Why We Care
Being a mother changes so many aspects of our lives in profound and often unexpected ways. This new role brings a myriad of emotions, ranging from overwhelming joy to moments of anxiety, as we navigate the complexities of motherhood. Undoubtedly, we want to do what is best for our children, and this desire drives us to become the best versions of ourselves. We find ourselves researching parenting techniques, seeking advice from seasoned parents and medical providers, and often questioning our own decisions. We want them to thrive in every possible way—physically, emotionally, and intellectually. The journey of motherhood is not just about raising a child; it is about growing alongside them, learning from their innocence, and discovering new depths of love and sacrifice.
One change, I'm sure many of us never expected, is how invested we are in our infants stooling patterns. We find ourselves paying attention to how often they are pooping, what does it look like, how does it smell, did they go at daycare, should they go more, should they go less? The joys of motherhood shared with us, often forget to mention this glamorous aspect of caring for our infants.
To do the best for our infants we need to understand and gather information. When we know better, we can do better.
The Question: How often should a breastfed infant poop?
The answer: daily. From my evidenced based education, with the goal of wellness in mind, your breastfed infant should be stooling daily. All humans should stool daily.
For some reason that statement often tends to upset some individuals, which is never the intention. Lack of stooling is not a reflection of someones parenting skillset. It is however an insight into our infants, and in some instances our own gut health and microbiomes.
So why the controversy? If all infants should be stooling daily, including breastfed infants, why is everyone not saying it? Why are pediatricians not concerned if a little one goes 5 days, or in some cases, up to two weeks without stooling? Answer: Lack of research, lack of education, the goal for many is not wellness. The goal often from the medical community is treating you when you're sick, not helping you be well.
Now you probably can find some research articles portraying that it's totally fine for a breastfed infant to go several days without stooling, but when you look at those articles please consider the following. Who is the author? What is the authors goal? Who were the subjects and what was their baseline? How were they fed? What was their environment? How was the health of the mother? When we look at wellness and what is optimal, all those things matter!
Breastmilk is truly amazing but there are still components of it that are not digestable and need to be excreted as waste after doing their job. Mothers who are concerned are often told that if their infant isnt stooling it's because the baby is using up all the nutrients, but where do those waste products go? What about the infants who still stool daily? If that was true wouldn't ALL infants have periods with irregular stooling?
Causes of Irregular Infant Stooling
Is your infant not stooling daily? Here are some reasons why:
Insufficient intake: this is the first thing that needs ruled out
Oral restrictions (Tongue and Lip Ties)
Food Intolerances
Maternal Gut Health
Tension
If your infant is gaining weight, meeting milestones, and doesn't seem uncomfortable with days between stooling, your healthcare provider and other professionals are unlikely to be concerned. Even if you as a mother, advocating for your infant, wanted to understand why this is happening, and ask most profressionals about irregular stooling, your liklely to be dismissed, or reassured that it's common so it must be normal.
A profound trend in our culture is when something is common it is deemed normal.
However, the reality is that what is common is not necessarily synonymous with what is healthy or beneficial, and in many cases is NOT normal when the goal of normal is wellness of the entire person. Irregular stooling is NOT normal.
The normalization of certain behaviors can lead to parents who may hesitate to voice their concerns for fear of being judged as overly cautious, worrying about something that isnt a problem, because someones elses child did that and they were "just fine". This can perpetuate a culture where important discussions about child development and well-being are stifled. As a result, parents may feel pressured to conform to perceived norms, even when those norms do not align with their values or instincts.
What to Do Now
The problem or challenge for many mothers is where is the best place to get my information and who do I trust to give me accurate information. When social media says one thing, the chiropractor says one thing, a fellow parents says something different, and the family pediatrician says another, who do you listen to? And here's me, telling you something as well. No wonder there is such confusion.
I think the goal of the provider and education behind them really makes a difference. I can tell you two and a half years ago as a brand new IBCLC, I didnt know close to what I know now. My nursing backround influenced my recommendations and I did not understand wellness and gut health the way I do now. I will always have more to learn and I am not perfect. I will not however, withhold information for the fear of upsetting someone or presenting something that may be controversial. Information is power. We deserve to have access to as much as possible to make informed decisions for our families.
Im here to tell you, I will listen to your concerns. I will not brush off your instincts that something is going on. Of course, I want to make sure your infant is growing well, getting sufficient intake, and meeting milestones, but that is not where it should end. I will work with you one on one with interventions to optimize the health, wellness, and gut microbiome of you and your infant. You are a pair and deserve to be supported together. Our guts are the foundation of our health. Lets get our infants off the best start.
Is your infant not stooling daily? Schedule your consult today by filling out a "Get in Touch" form on my website www.closetohomelactationconsulting.com
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