The frequency of acts of defecation in a newborn, the number, color, smell, presence or absence of various impurities and consistency is used to judge the work of the baby's gastrointestinal tract. According to the characteristics of feces, it is possible to determine whether the child receives sufficient nutrition, and whether he has any diseases. Attentive parents will always notice when the newborn begins to poop less. What to do in this case and whether to worry? This is what will be discussed in the article.
About norms and variations
How many times should a newborn shake a day, what is the norm and is it there? It turns out that no standards exist. For each child, bowel movement depends on the degree of development of the digestive system, the method of feeding, the type of obstetric aid, various pathologies and many other reasons. One baby poops nine times a day, the other only two, and the third is emptied only once every two days. Then it turns out that this newborn is a little poop. And if at the same time the baby feels well, there are no painful sensations, there are no inclusions in the stool, then this will be the norm.
Bowel frequency
On the first day or two after birth, the baby has an original feces, which has a viscous consistency and a brown or black-green color. From the second or third day, a transitional, semi-liquid yellow-green or dark green feces departs. And only on the fourth or fifth day does the newborn get a characteristic rhythm of bowel movement. The range of bowel movements is very wide: from once every two days to ten to twelve times a day. Most infants empty their intestines during feeding or immediately after eating.
But if the newborn craps a little, that is, once every two days and at the same time regularly, without painful sensations and strong straining, then this is considered normal. As the baby grows, the number of bowel movements decreases. Then per day he poop the following number of times:
- in 2-3 months - from 3 to 6;
- in half a year - 1-2;
- per year - 1.
In subsequent periods of life, the frequency of bowel movement is maintained, as in a year, and the consistency from mushy turns into a decorated mass.
Feces of a newborn
Its properties are influenced by food. There are significant differences in the normal stool of a baby who is breastfed from the receiving mixture. The first stool, which comes out eight hours after delivery, is called meconium. It is a mucous plug containing small fatty droplets, stained yellow-green and a small number of intestinal wall cells. This unusual color is due to the pigment bilirubin. There are no bacteria in meconium, that is, it is sterile. One of the important stages is its analysis, as a result of which congenital malformations of the digestive system, including cystic fibrosis, are revealed.
The newborn does not poop. Is there a reason to panic?
If, upon returning from the hospital, the newborn began to crap a little, and after a few days the bowel movement stopped completely, you should not be afraid of constipation and get rid of it. In this case, it is advisable to monitor the condition of the child. It is possible that the mother does not have enough milk, and the baby simply has nothing to poop. To clarify this fact, it is necessary to weigh the baby before and after feeding. After calculating the amount of milk received per day, you need to compare it with the necessary (700 ml), which the child should receive in the first month of life. If there is a clear lack of breast milk, measures should be taken to enhance lactation or introduce complementary foods with mixtures. For this, the baby is fed after it sucks the breast, and completely replace one or two feedings with artificial nutrition.
Breastfeeding chair
When breastfeeding a baby, his stool is completely dependent on his mother’s nutrition. If she fully observes the diet: she doesn’t eat sweets, fatty and spicy foods, then the crumbs with digestion are all right. Its feces are homogeneous, has a yellowish color and does not contain impurities.
With excessive consumption of fats by a woman, milk also becomes oily and it is difficult to digest the unformed digestive tract. As a result, the newborn baby is a little pooping, in addition, constipation is possible. White clumps appear in the feces. When a large amount of easily digestible carbohydrates is consumed by a nursing mother, fermentation processes increase in the baby's intestines. As a result, the chair, on the contrary, becomes more frequent, and by consistency it is liquid and foamy. A strong bloating can cause constipation. Lack of milk in mommy is also reflected in the stool, it becomes thicker and more viscous, then dry and acquires a grayish-green tint. Constipation may occur or feces may be released in small quantities.
Baby chair with artificial and mixed feeding
If the newborn is a little pooping, then most likely he is on artificial feeding. Such babies empty their intestines less often than those who receive breast milk. Fecal masses are more dense, dark yellow in color, have a putrefactive or sharply acidic smell. A change in the usual mixture or a sharp transition to artificial feeding provokes, in some cases, constipation, in others - loose stools.
If babies begin to be fed with natural cow's milk instead of adapted infant formula, then chronic constipation or diarrhea is possible. Feces become saturated yellow and have a cheese smell.
Newborn little pooping: everyday tips
There are several rules that it is desirable to observe and then the intestines of the baby will work well. A baby will poop daily. The rules are simple:
- Provide physical activity throughout the day.
- Give enough water.
- Carefully introduce complementary foods, since up to six months the formation of the nervous system of the intestine is in progress, and a new diet can provoke stomach pain and stool retention.
- Stroking the stomach in a clockwise direction stimulates the intestines. Manipulation is carried out for fifteen minutes. In addition, it is allowed to use an enema with water or introduce rectal suppositories with glycerin.
The kid does not poop. Do I need to see a doctor?
If the baby is a little pooping or has not had a chair for a day, what should I do? First of all, carefully consider feces. If after a daily delay they are of a natural state, then there is no reason for the disorder. If hard balls are found together with a liquid substance, you should contact your doctor to rule out intestinal upset.
The body of the baby is not able to synthesize some enzyme substances used for food processing. The main source of nutrition for him is mother's milk. Its chemical composition depends on the use of those foods that a nursing woman eats. Thus, the baby in the first months of life forms the body's natural reactions. The output of feces and urine is carried out involuntarily, that is, when there is an extreme degree of pressure on the walls of the intestine and bladder.
If the baby does little or no crap for two days or more, then you need to see what it eats. If he is breastfed, then everything is in order, since breast milk is perfectly absorbed. In the case of the use of infant formulas - consult a doctor. Fecal masses of a child who is on artificial feeding have a specific consistency and smell. In addition, such food is not completely absorbed, and the body requires regular release of the excess. It is very difficult to name the exact number of times how much a child should poop per day. The intestine is just beginning to establish its work and some malfunctions are possible. For example, in one and a half month old children, bowel movements with liquid contents occur five to six times a day. Then the stool thickens, and it poops less.
Therefore, if for three days there is no fecal exit or you think that the baby is a little crap, but at the same time feels good and farts regularly, then everything is fine with him, and he is healthy. A cause for concern is:
- gas stagnation;
- tight tummy;
- pulling the legs to the stomach;
- constant loud crying.
In such a situation, the help of a physician is required.
Causes of Stool Delay
As the digestive system develops, each infant produces an individual frequency of bowel movement. The defecation is considered the norm once a day, several times a week, since all the nutrients are assimilated by natural feeding and there is simply nothing for the baby to eat. That is, there is no reason for concern. However, if the feces were regular, and then the newborn began to poop less, then you need to look for the cause. Remember that a change in the usual regimen for a day is not considered a cause for excitement, but more - it requires attention. Delays can be triggered by:
- improper nutrition of a nursing woman;
- weakness of the anterior abdominal wall or intestinal motility;
- psychological factors.
In order to cope with these problems, it is necessary to perform simple manipulations:
- enrich mom’s diet with fiber foods;
- create a calm and comfortable external environment so as not to disturb the baby;
- regularly perform stroking movements in a clockwise direction along the tummy.
If the above measures do not help and the regularity of the stool does not work out, then you need to call a doctor.
Pathological changes in the stool: constipation
Why is the newborn little pooping? Violation of the frequency of bowel movements can provoke diseases, digestion failure and other pathological conditions. Changes may include constipation, irregular bowel movements, and diarrhea. Consider in more detail such a condition as constipation. It is manifested by the following signs in a newborn:
- lack of stool during the day, if he had previously pooped several times a day;
- frequent straining, accompanied by heavy crying;
- fecal matter of dense consistency.
The most common causes of constipation include:
- Wrong choice of mixtures.
- Lack of fluid.
- Using cow's milk.
- Mom does not have enough milk and abuse of protein, flour products, as well as tea and coffee.
- Immaturity of the digestive system.
- Bowel obstruction.
- Concomitant pathologies, for example, an abnormality of the nervous system, etc.
A newborn does not poop every day. What is the reason?
What to do if the newborn is a little poop? Parents need to understand that babies who are naturally and artificially fed empty their intestines in different ways, since the frequency, nature of the stool and the amount of feces depend on nutrition. Even if the chair is once every ten days or seven times a day - this is still the norm. However, in case of the slightest concern related to the health of the baby, you should certainly consult with a pediatrician. If the baby used to be normal cocoa and few days poop, but at the same time nothing bothers him and he is cheerful, what should I do? The following recommendations will help you deal with this problem:
- tummy massage;
- changing the diet of a nursing mother;
- mixture change;
- setting an enema.
When the newborn shakes less, but has a soft tummy, good mood, excellent appetite, then your baby is healthy, and there is no reason for frustration. Pediatricians advise mothers to closely monitor the behavior and condition of their baby. Remember that the baby’s body is not a watch to work accurately. The norm for some children is not necessarily the norm for others. And in most cases, the anxiety of the parents is unfounded.
How often should a newborn write and poop? The opinion of experts
Often, anxious mothers turn to the pediatrician with such a problem - the newborn writes a little and poops, what should I do? The opinions of doctors on this subject are as follows:
- In the first day after the appearance of light, the baby may not urinate at all, and this situation fits into the norm. However, most often it is necessary to change the diapers up to eight times, provided that the mother feeds with breast milk. With artificial feeding, the baby receives more fluid, so the frequency of urination increases. Further, for several days the baby rarely pees, and urine acquires a rich orange tint. Then, the frequency of urine output increases again and you have to change the diapers after two to three hours.
- The frequency of acts of defecation is affected by the method of feeding, the diet of the mother, the individual characteristics of the newborn. One to two days after birth, the original stool comes out. The fourth - fifth day is called the transition period. If a lot of meconium has accumulated in the intestine, then it continues to depart. Feeding in this period is only being established, and the children poop from one to three times a day. In the second week of age, the amount of output of feces is from one to ten times. The norm is recognized and defecation every other day. Until the sixth week, it is believed that if the baby’s stool is crumbling less than four times a day, then it does not overeat.
With artificial feeding, the frequency of the stool coincides with the frequency of feeding. Feces are more dense. These babies are more likely to be constipated.
Thus, if the baby feels great and gains weight well, but at the same time, as it seems to you, the newborn began to crap a little and write too little, then there is no reason for concern. Otherwise, the help of doctors is required.