Babies can poop almost every colour of the rainbow, which can make opening your infant\u2019s diaper quite a shock.<\/p>\n
From broadcasting their diets to alerting us to illness, our babies\u2019 poop tells us what\u2019s going on in their little bodies when they can\u2019t, so it helps to have a newborn poop guide to know how to read the signs. What if your baby\u2019s poop smells sour or like vinegar? What if your baby has smelly gas, but no poop? What if your breastfed baby\u2019s poop suddenly smells bad, or there\u2019s dark green baby poop?<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve put together a baby poop primer to help you figure out what your baby\u2019s diaper is saying. If you need additional help, you can always use Maple to see a Canadian-licensed doctor<\/a> online in minutes, 24\/7.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a new parent, it\u2019s normal to be worried your newborn poops too much or too little. So what\u2019s the right poop schedule for a newborn?<\/p>\n Newborn poop frequency is a crucial predictor of overall health, especially in the first days after birth. Both breastfed and formula-fed babies should produce about six wet diapers<\/a>, and one or more poops a day (once your milk comes in if you\u2019re breastfeeding).<\/p>\n For breastfed babies, this pattern typically continues until about the six week mark when colostrum disappears from your breastmilk entirely. At this stage, the rate of what\u2019s \u201cnormal\u201d begins to vary widely; one poop a week<\/a> can actually be normal for a breastfed baby at this point. As long as your baby is gaining weight and producing enough wet diapers, infrequent poops aren\u2019t usually something you need to worry about.<\/p>\n You may also be wondering how babies produce poop at all if they only drink liquids. While newborns mainly ingest liquids, the digestive system can still turn them into waste. That being said, you shouldn\u2019t expect your newborn\u2019s poop to resemble an adult\u2019s poop.<\/p>\n After your little one starts solids, you\u2019ll likely see a much higher number of pooping diapers. So how often should a baby poop after starting solids? A formula-fed infant will generally produce one or two stools per day while a breastfed baby will usually pass more stool as much more of what they eat will be going undigested. Their bowel movements will also be much smellier, and are likely to change colour and consistency depending on which foods they\u2019ve eaten.<\/p>\n There are five main types of baby poop: newborn, breastfed, formula-fed, solid-fed, and partially digested. Here\u2019s an overview of each type:<\/p>\n Healthy baby poop can vary in appearance. Again there\u2019s a wide range of \u201cnormal\u201d here. For formula-fed infants, baby poop consistency tends to be about the same as toothpaste, with a tan colour. But it\u2019s also normal for a formula-fed baby to have green poop.<\/p>\n Breastfed babies typically produce mustard-yellow stool, about the same consistency as actual mustard. Breastfed babies often have white curds in their poop as well, making it look seedy. But depending on what else you give your baby, healthy poop can also be orange, red, green, brown, or even black \u2014 more on this below.<\/p>\n As for smell, when babies are still in the infant stage, their stool shouldn\u2019t smell too bad. Once you begin incorporating solid foods into your baby\u2019s diet, you may notice a change with regard to odour.<\/p>\n Black poop sounds like it would be cause for an instant trip to the hospital. But actually, this tarry, sticky substance is called \u201cmeconium,\u201d and all healthy babies produce it for the first few days after birth.<\/p>\n Likewise, dark green baby poop also isn\u2019t as scary as it sounds. Often it just means your little one has been eating a lot of green things. Even if your baby hasn\u2019t been chowing down on chard and spinach recently<\/a>, there\u2019s no need to panic.<\/p>\n Iron supplements can also cause your little one to have green poop. Or, the dark green poop might appear as the in-between phase between meconium and \u201cnormal\u201d breast milk or formula poop.<\/p>\n Even red poop isn\u2019t always a cause for concern. It\u2019s likely the result of something baby has eaten (hello beets). Breastfeeding issues<\/a> might also cause your baby to ingest blood from cracked nipples, which would show up as blood in the baby\u2019s poop. There are times, however, when black or red poop can signal something more serious \u2014 we\u2019ll cover that in a bit.<\/p>\n Your baby will likely have frothy, foamy poop from time to time, but contrary to what the internet says, it usually doesn\u2019t denote an allergy or intolerance. So don\u2019t cut out dairy, wheat, or caffeine just yet.<\/p>\n In a breastfed baby, frothy poop likely means that your letdown \u2014 the way the milk comes out of your breast \u2014 is quite forceful in one or both of your breasts. The first milk your breasts produce is called foremilk, and it\u2019s usually more watery<\/a> and higher in lactose than the fattier and thicker hind milk which follows.<\/p>\n If you have an oversupply or a strong letdown, your baby often ends up with more of the foremilk and less of the fattier hind milk, especially in the first few weeks of breastfeeding. This can be hard on your little one\u2019s digestion and result in frothy poop. Chances are your body will figure out what your baby needs after the first few weeks of nursing. In the meantime, you can try expressing milk into a towel before nursing.<\/p>\n Draining each breast before switching your baby to the other side will also help by limiting future oversupply.<\/p>\n Rarely, green, frothy baby poop does signal an allergy \u2014 likely to cow\u2019s milk in your diet. It might also mean, however, that your baby is sick. A milk allergy can affect baby poop, usually with blood streaks or specks that can signal an allergy<\/a>, so if you\u2019re seeing green, frothy baby poop on a regular basis, it\u2019s a good idea to speak to a doctor<\/a>.<\/p>\n Finding poop with mucus in your baby\u2019s diaper can be alarming. Luckily this isn\u2019t always a cause for concern. It\u2019s common for infants and newborns to be congested in the winter months when the air is drier, or if they have a cold. Because young babies don\u2019t know how to blow their nose, they often end up swallowing a lot of mucus.<\/p>\n Using saline and a mucus aspirator will help unblock their nose and get rid of much of the mucus in their poop. If your baby isn\u2019t congested, however, and mucus in their stool persists, alert your child\u2019s doctor and bring a sample dirty diaper to the appointment. Sometimes mucus is a sign of intestinal issues.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s true that a wide range of baby poop colours are normal, there are some notable exceptions. White, grey, or very anemic, pale-looking clay-coloured poops might signal a serious issue with your child\u2019s liver<\/a>. And while black poop is expected for the first few days of the baby\u2019s life, if it comes back, see a pediatrician immediately.<\/p>\n In an older child, black poop can mean a serious internal stomach bleed. Similarly, if your baby\u2019s poop contains streaks of blood, you should contact their pediatrician. If their stool is hard and your little one frequently strains while pooping, it\u2019s likely due to constipation, so you may want to learn more about foods causing and relieving constipation in babies<\/a>. Sometimes, however, it can also be the result of an allergy.<\/p>\n Diarrhea in newborns can also be quite serious. If your little one has had diarrhea for more than 24 hours, it\u2019s crucial to take them to a doctor. Newborns with diarrhea are at high risk of dehydration. If your baby has diarrhea and has fewer than six wet diapers a day, a sunken fontanelle (the soft spot on their head), a fever, or vomiting, seek emergency care immediately.<\/p>\n Paying attention to your child\u2019s diaper is a great way to monitor their health. Know the signs that can signal trouble, but also keep in mind that food is the most likely culprit of funny-coloured baby poop. So always make sure to check and if you don\u2019t know, don\u2019t be afraid to ask.<\/p>\nHow often should my baby poop?<\/h3>\n
What are the different types of baby poop?<\/h3>\n
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What does healthy baby poop look and smell like?<\/h3>\n
A colour guide to baby poop<\/h3>\n
Frothy baby poop<\/h3>\n
What causes mucus in baby poop?<\/h3>\n
Frequently asked questions about baby poop<\/h3>\n
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When to take your baby to the doctor<\/h3>\n