New parents worry about so many things, one of it is baby’s poop. Each time you change your baby’s diaper, you look out for signs of diaper rash. You also inspect the texture, color and smell of your baby’s poop.
 

 

Newborn poop

 

During the first couple of days after delivery , the baby will pass meconium. It is black , tarlike  and has a sticky texture.  It is made up of amniotic fluid, mucus, skin cells and everything they baby ingested while in utero. Meconium is very difficult to clean off but is a good sign that the baby’s bowel is working well.

 

Baby’s poop if he is being breastfed

 

Colostrum which is the baby’s first milk acts like a laxative. It pushes out the meconium from the baby’s body. After about 3 days of breastfeeding, when the milk comes in, the poop will gradually change. It will

• change in color to bright yellow
• it  may be creamy in texture and may appear grainy at times
• it does not have a very strong smell

In the early days of life, the baby may poop during or after every feed. This will slowly settle down and have a routine.

 

Baby’s poop if he’s being formula fed

 

The poop of a formula fed baby may be different from a breast fed baby. It

• has a strong smell
• may be pale yellow to brown in color
• it may be bulky ( texture similar to that of toothpaste ) -This is because formula cannot be fully digested like breast milk

 

These babies are more likely to be constipated than breastfed babies.

 

Baby’s poop when he is switching from breast milk to formula

 

Your baby’s poop  will become more dark and more past- like when switching from breast milk to formula. It may also be a lot smellier. It is ideal to switch slowly from breast milk to formula.  Do it slowly over several weeks. This will allow the digestive system to adapt and reduce the risk of constipation. It also helps the mother by reducing the risk of painful, swollen breast and mastitis.

 

Baby’s poop when she starts solids

 

Solids have a drastic effect on the baby’s poop. It may change depending on what the baby eats. If your baby eats pureed peas, his poop will be green. If he eats puree carrots, his poop will be bright orange. Fiber rich foods such as  baked beans may pass through your baby’s body and end up in his diaper. However this will change as time goes on. As times goes on, the poop  will become thicker, darker and have a strong smell.

 

Baby poop that is not normal

 

Diarrhea
Your baby has diarrhea if :

• he is pooping  more often or in larger quantities than normal
• poop is runny
• poop  spurts out of his bottom

 

Constipation

• baby has difficulty passing a bowel
• baby’s tummy feels hard to touch
• poop is small and dry ( shaped like pebbles)
• baby strains and cries when she poops
• poop has streak of blood in them

 

Green poop
Green poop in breastfed babies means they are taking in too much lactose. This is the natural sugar found in milk. This happens when the baby feeds often but doesn’t get rich milk. It is essential to let the baby finish feeding on one breast before you offer him the other breast.

 

Green poop in formula fed babies could be due to the brand of the formula. Switch to another formula to see if there will be any difference.

 

Very pale poop
Very pale poop in newborns could be a sign of jaundice. Jaundice causes yellowing of skin and the white part of the eye. It usually goes away within a couple of weeks after birth. You should let your doctor know if your baby has jaundice even if it looks like it is going away. Very pale, white poop could be a sign of liver disease especially if jaundice goes beyond 2 weeks.
 

Content Sources