Question
A concerned parent is worried about their two-week-old baby, who has not had a bowel movement for two to three consecutive days. This situation has been ongoing for two to three weeks. The parent wants to know if this is normal and seeks the experience sharing of other parents.
Answer
The frequency of a baby’s bowel movements is not the only point of concern; it’s more important to observe the consistency of the stool. Some babies may have multiple bowel movements per day before four months old, and then may start to ‘hold their bowels’, resulting in defecating once every two to three days, or even once every six or seven days, but as long as the stool is not dry, this is normal. Parents should observe their baby frequently; if the baby’s belly is not hard and the baby does not cry or fuss, there is no problem. Additionally, when starting to introduce egg yolks and rice porridge to the baby, it’s also important to frequently feed the baby water. If the baby has difficulty defecating and the stool is hard, then attention should be paid.