A newborn goes to the toilet often. How many times a day should a newborn baby poop?

Whether your newborn baby is healthy can be judged by his surprises in diapers. So, how many times a day should a newborn poop and everything about baby excrement you will learn from our article.

Infant and his stool

Baby feces - important indicator his well-being. How much should a newborn poop and its contents: their color, consistency, volume and inclusions are the main indicators of the functioning of the digestive organs. Whether the food is suitable for the baby, whether it is enough, whether your baby is healthy - all this can be understood by the state of the stool.

Having discovered minor changes, is it necessary to rush to the doctor or is this how it should be? It is important to know what they can be feces child and pay attention to it.

Before being born, the baby is fed through the umbilical cord. The intestines and stomach are formed in such a way that they can only process liquid food. When a baby is born, fetal food is present in the baby's gastrointestinal tract.

When the baby comes into this world, it is immediately placed on the mother’s breast. This is done so that the newborn drinks at least a little colostrum, which contains the mass useful substances. It is colostrum that contributes to the normal start of bowel function.

When a baby is born, his stool is green, brown or even black and is called meconium. It may contain patches of mucus and lumps - this is how food that was digested in the womb comes out.

In the maternity hospital, doctors and nurses always ask whether there is any blood in the baby’s stool, and whether he pooped within 12 hours after birth? This indicates normal development baby and the full formation of its digestive system.

How many times should a newborn poop at 1-6 months?

Each baby is already an individual, therefore, the concept of “norm” is very relative. All babies have their own bowel cleansing routine. Some babies need to poop often, while others poop once a day - this is the rule.

The following factors influence how many times a newborn should poop:

  • specifics of digestion;
  • type of infant feeding;
  • health status of the baby;
  • type of delivery.

If the newborn is on breastfeeding, it has a laxative property, so the baby may poop at every feeding. Thus, you can calculate how many times a newborn poops on average per day - there are 10 feedings, therefore, there are also 7-10 acts of bowel movements.

We figured out how many times a newborn should poop on breastfeeding children. artificial feeding? With this option, the number of bowel movements is reduced, since the substitute formula takes longer to be absorbed by the child’s body. A newborn on artificial feeding can poop up to 5 times per day.

The number of bowel movements in infants is determined by the type of food (feeding). If a baby eats breast milk substitutes, they will feel the need less often than babies who are breastfed.

How much should a 1 month old baby poop?

The baby was born, digestion began to work, the newborn’s first stool was meconium. The baby is able to poop 5-6 times a day. After five days, the baby begins to determine its own bowel movement rhythm. One month old baby poops 5 to 10 times.

Newborns may poop during or after feeding. A newborn's stool becomes less frequent as the woman transitions from colostrum, with its laxative properties, to mature milk.

How much should a 2 month old baby poop?

Digestion is improved, intestinal function is normalized. And the baby began to have fewer bowel movements because he had established individual mode. Two month old baby feels the need about five times. But, if your baby poops only once in two days, then this is also considered a personal norm. But it is important to remember that the act of defecation should take place without effort and tears.

How much should a 3 month old baby poop?

The baby is growing up and has bowel movements less often: 1-2 times every 5 days, and 3-5 times a day. If the baby infancy Since he eats exclusively mother's milk, he can go 3-4 days without pooping. There is no reason to worry here, because this means that your milk is very suitable for the baby and is being digested well.

How older child, the less often it is emptied: by 6 months the number of bowel movements is reduced: 2–3 times a day; by one year - the child poops 1-2 times.

Therefore, how often should a newborn poop, that is, the number of bowel movements, is the personal regimen of each baby. The main criteria for a “normal” frequency are:

  1. regular and painless stool;
  2. stool without blood (pathological inclusions);
  3. the baby is in excellent health;
  4. The baby is gaining weight.

Changes in stool in a newborn during breastfeeding and IV

Depending on the type of food your baby eats, his feces may vary.

Defecation of a baby while breastfeeding

The stool of a breastfed newborn is caused by the following phenomena:

  • mom’s diet if she is breastfeeding;
  • amount of breast milk;
  • the correctness of the feeding itself.

In order not to cause her baby additional discomfort in the ventricle, the mother needs to follow a rational diet, because the baby’s well-being depends on what the mother eats. It is recommended to exclude: fatty, too salty or sweet foods, as well as foods that can cause an allergic reaction.

Violation of the basics of the feeding process itself (for example, quickly changing breasts during one feeding) can provoke “hungry” greenish liquid stool. Thus, the mother deprives the child of the most nutritious and fatty milk (hind milk), which can only receive the first milk (fore milk), which is not very fatty.

Therefore, experts who deal with breastfeeding issues recommend feeding the baby from one breast for more than 20 minutes and not rushing to change it during one feeding.

At natural feeding Mother's milk, which has a laxative property, softens the stool. The baby poops intensely: after every meal (it also happens during the meal). Newborn stools are usually golden-colored yellow color with a greenish tint and a sour smell (this aroma indicates milk feeding). They are not hard, and look like rare puree soup or liquid sour cream.

The stool of a breastfed newborn changes as it grows. How long should a breastfed newborn poop? Month old baby poops every time after breastfeeding. By the end of the second month, the baby poops half as much, and the third - every day or every other day. Changes in stool frequency in newborns are associated with the renewal of mother's milk, the development of digestion and the production of necessary enzymes.

Breastfed babies may not have bowel movements for up to several days.

The following factors must be taken into account:

  1. Is your child restless?
  2. whether the gases are actively leaving;
  3. whether the baby is gaining weight in accordance with the norm;
  4. whether sufficient urine is being produced;
  5. When passing stool, is its volume normal, and is there a putrid smell?

How does a baby poop while being fed artificially?

When replacing human milk, baby feces may change in the following cases:

  • when changing an adapted substitute mixture;
  • with the physiological development of the digestive organs.

Artificial formulas are designed so that their composition is similar to breast milk, but they are processed and absorbed differently. These differences can also be observed when babies defecate.

Is the stool thicker in consistency and darker in color: yellow, light brown and even brown, is the smell unpleasant and more pronounced? Probably, decay processes predominate. The number of bowel movements in such children is reduced by almost half, and they may be irregular. This is due to the density of feces; they linger in the intestines for long time and influence how many times a day a newborn should poop.

Because of this, babies who eat formula are more susceptible to constipation. Normally, the body needs to cleanse itself at least once a day. Retention of stool during this time is a reason to start using preventive methods.

Frequently changing baby formulas is not good for children, nor is an incorrectly selected diet. This may result in constipation or, conversely, increased bowel movements.

Stool characteristics: volume, consistency, color, smell

Volume and consistency of baby stool

From the first days of a baby’s life, doctors advise young parents to monitor not only how often the child poops, but also the quantity and consistency of feces.

Let's consider how and how many times a newborn should poop if his health is normal. The volume of feces excreted will depend on how much the baby eats mother's milk or an adapted formula.

In the first month of life, an infant poops a little: approximately 5 g at a time. This is about 15-20 g per day. The more he eats, the larger the volume of the newborn’s stool: in six months the volume doubles, and in a year it is about 100-200 g.

The volume of children's feces is also determined by the number of times it is used, i.e. You can poop copiously, but rarely, or you can poop not very copiously, but often.

Parents need to worry if their child has watery stool more than 12 times a day. If a baby poops once in 5 days, but appearance feces are fine and the baby good mood– your baby has no impairments.

The volume of baby feces indicates whether the baby has enough milk. In this case, weight gain must be taken into account. From the second week of life, the toddler gains on average 150 g per day.

The consistency of feces can also be used to judge the health of the baby. Normally, baby feces have a mushy appearance. This is a liquid or more or less thick homogeneous mass.

It may contain a small number of whitish lumps. When you start eating complementary foods, your baby's feces change. A newborn's stool takes on shape and becomes denser as it grows older.

The consistency of baby feces in bottle-fed children is thicker, this is due to their long passage through the colon.

The color of infant feces and their smell

Typically, feces in children are yellowish in color or have the following shades: from light, golden to yellowish-brown and actually brown.

In a baby's first days, his stool (meconium) appears dark green. Chair one month old baby acquire a yellowish-brown tint. After three months, the stool already has a brownish color with a mustard tone.

As you grow older, fecal matter changes its color – it darkens. This happens with the start of introducing complementary foods or switching to adapted mixtures. U one year old baby the stool has a color similar to that of an adult: dark brown.

Green-tinged stool

Young parents may be wary green tint children's feces. But this color turns out to be the norm. Let's look at why this happens.

The factor that determines the greenish color of stool is bilirubin, a bile pigment. This is especially noticeable during treatment physiological jaundice newborn At this point, bilirubin is actively released due to the breakdown of the mother's hemoglobin. And the stool becomes greener.

You may observe that yellow stool turns green in a matter of minutes when exposed to air. The reason for this is still the same bilirubin. Up to 6–9 months, this substance can be released with bowel movements until its microflora is fully formed.

Parents need to know the following and pay attention to it. U infant there was no green stool, and suddenly it became like that, or did mucus and streaks of a greenish tint appear? In this case, the baby may not have enough mother’s milk, an infection has appeared, or a digestive disorder has occurred.

Smell in diapers

In the first days after the baby is born, his stool does not smell. Later it acquires a sour aroma. The stool of babies who are fed breast milk has an unobtrusive odor, while the stool of babies fed with artificial formula is rather unpleasant, but not pungent or foul-smelling.

Impurities or inclusions

In feces infants impurities may occur.

  1. White lumps are not completely digested mother's milk or a mixture. Lumps similar to cottage cheese may be present in the stool due to overeating of the child or high fat content of the mother's milk. They may also indicate an unformed gastrointestinal system or a lack of enzymes. In children artificial nutrition- about an inaccurately selected or incorrectly diluted mixture. The presence of a small number of whitish lumps in children's excrement is considered normal if other characteristics of the stool have not changed and the child is gaining weight and feels great.
  2. Slime. Since there is mucus in the intestines, it is often observed in the feces of the child. This happens because the gastrointestinal tract is maturing. If there are no colic or bloating, then this can be considered normal.
  3. Undigested leftover food. When complementary foods are introduced, food residues may be observed in the baby's feces. It is necessary to wait until the stomach adapts to digest dense food, this may take a week. But, if at the time of defecation the child strains or cries a lot, it may be worth postponing this complementary feeding for a while.
  4. Blood and pus. They should not be contained in the feces of infants. If they appear, it is necessary to urgently visit a pediatrician, since their presence may indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal system or other organs.

It is necessary to understand that the options for performance standards baby chair there are many. And be sure to keep an eye on the contents of the diaper! But you also need to take into account general state baby, if nothing bothers him, then even deviations from the norm can be attributed to the individuality of your baby.

Pathological changes in stool and methods of treatment

In this section of the article, we will consider pathological abnormalities of stool in children and ways of treating them.

Deviations include a change in the number of bowel movements, and this is:

  • constipation (stool retention);
  • diarrhea (diarrhea);
  • irregular bowel movements.

Parents should also pay attention to any changes in stool: volume, consistency, color, etc.

Fecal retention in children

Constipation is the absence or delay of colon cleansing, which is accompanied by difficulty during bowel movements. In this case, the baby may be restless, refuse to eat, regurgitate, and gases may accumulate in his intestines. So, how many times a day should a child poop so that he does not suffer from constipation?

Signs by which you can determine that a baby under one year old has constipation:

  1. defecation delay for a day or more;
  2. the child has difficulty defecating and may cry or even scream;
  3. unsuccessful attempts to push - the baby tries to empty the intestines, but nothing works: feces do not come out;
  4. very dense (“sheep”) stool.

There are some reasons for fecal retention in early age By identifying them, you can quickly navigate and help the baby.

Causes of constipation in infants:

  • the baby does not consume enough mother's milk;
  • immaturity or the presence of pathologies of the digestive organs;
  • disorders when feeding a child ( early complementary feeding, adapted milk formula or cow's milk is not suitable);
  • diseases that are concomitant in nature (these may be diseases such as rickets, diseases of the nervous system);
  • small exercise stress on the baby’s body (baby’s passivity).

How to relieve a child's condition when he retains stool?

Does your child suffer from constipation? This happens because the intestines are not functioning completely normally. Failures happen, and they are the cause of tears, whims and pain in young children.

In the fight against stool retention in infants, it is important to understand the cause of such an unpleasant phenomenon. Once installed, you can select complex treatment for the baby, which would include the following points:

  1. correction of the mother’s diet or change of the adapted formula;
  2. correct and timely introduction complementary foods;
  3. walks in the open air;
  4. gymnastics;
  5. massage;
  6. introduction of water into the diet.

If constipation occurs unexpectedly, and it is not permanent, then you can help the baby in the following way. Wait until the baby begins to strain, trying to poop, press the legs to the navel and hold in this position for 10 seconds, while lightly pressing them against the tummy.

Rub your belly later in a circular motion clockwise near the navel, repeat this procedure if necessary. Place something warm on the tummy (for example, an ironed diaper) or carry it in your arms, holding the baby's tummy close to you.

Your baby hasn't pooped? Then you can try to empty the intestines by stimulating anus. To do this, insert into the anus cotton swab, syringe tip or gas outlet pipe, lubricated with baby oil or cream.

To speed up this process, the baby can be placed on his tummy. It should be noted that all procedures must be done very carefully and carefully so as not to cause additional pain to the baby.

You can also help your child with the help of children's glycerin suppositories or give a laxative microenema. An enema for cleansing can also be done at home; for this you need to take a small syringe (pre-disinfect) and boiled water at 19-22°C.

If problems such as constipation common occurrence your baby, don’t try to help him poop all the time with different methods. In this case, consult your pediatrician.

To prevent constipation in newborns, be sure to place the baby on his tummy (before meals and throughout the day). Massage your tummy or simply stroke it clockwise. Play the game “Airplane” with him: it’s fun, active and good for digestion.

Diarrhea (diarrhea) in infants

Diarrhea is indigestion or increased frequency of bowel movements. The stool has a thin consistency and may be watery, foamy, and contain flakes, mucus, pus, or streaks of green and even blood.

It is worth drawing the attention of parents to the fact that it is necessary to compare the number of bowel movements not with generally accepted standards, but with the number of bowel movements your child has. If your child normally pooped 4 times a day, but today he pooped “big” - 8 times, carefully read the information below.

Does your child poop often?

Diarrhea is a common problem among babies in the first year of life, and parents should be prepared for such a problem. If measures are not taken in time and not treated, stool disorder can lead to dehydration of the baby’s body, as well as cause intoxication.

Diarrhea may be accompanied elevated temperature and others unpleasant symptoms(vomiting, profuse regurgitation, pain, discharge unusual for children's feces: copious mucus, greens or blood). Let's look at the most common causes of diarrhea in a child.

Diarrhea occurs without fever or other symptoms and can be caused by:

  • violation of the diet (this includes the nutrition of the nursing mother and the baby itself);
  • dysbacteriosis (while taking medications: antipyretic or antibacterial);
  • teething (may be accompanied by fever);
  • intolerance of the baby’s body to certain substances (gluten, lactose or others);
  • unhealthy psycho-emotional state baby (stress);
  • moving to another climate zone.

Diarrhea occurs with fever and other pathological symptoms, it calls:

  1. intestinal infection;
  2. children's infectious diseases(scarlet fever, measles, rubella);
  3. other pathological diseases.

In this case, you must immediately contact your pediatrician or call an ambulance.

If diarrhea is accompanied by fever and other symptoms, then this is alarm signal! Prolonged diarrhea is very dangerous phenomenon. The baby’s well-being weakens faster, and the likelihood of dehydration and intoxication of the body increases.

How to help a baby with diarrhea?

To relieve the condition little man Here are some recommendations for nutrition and treatment of digestive disorders.

  • Compliance with drinking regime. Adequate fluid intake. If the baby is fed with mother's milk, feeding on demand. In case of acute diarrhea, give the little one 1 tsp of boiled water. every 5 minutes.
  • Diet. Correction of diet. Monitoring breastfeeding and reviewing the mother’s diet. When artificial feeding, calculate the amount of feeding depending on the weight of the baby. If complementary foods are introduced, temporarily abandon them. For older children, a strict diet: tea, potatoes, rice, crackers or bagels.
  • Medicines (as prescribed by a doctor). Gels for teeth, antipyretics, drugs like Smecta or Polysorb, enzymes and probiotics.

Irregular bowel movements in a baby

Irregular bowel movements are the replacement of healthy bowel movements with constipation and/or diarrhea, as well as the replacement of constipation with diarrhea. Common reasons for this phenomenon include:

  1. poor nutrition of infants;
  2. intestinal dysbiosis.

Intermittent bowel movements make it difficult to know how much a newborn should poop. And they can talk about prolonged constipation: long time there is no bowel movement, and after them a lot of liquid comes out.

In case of irregular bowel cleansing, it is necessary:

  • reconsider the baby’s nutritional pattern (if necessary, for the mother);
  • eliminate errors in food;
  • avoid overfeeding;
  • give food according to age.

If you followed these steps and did not get results - bowel regularity has not improved, contact your pediatrician.

You should also call your doctor immediately if:

  1. The baby has black stool, and you did not take iron supplements.
  2. The presence of scarlet blood is observed in the feces.
  3. High fever, child is diarrhea and vomiting.
  4. From anus pink mucus is released.
  5. The baby's skin and eyes have become yellow tint, and the stool is colorless.

If there is something alarming about your child’s stool, even a minor detail, it’s better to check with your pediatrician to sleep more peacefully.

Parents are very worried about the health of a baby up to one year old, because the baby is so defenseless and susceptible to various diseases. His organs are still immature and do not work like those of adults. It is important to recognize problems as early as possible so as not to harm the child’s body.

How much should a newborn baby poop?

Abnormal stool small child- This is a serious illness accompanied by pain in the abdomen. This problem is especially troubling for newborns. Young mothers are concerned about this problem and often ask how much a newborn should poop and for what reasons bowel movements occur.

There is no need to sound the alarm if your baby poops every other day or, conversely, several times in one day. Each organism is purely individual, and accordingly, the rhythm of bowel movements is also different for all babies. However, if the child has not pooped for more than a week, then you should be wary. Lack of stool can occur for the following 6 reasons:

  1. The abdominal anterior wall is not fully developed;
  2. Weak intestinal peristalsis;
  3. Stress in a baby;
  4. Introduction of a new food product;
  5. A sharp transition from mother's breast milk to artificial nutrition;
  6. Incorrect formula or nutrition for a nursing mother.

Constipation is very difficult for a small baby to bear. For this reason, he may lose sleep and appetite. To alleviate the baby’s condition, appropriate procedures are required.

  • In order to soften the abdominal wall, you need to massage the baby's tummy. This must be done clockwise;
  • It is necessary to provide the child with a calm environment;
  • If the baby is fed on breast milk, then the mother should change her diet. Also, a small amount of prunes eaten by a woman will help the baby poop. But, you should not neglect it, as this can cause bloating or diarrhea;
  • If the intestines stop emptying after changing the diet, then you should try to feed the child one formula for a certain period;
  • You need to see a doctor. Typically, your pediatrician will prescribe enemas for bowel movements.

Don't panic if your newborn doesn't poop for less than a day or several days. There are certain norms for bowel movements of a child who has only recently been born.

How many times a day should a newborn poop?

The frequency of bowel movements directly depends on the type of food the baby eats. It is extremely rare that problems with stool appear in those children who are breastfed; they can poop up to seven times in 24 hours, and this is the absolute norm. While babies who are fed breast milk can go to the toilet up to four times in one day. It is also worth paying attention to how the child pooped, that is, the consistency. In children who are more than 1 month old, such a problem as rare and frequent stool.

  • Rare stool is when a child does not poop for a long time. For a breastfed baby, the norm is once a day, and for bottle-fed babies - once every two or three days. If the baby’s intestines do not empty for longer than this time, then stool is rare. An enema should be given only in a situation where the child is crying and straining;
  • Frequent bowel movements are when a baby poops at a minimum interval of more than seven times a day, both breastfeeding and artificial feeding. The very fact that the baby poops often should not be alarming. Perhaps he has a fast metabolism or a good appetite. However, it is not normal if the consistency foams or has Strong smell and a greenish tint. In this case, you need to make an appointment with a doctor and reconsider your diet. Sometimes constipation is accompanied by fever.

As already mentioned, each baby’s intestines work differently. In itself, rare and frequent bowel movements should not be alarming. First of all, you need to monitor the baby’s condition.

How should a newborn poop?

If the newborn's intestines are working well, then they should empty themselves after each feeding. However, due to unhealthy diets and the fact that many young mothers refuse to breastfeed, this phenomenon is extremely rare. Typically, your baby poops once every 24 hours or several days a week.

After the child has reached the age of 3 weeks, he has already fully adapted to the new world for him. At this age and up to 6 weeks inclusive, the norm for him is if he poops from 5 to 20 times a day.

After six weeks of birth, you may have fewer bowel movements. It is already normal for a child to poop once a day. In such cases, doctors say that it is absolutely normal if a newborn baby has bowel movements five times a day, and, conversely, once every five days. Here it all depends individual characteristics body. The exception is those children who are on artificial milk, since the mixture is difficult to absorb in the body. Therefore, it is necessary that the intestines are cleansed at least once a day.

The baby must poop after birth; the first stool is usually called meconium. It consists of what the fetus absorbed while in the mother's belly. The norm is if it has a greenish-black tint, this means that the intestines are well developed and fully functioning.

Newborn farts but doesn't poop

The absolute exception to all situations is if the child does not poop, but farts. In this case, you can immediately exclude all diseases associated with the functioning of the stomach and intestines. You just need to wait until the baby poops. As a rule, the baby’s tummy will not hurt and there will be no bloating, as gases leave the body. In order to speed up the process of bowel movements, you should stroke your baby’s belly and give him boiled water to drink.

When should you visit a doctor?

The pediatrician deals with problems with the baby's stool. You need to visit him urgently if:

  • The child's stomach hurts from constipation, he cries constantly, he has completely lost sleep and appetite;
  • The baby's tummy is swollen and rumbling sounds are heard from it;
  • The baby started vomiting;
  • Increased body temperature;

You should consult a doctor not only if you have constipation, but also if you have a strange consistency after bowel movement. For example, a newborn baby's stool should be in the form of mush. It is absolutely not normal if there are any seals in it. You should also be wary if the impurity has a green tint or bloody appearance.

The most difficult situation is if the child has no stool and no gas at the same time. Thus, he develops bloating, which is accompanied by unpleasant painful sensations.

As a rule, how much a newborn should poop depends on many factors. First of all, it is necessary to comply proper nutrition and select a quality mixture. You need to be patient and help your baby overcome this small illness.

Video

1 month old baby doesn't poop Newborn does not sleep and cries What weight should a baby weigh at 3 months?

Good day, dear moms and dads! Only you know how impatiently you can wait for the birth of your baby. No doubt you prepared for his birth, bought a dowry, and waited.

And then this happy moment came, but along with boundless joy came a feeling of confusion and anxiety. After all, in the maternity hospital there were nurses and doctors nearby who could examine the child and help you with Hard time, and now you are alone. And, for some reason, everything is different.

How can you tell if everything is fine with your baby, if he gets enough milk at the right time, or if he is healthy? The baby can’t tell you about this yet, but he does a very good job of showing you his condition. You just have to learn to understand the baby’s behavior and actions, his desires and needs.

Today we will talk about How much should newborns poop? A child’s stool, to some extent, can indicate the state of his health, how his digestive system. Whether the food you offer him is suitable for your baby will also be evident from the quality of his stool. So, let's take it in order.

What stool is considered normal for a newborn?

Depending on what the baby and his mother eat, the color of the stool changes. If a newborn baby is fed only breast milk, it will be any shade of yellow and green. For example, if mother eats at large quantities plant foods, which is commendable and correct, the color of the baby’s stool may be green. This is all considered an acceptable norm.

In babies who are fed formula, the color of the stool may be darker, mustard brown, and even have bad smell. The most important thing is that the baby is cheerful and calm. The consistency of stool in newborns should be mushy. What kind of stool should be clear, but how much should a newborn poop? - This is a question that concerns caring parents.

Normal frequency of bowel movements per day in newborns

If we talk about how many times a newborn poops, then, naturally, there is no and cannot be a single norm. In the first month of life, a baby can poop up to 7-10 times a day, and this happens exactly that many times. Note that bottle-fed babies poop less often than those babies who are breastfed.

It happens that it doesn’t suit the baby nutritional mixture, and he may have stool retention for up to two days. If the child is not bothered by gases, the tummy is soft and the child behaves quite calmly, no measures should be taken for now.

Retention of stool - constipation in a newborn

Many children experience this at the end of the first month of life. Caring mothers immediately begin to worry and grab enemas and suppositories, thinking that the child is constipated. Although in fact, the reason is that the newborn’s digestive system adjusts its work and sometimes a slight delay in bowel movements is possible.

Just wait and everything will work out on its own. Of course, only on condition that the baby feels normal: there is no bloating, he has a good appetite.

If, when changing a diaper, you see feces in solid form, then there is a high probability that the child is constipated and measures need to be taken:

  • reconsider your diet if your baby is breastfed;
  • change the milk formula for artificial babies;
  • Consult your pediatrician about your next steps.

Frequent bowel movements - diarrhea in a newborn

As we have already said, in the first month the baby may poop every time he eats, and this does not at all mean that he has diarrhea. Yet again. We carefully look at the quality of the chair.

If the place is very liquid, you can even say watery stool, then most likely it really is diarrhea (diarrhea). This condition is dangerous because it can lead to dehydration. child's body and as a consequence, .

By the way, your pediatrician will be interested in how much a newborn baby poops at every appointment. Be sure to tell the doctor what color the baby’s stool is and how often he walks, this is very important for proper monitoring of the baby’s health. Do not hesitate to ask the doctor questions that interest you and for which you have not found answers.

Good health to your child, and to you, patience and understanding.

In this article we will answer the question of young mothers: How many times should a newborn baby poop.

Most young mothers begin to panic when the child’s behavior changes; they often ask questions: does the baby have enough milk, is he too hot or cold, how many times should a newborn baby poop, etc.

So, let's look at the question posed...

In general, a child’s stool tends to change; sometimes the child poops 8–10 times a day, sometimes he doesn’t go to the toilet for several days.

What is the norm?

Since all children are different, the concept of normality does not exist here. You should keep an eye on your baby to see if anything is bothering him, whether he has a good appetite, whether his belly is soft, whether he is in a good mood, etc. The type and frequency of your baby's stool is influenced by the type of feeding. If your baby is breastfed, he may poop up to 7 times a day and this is normal. My children were breastfed, and the frequency of going to the toilet was approximately the same.

Mostly in children of this age, the stool has a uniform consistency, it can be either liquid or mushy, but it should not be hard. It is important that you monitor your child’s stool; there should be no lumps, mucus, or blood in the baby’s discharge (if you find any of the above, in this case you need to consult a doctor, as the child may have some kind of disease).

Sometimes it happens…

It happens that a breastfed baby poops once every two days and there is nothing wrong with that (unless, of course, he is capricious and has a hard belly), his body simply absorbs mother’s milk well. If a child has difficulty walking, he often cries, strains, and all this is to no avail, then this is constipation.

How to deal with this problem?

First of all, you need to look at what the child’s mother eats, namely, include laxative foods in the diet. You can also use an enema, but remember the volume of water should not exceed 30 ml. and the water temperature should be room temperature. And one more nuance: you should not do an enema often, as this can aggravate the problem of constipation. Massaging the intestinal area (clockwise) helps a lot, as does placing the baby on his tummy. You can’t listen to grandmothers and shove bars of soap into your child, as this can affect the intestinal microflora.

If our children were constipated, they cried, refused to feed, arched, well, in general it was terrible, then the wife took an ear stick (having previously chosen the one with the smallest cotton head) and coated it with baby cream and thereby forced her son or daughter to poop. Instead of a bar of soap! There was an effect! But I’ll say right away that this is often not worth doing, since the child himself stops trying to poop. There are medications for constipation for children, but they should not be used without the advice of a doctor.

Loose stool

The child also has loose bowel movements and mothers often perceive this as diarrhea, but this is not always the case. As I wrote above, a child can poop up to 7 times, if he does it more often, then try to remember, maybe the other day you ate something new and eliminating this product will improve your child’s stool. If loose stool does not stop and you notice any impurities in the child’s discharge, the stool foams and has a strong unpleasant odor, the color has turned green, then you need to consult a doctor. Perhaps this is lactose intolerance or an intestinal infection; in any case, you cannot do without consulting a doctor.

Artificial feeding and newborn stool

WITH natural feeding we figured it out, now let's talk about a child who is fed formula. Ideally, a bottle-fed child goes to the toilet about 4 times a day, the color of the stool can be either light yellow or dark brown, the smell is pungent. If you notice that your baby's stool is liquid and contains undigested lumps, this means that you overfed him with formula. You need to contact your pediatrician.

Every mother knows her child well, so you just need to keep an eye on him and don’t panic in vain!

This is where I will end this article. Health to you and your children!

Normally, a baby poops quite often. The baby's stool has a porridge-like consistency and is yellowish or greenish color, and there may also be white curd lumps of milk in it. But when stools become more frequent and this is accompanied by crying, loss of appetite, increased gas production, and the child slowly gains weight, you need to consult a doctor.

It’s impossible to say exactly how many times a baby should poop while feeding on breast milk. This process is directly related to the time of day, drinking regime, the mother’s nutrition, as well as the individual characteristics of the body. Usually normal frequency stool changes in different periods life of the crumbs.

First day of life

The first stool is called meconium. It is a black chair. On this day, the child can have bowel movements 1–6 times a day.

2–5 days of life

During this period, there may be a lack of stool or passing of meconium. Until the meconium has completely left the baby's body, he will not poop. normal stool. On such days, the child defecates up to 3 times a day.

2nd week

It is impossible to say exactly how many times a baby should have bowel movements per day at this age. Up to 3 weeks of age, your baby may have irregular bowel movements. This is a normal condition.

This irregular process of defecation is explained by the characteristics of the body. infant and normalization of lactation. After the first week, the formation of colic and gas in the baby is often noticed.

3–6 weeks

Since mother's milk has laxative properties, the baby begins to have bowel movements up to 10 times a day. Often the number of meals is equal to the number of bowel movements. When the baby poops a little - up to 4 times, the mother should monitor the lactation process, namely, how much milk she produces. Such a malfunction in a baby may be due to insufficient milk production.

From 6th week

From this point on, the number of bowel movements sometimes decreases. They can be observed once a day, and sometimes once every three days. This is due to the appearance of an enzyme crisis, when the baby’s digestion acutely reacts to changes in the composition of the mother’s milk. The production of enzymes affects the general condition of the child: he can be active or, conversely, be lethargic.

From 2nd month

2 months of age is characterized by normalization of the rhythm of work gastrointestinal tract. Now the child will not go to the toilet often. Often children have bowel movements about 1-2 times a day. But the number of bowel movements equal to 6 is also considered normal.

From 6th month

Many parents are starting to introduce complementary foods. During this period, a change in stool is observed; it may acquire a pungent odor, a dense structure, and the number of bowel movements decreases.

Attention! If the child defecates frequently, parents need to weigh him constantly.

How much should a baby weigh

  • In the first week, the baby may lose weight.
  • And after the first it begins to increase.
  • The normal intake is about 150 grams per day.

If all the conditions for normal weight gain are maintained, then the baby often poops due to the individual characteristics of the body.

When feeding formulas

When bottle-fed, the baby goes to the toilet less often than a baby fed with breast milk. This is because formula is more difficult to digest than milk.

Normal frequency of bowel movements

Pediatricians say that regardless of the type of food, the baby will poop as many times as he ate. The recommended feeding interval is about three hours.

Normal consistency

When feeding with formula, the stool will have a dense structure, which explains its irregularity. Sometimes this leads to constipation.

Constipation

When a baby does not empty his bowels for a day, this indicates stool retention. If the mixture is not suitable for the baby, he may often suffer from constipation or loose stools. At such a moment, you need to contact your pediatrician and switch your baby to another formula.

It is worth remembering that mixtures cannot be changed frequently, as this can cause disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract, since the digestive system does not have time to adapt to the new nutrient. When parents are forced to change the formula frequently, the baby's stool must change: its frequency can either increase or decrease.

How to relieve constipation

Many pediatricians claim that stool once every 5 days is normal, since breast milk can be completely processed in the intestines. But if a child suffers from colic, bloating, behaves restlessly, refuses to eat and does not poop at all, someone should help him.

There are several ways to help alleviate your baby's condition:

  1. Lactulose syrup. The basis of this syrup is lactulose, which normalizes intestinal function. It is considered a safe laxative for children, but it has by-effect in the form of gas formation. Therefore, the child should not receive a lot of this medicine. You need to give him exactly as much as is prescribed in his instructions. Usually the relief effect is achieved at night.
  2. Glycerin suppositories. This drug is used if the first remedy does not work. Usually one candle is enough to gently solve the problem at night. But you should not use this medicine regularly.
  3. Enema. This procedure can only be used when as a last resort, if there is a long delay in stool, bloating, colic.
  4. Massage. A massage should activate the intestines, which will remove gases and promote stool. To do this, you can perform the “bicycle” exercise or stroke your belly around the navel regularly, several times a day.

Conclusion

How many times should a baby have bowel movements per day? Why doesn't he poop at all even at night? These questions often concern young parents. Usually the norm is the number of bowel movements from 4 to 10 times. Sometimes the baby has no bowel movements at all. In most cases, if the baby is in a good mood, he is active, eats well and sleeps at night, there is no reason to worry, since the milk is fully absorbed in his body, and the child simply has nothing to poop with.

It's worth sounding the alarm when the baby is lethargic, restless, poor appetite and moody mood.