Before Baby came into the world, you may not have wanted to spend much time thinking about anyone’s bowel movements. But Baby’s digestive tract can tell you a lot in their early life, so get ready to be a poo detective!
Learn how to analyze your newborn’s bowel movements
There is a lot of variation in what’s normal for newborns and their pooping habits.
Now that Baby is a few days old, they should have finished passing most of the meconium that coated their intestines during pregnancy and will have moved on to a fairly liquid, yellowy-brown mixture. Although most babies poop many times per day, it can help to know some minimum amounts to track. This depends somewhat on how Baby is being fed, so let’s start there.
What kind of newborn stool is normal if I’m breastfeeding?
If you’re breastfeeding, Baby’s pooping schedule needs to meet some minimum targets in the early days and weeks. If your breastfed baby is pooping less than twice a day after days four to five of their life, it’s a good idea to let your pediatric provider know. This might mean they aren’t getting enough milk. After 4-6 weeks of age, breastfed babies might start to poop less often and settle into a new normal because the protein concentrations in breast milk start to change.
The texture of Baby’s stool will probably be fairly loose and soft, with a curdled quality from the milk solids. It will range from yellowish to greenish in color. Many people describe a mustard-like color and consistency!
What kind of newborn stool is normal if I’m feeding Baby formula?
Newborns who are formula-fed from the start, as well as those who are combining formula and breast milk, will have slightly different stool textures. This means that their regular stool may be thicker or pastier in texture, more yellow-to-brown in color, and stronger smelling. Formula-fed newborns often poop less often than breastfed ones, so as long as Baby is developing well and gaining weight along their curve, you’ll find a wide variety of normal daily poop totals.
What to look out for
Some variation in Baby’s poop is normal, and most color changes (from yellow to green to brown) just have to do with how much time it takes them to digest a meal. Some changes in color and texture could mean trouble, though, so it’s important to know what these are.
If you notice that Baby’s stool is coming out red, black, gray or white, you should definitely call the doctor. White or gray poop could be a sign of an infection or a liver problem, while red or black could signal bleeding along the digestive tract.
And as far as constipation goes, texture is an important indicator. Poop that is hard or pellet-like (either small and dry or large and hard) is probably a sign of constipation. You may also see your baby straining, crying or having rectal bleeding along with this shape and size of stool. If you notice something like this in the newborn period, it’s important to check in with their pediatric provider right away.
On the other hand, watery or runnier-than-normal poop, especially in large amounts or frequently, could be diarrhea. Newborns with diarrhea can become dehydrated quickly, so be sure to check in with Baby’s pediatric provider if you notice this pattern.
A look into the future
Baby’s poop, just like the rest of their body, is going to keep changing, and the next big shift will happen when they start eating solid food. Breastfed babies’ poop might grow more firm when they start solids, while formula-fed babies’ poop might become looser, but there’s no one standard way that their dirty diapers will change once they reach this point.
Sources
- Denise Bastien. “Importance of Newborn Stool Count.” Leaven. 33(6): 123-6. Web. December 1997-January 1998.
- Jay L. Hoecker. “I’m breastfeeding my newborn and her bowel movements are yellow and mushy. Is this normal for baby poop?” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, February 19, 2015. Web.
