Exclusively breastfed babies who are gaining weight well after the first few weeks of life may not stool for a week or more at a time.
This is very different from truly constipated formula-fed babies whose bodies can’t digest the cow’s milk or soy milk protein well).
Exclusively breastfed babies gaining well and less than six months old who are not stooling frequently do NOT NEED WATER. EVER.
I recently had a patient tell me that her pediatrician instructed her to add two ounces of water to the baby’s breastmilk bottle. This is NOT safe nor medically accurate. An exclusively breastfed baby gaining well who doesn’t stool frequently is absorbing mom’s milk efficiently. It is NOT lacking in water (the way adults or older children may develop constipation).
