Jack said,

<< The longest I am aware of in an apparently normal baby is 23 days,
 breastfeeding only and gaining weight well, and not the least worried about
 the whole thing (the baby, that is). >>

I think the record is 27 days in an apparently normal, healthy baby.

Had a mom today with a delightfully healthy 7 week old chub (6-11 at birth,
10-12 today), who was afraid she didn't have enough milk.  At 5 weeks, the
baby dropped from stooling 4 and 5 times a day, to no stools.  She called the
peds who told her the baby was constipated, and give prune juice.  When the
baby still had no stool, she took her in; the pediatrician told her the baby
had rectal stenosis, and she was to stimulate the rectum digitally every day
to stretch it.  Baby had one stool, and then none for several days, and then
another, and then none for several days -- and so on.....

Seems to me that it was perfectly normal.  OTOH, I don't know anything about
rectal stenosis, or why/how it would suddenly develop within 24 hours in a 5
week old baby.

Anyone help me on this before I tell the mother that not having a stool except
every 3 or 4 days after 5 weeks or so is pretty normal behavior????

Jan Barger -- where it is alternating between rain & snow in Wheaton, IL and
where flooding abounds.