How do you tell if your little one’s bowel patterns are normal, and if she is pooping enough? EVELINE GAN finds out what you should know about constipation in babies and toddlers.
1 A poopy diaper just once a week? That’s normal for some breastfed babies.
In the first month, your newborn may have three to six bowel movements every day, but this can change as she grows.
From six weeks, some breastfed babies poop every day, while others may go up to a week without a bowel movement, shares Dr Christelle Tan, a specialist in paediatrics at Raffles Specialists at Raffles Holland V. This is normal as breast milk is so well-digested.
Formula-fed babies tend to have more regular bowel movements. Expect one to two poopy diapers daily after they turn two months old.
Beyond the first year, most toddlers generally do a Number 2 once or twice daily, although going once every other day is also normal for some kids, Dr Tan says.
That said, don’t be overly fixated on the numbers. Like adults, every child’s bowel pattern is different. As long as your baby is gaining weight well and her stools are not hard and dry, there is no need to worry, says Dr Eugene Han, a paediatrician at Thomson Paediatric Centre.
2 Now she is truly all backed up.
Having a bowel movement can be hard work, and it isn’t uncommon to see your baby straining until she’s red in the face. So, how can you tell when she is constipated? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) lists the following telltale signs. Your baby:
is excessively fussy.
spits up more than usual.
has dramatically more or fewer bowel movements than before.
has unusually hard stools.
strains for more than 10 minutes without success.
3 She may be so constipated, it leads to watery stools.
This story is from the August 2017 edition of Young Parents Singapore.
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This story is from the August 2017 edition of Young Parents Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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