We've just gone through 7 days of nappies without poo from our 4 month-old. On day 5 we called some baby helplines and spoke to a midwife. Apparently it is normal for breastfed babies to not pass any bowel motion for up to 10 days. Our midwife said that the longest she had ever seen was 21 days without bowel motion. Imagine that.

A bit of research revealed that it is very unusual for breast-fed babies to get constipated. However just in case we were given some advice on what to do. So I'd like to "pass it on":

NB: this applies to breast-fed babies ONLY
* Most important is to keep a record of feeds and fluid intake
* It's also important to make sure "mum" takes in enough fluids (especially in warm and dry climates)
* Make sure the baby gets plenty of work out and moves around lots
* After a week of no bowel motions we were told we could try giving our baby some "prune juice" (description see below)
* If nothing happens at all after day 10 seek professional advice

How to make prune juice

1. Get some stoneless prunes (organic if you can)

2. Bring 4 - 5 prunes to the boil in a small saucepan with 1 cup water
3. Cover and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes (or until prunes are very
soft)
4. Rub through a fine sieve and get rid off pulp in sieve
5. Reheat prune juice to the boil and pour into a sterilized container
6. Cover or close container and refrigerate.

You can give your baby 1 teaspoon of prune juice mixed with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cooled, boiled water once a day. Keep the prune juice refrigerated and use within 2 days.

Fortunately our little constipation problem resolved itself without any further intervention from us. This morning's nappy was full of ...

-Stef

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