Diane--

Your question caused me to get out my 1980 La Leche League calender and
review the pattern of my eldest daughter--who would probably rather not
have all the world know this, but is willing to make the sacrifice for
the sake of scientific inquiry.  ;)

Said child was born on New Year's Eve, so the new year's calendar seemed
to be the appropriate spot to record all important events in this new
life.  Having heard for many years how I had been such a difficult
child, who had to have solid foods, most especially prunes, peas and
carrots from the age of 4 weeks, to maintain the necessary regularity of
bowel movement to avoid the ever vigilant grandma's enema syringe, I was
quite curious about this issue.

It's all recorded there on the pages of that calendar.
Weeks 1 to 3 daily bowel movement or more.
No stool week 4 until day 5.
Week 4 day 6 through week 5 day 4 no stool, and then an EVENT!!
Week 5 day 5 through week 6 day 6 another EVENT!!
Small stools on week 7 days 2 and 3
Week 7 day 4 through week 8 day 3 between stools
next stool  week 9 day 3  BIG EVENT, mother and babe both needed bathing
        week  11 day 5  after which we took a trip and I stopped recording
these things.

There it is--a record for a sample of one.  Other two daughters had
similar patterns, going for 8-10 days between stooling, often getting
somewhat fussy, nursing frequently and then having a very large, soft
mushy. mustard colored EVENT that required three washcloths, running
water and a change of the adult's clothing too, to clear up.

A & R, page 325, states the pattern gradually changes.  My experience
times three was that it was a rather sudden change from frequent,
multiple times per day to longer and longer intervals.

Melinda Hoskins, MS, RN, LC2B
Minden, NV