QUESTION: Hannah up until 2 days ago would have 2-3 stools a day. For the past couple of days she has been having 5-6 stools a day. She is a very efficient nurser, usually nursing an average of 8 minutes on both breasts, every 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

I know it is not typical for breastfed babies to have diarrhea, and I have watched for signs of dehydration-which are not present. Is this typical or should I be concerned? Also I have had diarrhea/loose stools since giving birth. Could I have an intestinal infection that was passed on to Hannah?

Thank you for any advice.

Dear Laura,

Hannah's new pattern of 5-6 stools per day is actually a little more common than 2-3. A newborn breastfed baby should have multiple stools each day, but it is very common for a baby to have a stool after each or most feedings. In fact, it is a wonderful sign that your baby is getting enough to eat! Hannah has probably just built up your supply and is getting more milk. Diarrhea is extremely rare with breastfed babies--one of the wonderful advantages of breastfeeding! Diarrhea in a breastfed baby is usually defined as 12-16 stools per day. If all else is going well, there is no reason to be concerned about Hannah's stools.

However, as she gets a little older (usually around 6 weeks) you will probably see her number of stools declining to one per day, or one every other day, or even one every 2-3 days or longer. I have heard of breastfed babies going 1-2 weeks in between stools, and in one case as long as three weeks! These babies were not constipated. It was a normal pattern for them. This is a normal change that occurs at about 6 weeks. It would be a good idea for you to discuss your own diarrhea/loose stool problem with your doctor.

If you do have an intestinal infection, it would be extremely unlikely that it would be passed on to Hannah. One of the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding is that your body makes antibodies to help fight infection in your baby. This happens even before you get symptoms of illness!! Consequently, it is very rare that a breastfed baby gets sick from his own mother. It is also one of the reasons that you would never want to stop breastfeeding if you get sick. By the way, if you get food poisoning, it stays in the intestinal area and does not pass into the milk. It sounds like you are doing great! Keep up the good work.

Cher Sealy RN, BSN, IBCLC, LLLL

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