Patient's question:
The baby is almost three months old and only has a bowel movement every two or three days. This has been going on for two or three weeks. The baby nurses for a very short time. Has anyone else's baby experienced this? Is this normal?Doctor's answer:
The key issue is not how often the baby has a bowel movement, but mainly whether the stool is dry and hard. My baby is currently seven months old. Before four months, she had bowel movements several times a day. After four months, she started to have "stool withholding," meaning she had bowel movements every two to three days. There were even a few times when she didn't have a bowel movement for six or seven days, but it wasn't dry—everything was normal. You should frequently observe your baby. As long as his little abdomen isn't hard and he isn't crying, there's no problem. Additionally, after you start giving your baby egg yolk and rice porridge, you should also frequently offer him some water. If the baby struggles greatly during bowel movements and the stool is dry and hard, then you should pay attention.