Did you know it’s totally normal for infants to hold out on pooping for up to TWO WEEKS?! Even though it’s natural, and actually more common in breastfed babies, it can be really uncomfortable for you and your little one. Why does this happen? Babies go through phases where they actually take in all of the nutrients from the milk they’re drinking and have very little waste to poop out. Fortunately, as long as they’re peeing every one to three hours each day, they’re hydrated.
As a new mom, I never imagined how elated I’d feel to see my one month old baby had pooped after a week of not-so-patiently waiting. While she’s usually pretty comfortable in her body, we started to see her becoming increasingly fussy as more days passed. So we waited… and waited… and waited… NINE DAYS. In that time we read countless articles, we went to the pediatrician, we saw a cranio sacral therapist, and we even started grunting at her while holding her over the toilet in a squatting position to try to teach her to grunt and push on her own. All that said, I can’t even tell you how restful her sleep was after she filled her diaper with a very modest poop. I cried from relief, y’all.
So, what are some things you can do when your infant is holding out on pooping? 
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Baby may need help getting the soft tissues of their digestive tract moving. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution built into our natural tendencies as parents- rubbing their bellies! Gently massage their stomachs clockwise in tiny circular motions to jump start the digestive tract. You may hear some gurgles after that.
-
Holding your baby in a squatting position over the toilet. It works? Why?? It’s actually considered the proper pelvic floor posture for pooping with ease.
-
Bicycle legs are a fun way to engage with your baby and to get their bellies stimulated. Lay baby on their back and move their legs as if they were riding a bicycle. I like to sing “Bicycle Race” by Queen as I do it.
-
Sometimes baby needs help stimulating their anal muscles, which are still learning how to work. How can you do this? Using a flexible baby thermometer dipped in olive oil, very gently insert the thermometer into their anus just a quarter of an inch, wiggle ever so slightly, and pull it out again. You might get a blow out, so I highly recommend doing this before bath time.
-
Acupressure points are an easy solution to try. Stomach 36 helps with digestion and bowels and builds immunity. This point is located on baby’s shin, about a kneecap’s length lower than the knee. Massage with gentle pressure in a circular motion for no more than 30 seconds. Repeat 1-3 times/day.
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If you have the means, giving your baby probiotics every other day mixed with breastmilk or formula is really helpful. Aviva Romm recommends Bio-kult for infants.
May your days be filled with many poopy diapers, long nap times, and abundant smiles all around. Here’s to happy, regular babies and their content parents.
Did you know it’s totally normal for infants to hold out on pooping for up to TWO WEEKS?! Even though it’s natural, and actually more common in breastfed babies, it can be really uncomfortable for you and your little one. Why does this happen? Babies go through phases where they actually take in all of the nutrients from the milk they’re drinking and have very little waste to poop out. Fortunately, as long as they’re peeing every one to three hours each day, they’re hydrated.
As a new mom, I never imagined how elated I’d feel to see my one month old baby had pooped after a week of not-so-patiently waiting. While she’s usually pretty comfortable in her body, we started to see her becoming increasingly fussy as more days passed. So we waited… and waited… and waited… NINE DAYS. In that time we read countless articles, we went to the pediatrician, we saw a cranio sacral therapist, and we even started grunting at her while holding her over the toilet in a squatting position to try to teach her to grunt and push on her own. All that said, I can’t even tell you how restful her sleep was after she filled her diaper with a very modest poop. I cried from relief, y’all.
So, what are some things you can do when your infant is holding out on pooping?
-
Baby may need help getting the soft tissues of their digestive tract moving. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution built into our natural tendencies as parents- rubbing their bellies! Gently massage their stomachs clockwise in tiny circular motions to jump start the digestive tract. You may hear some gurgles after that.
-
Holding your baby in a squatting position over the toilet. It works? Why?? It’s actually considered the proper pelvic floor posture for pooping with ease. (Curious about this for yourself? Read our last blog post on pooping in the postpartum!)
-
Bicycle legs are a fun way to engage with your baby and to get their bellies stimulated. Lay baby on their back and move their legs as if they were riding a bicycle. I like to sing “Bicycle Race” by Queen as I do it.
-
Sometimes baby needs help stimulating their anal muscles, which are still learning how to work. How can you do this? Using a flexible baby thermometer dipped in olive oil, very gently insert the thermometer into their anus just a quarter of an inch, wiggle ever so slightly, and pull it out again. You might get a blow out, so I highly recommend doing this before bath time.
-
Acupressure points are an easy solution to try. Stomach 36 helps with digestion and bowels and builds immunity. This point is located on baby’s shin, about a kneecap’s length lower than the knee. Massage with gentle pressure in a circular motion for no more than 30 seconds. Repeat 1-3 times/day.
-
If you have the means, giving your baby probiotics every other day mixed with breastmilk or formula is really helpful. Aviva Romm recommends Bio-kult for infants.
May your days be filled with many poopy diapers, long nap times, and abundant smiles all around. Here’s to happy, regular babies and their content parents.
