When does a newborn baby have a bowel movement?

Newborns have no control over their bowel movements and can poop whenever they want. They usually wear diapers, which is very convenient for parents to take care of them. As the child grows older, they must begin to consciously defecate at fixed times, which is called holding their bowels. So when is the best time for newborns to hold their bowels? Developing the habit of regular bowel movements requires the cooperation of parents, and you can rub your child’s belly more often.

1. How old is the baby when he will have constipation?

After a baby is one month old, his digestive ability will be significantly improved, and he will be able to absorb and digest breast milk or formula more fully, resulting in less bowel movements. Therefore, he usually starts to hold his bowels in his stomach only after he is one month old. However, each child has a different physique, and the time when this phenomenon begins may vary slightly, some may appear a few days earlier, and some may appear a few days later. Generally speaking, the phenomenon of constipation usually occurs around the time when the baby is one month old.

2. How long does it take for the baby to hold his stomach?

The duration of constipation varies greatly among babies. For some children, it is about ten days, but for others it can last half a month or even a month. Every baby has a different level of development. Generally, bowel movements will decrease after one month, but there is no need to worry as long as the baby's other conditions are normal. If the child has good physical fitness and the parents take good care of him, the constipation phenomenon may end early; if the child has a poor physical fitness and the parents do not take good care of him, the constipation phenomenon is likely to last longer and may even eventually turn into infant constipation.

3. What should I do if my baby has constipation?

1. Regular bowel movements: Constipation usually occurs after the baby is one month old. Parents should let the baby develop the habit of defecating at fixed times from this time to help them form good bowel habits.

2. Insist on abdominal massage: With the child's belly button as the center, parents can place their palms on his abdomen and massage in clockwise circles. Rest for 5 minutes after every 10 massages, and repeat this 3 times.

3. Drink more water: If the phenomenon of constipation occurs in a fat baby, you can feed him more water. If the baby is over 4 months old, you can also feed him some vegetable juice or fruit juice between two feedings.

4. Increase food intake: If the baby has less bowel movements and does not gain much weight, it is because of insufficient breast milk. Parents need to add some formula milk to the baby in time.