Infant Stools

What Are Normal Infant Stools?

Warning - This Page Contains Pictures of Baby Poop!

Table of Contents

• Baby's first stool
• Normal bowel movements
• Newborn poop frequency
• Frequency of urination
• Can breastfed babies become constipated?
• Diarrhea in the breastfed infant
• The color of your baby's stool
• Introducing solids
• How often should your baby breastfeed?
• Is my baby getting in enough milk?

Meconium

Newborn poop Meconium, which is usually a dark greenish or black color, looks like thick, sticky tar and is excreted after birth. This newborn stool is bile, amniotic fluid, and dead skin cells collected in the baby's intestines while in the mother's womb.

Meconium is usually passed within 12 hours of birth. It is moved out of the baby's system faster when the baby receives colostrum (a clear liquid produced before you produce mature milk). Breast milk is a natural laxative, so the more you breastfeed, the faster the meconium is removed from your baby's system.

After the meconium has cleared, a mother will notice something called "transitional poop," which is also darker in color but will change into a greenish-yellow stool. After day 6, your baby will start to produce breast milk stools, which are yellow, soft, and sometimes scrambled-egg-like or seedy-looking (picture below). Formula-fed babies will eventually have stools that are firmer and in shades of tan to brown. Mothers who combination-feed their babies will notice an amalgamation of the two different types of stools mentioned.

Normal Infant Bowel Movements

• Typical breastfed baby poop is usually a mustardy yellow color, grainy in texture, and quite runny (unless the first few bowel movements are dark in color because of the meconium discussed above).
• Many lactating mothers say that their baby's poop does not have a bad smell but rather a sweetish aroma.
• Some mothers might worry that their babies have diarrhea, but loose stools are normal in breastfed babies. Breastfed babies can have up to 6 stools per day, and that's okay as long as they are not foul-smelling and watery. If you suspect diarrhea, keep an eye out for signs of dehydration.
• Formula-fed babies have stools that are firmer and darker in color.
• Formula-fed baby poop is usually quite pasty and may look like peanut butter. Their stools are a little more pungent than their breastfed counterparts.

Breastfed Baby Poop Frequency

After the first week of life, breastfed babies usually have a bowel movement after every feed. After six weeks, they can continue to have up to 6 per day or one bowel movement every 7-10 days. (See table below for minimum bowel movements expected daily). Each bowel movement has to be at least 2.5cm in diameter to be considered a bowel movement.

Formula-fed babies usually only poop +/- 5 times per day initially, and after a few months, it decreases to about one poop per day.

Newborn Urination

Frequency

• A baby will pass about 30ml of urine on the first day of life.
• By the end of the first week, your baby should be passing between 100 – 200ml daily.
• A baby will have one additional urination for each day of life until day six. So, in other words, one urination on day 1, two wet diapers on day two, and so forth. After this, a baby should have between 6 and 8 wet diapers per day for the first few weeks.
• After six weeks, a baby will have a wetter diaper with each urination, so a baby may have fewer wet diapers per day.

Color and Smell of the Urine

Urine should always be pale in color and should not have a strong smell. Strong-smelling, dark urine can be a sign of dehydration or another issue.

Other Urination Issues

Some babies may pass urate crystals in their urine during day one or two after birth. They may also leave reddish stains in the diaper; this is normal for the first two days, and there is no need for concern unless the little one is not producing enough urine nappies.

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Constipation

Is your breastfed infant not pooping? Breastfed babies do not need to poop every day; some breastfed babies may even go seven to ten days without a bowel movement (as mentioned above); this is because breast milk is more easily digested than formula, and there is little waste. Less waste equates to fewer bowel movements.

As long as your baby's stools are soft when they have one, and your baby is gaining weight, you don't need to worry about constipation. Mothers might worry that their babies are constipated when they make noises (grunts and groans) while pooping, but this is normal. A newborn baby is still getting accustomed to the workings of their body.

Formula-fed babies should have at least one bowel movement per day and be soft. Hard, pebble-like stools are an indication of constipation. See "how to tell if my baby is constipated."

Diarrhea

A baby doesn't always necessarily have diarrhea; breastfed baby stool is supposed to be loose and quite frequent.
There will usually be a sudden change in frequency, and the stools will be runny (watery); these stools are also typically foul-smelling. The baby may show signs of a fever, etc. Try to keep your baby away from fruit juice and if the problem persists, check that your baby does not have food sensitivities. Breast milk is the best for a baby when your baby has diarrhea because it provides immune protection and gut protection. Continued breastfeeding will not just help a baby heal faster, but breast milk is much easier to digest than any formula.

Signs and Symptoms of Diarrhea in Babies

So then, how do you know if it's normal or diarrhea?

• The baby is producing more than 12 bowel movements in 24 hours.
• The stool is watery, not just loose.
• The stool smells different and may have a foul odor to it.

What Causes Diarrhea in Babies?

• It is caused by any toxin elimination or irritation of the gut.
• Any illness or virus can cause it.
• Food sensitivities are either due to a new food introduced into the baby's diet or via the mother's breast milk.
• Lactose intolerance is very rare.
• Foremilk/hindmilk imbalance can occur when the mother has an oversupply of milk. This is when a baby drinks too much foremilk (watery milk at the beginning of a feed) and not enough fatty hindmilk (more towards the end). This usually produces stool that seems like diarrhea and is typically runny, frothy, and greenish.

Should I give my breastfed baby Pedialyte?

What About The Color?

Green Bowel Movements

• Most of the time, a green bowel movement is nothing to worry about.

There are a couple of things that may cause green poop:

• Jaundice can cause green baby poops; this will return to normal as soon as the jaundice is resolved.
• Dark green or almost black poop may occur when the baby is on an iron-fortified formula. If your baby is not on any iron-fortified formula, contact your doctor.
• Green stools may be caused by food sensitivities, which may accompany a rash.
• Green, frothy, mucousy poop may indicate foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. Oversupply of breast milk can result in the consumption of too much watery foremilk. Allow your baby to drink from one breast until they unlatch before offering the other one, so they receive the fatty hindmilk. (So, in other words, do not time feedings on each breast). The mother can always express the other breast and breastfeed from that side with the next breastfeeding session. This will help to reduce the supply.
• If the mother eats a lot of salad or green foods, it can turn the poop green.

Black Poop

If the meconium does not cause it during the first few days, black poop can result from taking iron supplementation or iron-fortified formula. If this is not the case, the mother should contact a pediatrician to check for intestinal bleeding.

Chalky White Baby Poop

White, colorless poop may signify gallbladder or liver issues; this indicates a lack of bile in the liver needed to digest food. You will need to get your baby to the doctor! Other possible reasons for a white poop.

Red Blood in Poop

Bloody poop can indicate constipation. A bloody stool can also be caused by blood in breast milk, usually due to cracked nipples. Food allergies and intestinal bleeding may also cause this.

When Introducing Solids

Once solid foods are introduced, things begin to change again. This should be done gradually to help prevent the baby from becoming constipated and to prevent engorgement. Many foods may alter the color of an infant's poop. For example, pumpkin can turn the poop orange, or peas might turn it green. Infant stools may also become more pungent, darker in color, and thicker when solids are introduced.

Sometimes you might find undigested bits of food in your baby's diaper. The occurrence of constipation and diarrhea are common when solids are introduced into a baby's diet.

Is Baby Getting Enough Milk?

• Breastfed babies will often lose some weight during the first few days after birth but will gain it back by day 10. Breastfed babies usually gain about 170g per week. You should consult your baby's pediatrician if they are not gaining weight.
• Breastfed babies will usually have one dark (meconium) stool per day until day 4 when they start to have 3-4 yellow-tan stools per day until week 6. From week six onward, they could have one stool per feeding or one every ten days. There is a large range of normal.
• Your baby should have one urine diaper on day one, two on day two, three on day three, and so forth until your milk comes in. At this point, a baby will typically produce 5 to 6 wet diapers every day. After six weeks, your baby may produce fewer wet diapers, but they will be heavier. This is because your baby's bladder can hold more urine at this point.
• Your milk should come in between days 3 and 6. See "when will my milk come in?"

Other signs to look out for.

Nursing frequently is vital during the first few weeks after birth; this will help a mother build a good supply.

Things That Are Normal!

• Frequent and long feedings.
• Cluster feeding, especially in the evenings when your baby may seem fussier.
• Fussier than usual days. These are called growth spurts and usually last for only a few days at a time.

If there is a sudden change in your baby's bowel movements and your baby seems as though they are in pain, you should contact your doctor.

In Conclusion

How Often Should Your Baby Nurse?

To reduce engorgement, you need to breastfeed at least eight times per day. You can never nurse too often!

You should breastfeed when your baby shows hunger signs, don't wait until they start to cry before you feed them. Newborns are usually quite sleepy during the first few days and may need to be woken every 2 hours to nurse.