore it, I might be creating problems for later. Do you think your kids currently have bowel issues?
By the way, lactulose is also available without a prescription at the pharmacy.
Best, Indy -
Marije Guest #4
Hi,
That reaction from people around you is so relatable. Sometimes people were genuinely shocked that there was so much time between stools, and I almost felt like a bad mom because I thought it was normal and said so. But luckily, I don't feel that way anymore. I really did a lot of research, and it turns out it's just normal. Two weeks ago, I called the GP because my youngest's (8 months) stool had become very hard. That's probably related to the transition to solid food. According to him, it's no problem right now that there isn't much coming out so often. I notice it's stabilizing now, so I assume it'll become a bit more regular for her too. If I were you, I wouldn't worry as long as he's growing well, has wet diapers, and seems happy. But you notice there are different opinions, even among GPs. I'd give the most weight to the advice of the lactation consultant, since that's the person with the most knowledge and experience about breastfeeding. But that's of course up to you/you all to decide.
Best,
Marije -
Indy started this #5
Yes, I also value the lactation consultant's advice the most, partly because our little boy just looks so cheerful and healthy.
We'll just wait and see how long it takes for him to poop on his own, without lactulose.
Anyway, thank you so much for your reply, it's nice!
Greetings, Indy -
Indy started this #6
Today marks exactly 3 weeks since our little guy pooped without showing any signs of discomfort... Are there any other people with similar experiences???
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