Sorry to be so far behind, but I have been meaning to comment on this for a
long time.  Of course, inadequate or no stools in the early days is always a
red flag and the baby needs to be assessed.  I also get really frustrated at
healthcare providers who are casual about it.  I just had a case recently
with delayed lactogenesis where the baby had no stools for several days and
the doctor refused to take it seriously.  Fortunately this mother's milk did
finally increase and baby gained well, but I was in daily contact with her
for awhile.

On the other hand, as several have pointed out,. if everything else is OK,
this is not automatically a problem.  My first child had a huge BM every 3
days from day one.  During that time, she gained 2 lbs. in the first month,
so clearly was getting enough.  It's a good thing I didn't know what I know
now, or I would have worried!

In doing postpartum home-health visits, I have found that sometimes, around
day 3, the most common time I see moms and babies,  there can be a period of
no BMs for perhaps 12-24 hours.  In these cases,  usually mom's milk has just
come in.  If  I observe a good feeding, with adequate swallowing, mom's
breasts looking full, etc., and baby looks well-hydrated, I call back the
next day and usually find the baby has started having lots of breastmilk
stools.  I do, however, always report it to the MD if there is any question.


                                    Miriam Levitt<[log in to unmask]