Question
The child is now 80 days old and has been exclusively breastfed. They started passing stools resembling adult feces at 52 days, initially every 3 days, and now up to every 6 days. However, the baby is eating normally, not crying or fussing, and shows no discomfort. Is this normal? If not, what are the solutions?
Answer
Having stools every 6 days is definitely not ideal. You should start by adjusting your diet; eat more vegetables and fruits and less meat. If that doesn’t work, you can give the child some sesame oil, but it should be based on the child’s age and condition. Generally speaking, if a baby is mainly breastfed, a longer interval between bowel movements with soft stools is not a big problem and just requires strengthening the feeding. If you’re still worried, you can take probiotics orally or go to the hospital for a check-up.