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Baby Bowel Movements

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You never thought it possible before children, but your baby's poop will become a subject of great interest to you, and a topic of intense conversation with other parents, after the baby's born. Baby poop is often weird, the consistency changes a lot, even from day to day and hour to hour, as does the color and texture. But don't panic. It's probably as perfectly normal as it is smelly.

Meconium: Your newborn's first bowel movement is a greenish-blackish substance that looks like tar. It's thick and goopy but, surprisingly, doesn't stain. It will take a day or two to pass. After that the poops will be transitional -- maybe greenish and yellowish at the same time, and highly variable in consistency....

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Jun 5, 2008 at 5:12:37 PM

is it normal for my 6 month old to have grey poop?

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Is it really OK that my baby's poop is green?


That green stuff that you get in the first couple of days is quite a shocker, but after that, the best attitude toward this issue is that it's only natural. Just take it as it comes.  Sometimes parents can really freak out over a baby not pooping enough or often enough. But if the baby is growing and gaining weight and alert and active ... you shouldn't spend your time worrying about baby poo.

What does my newborn's poop look like tar?


From a more medical standpoint, according to "The Baby Book" by William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, RN, that tar-like poop called meconium is a result of amniotic-fluid debris from the baby's intestines and should pass within twenty-four hours. If your baby doesn't have this stool within twenty-four hours, you should consult your doctor.



My Infant never had Meconium poop and now she is a month old and it looks like tar, like meconium, is this normal or is something wrong?


Everything your baby eats can change the color and consistency of her poop, along with health changes, too. According to this website, tar-like could be from iron supplementation or it could be blood, but your pediatrician woud know best, so it's probably good to call and/or set up an appointment with the pediatrician. 


How's the poop different in breast-fed and bottle-fed babies?


Breast-fed babies tend to poop more often than bottle-fed babies only because breast milk has a natural laxative which results in more frequent, softer stools. It goes without saying that babies cannot control when they poop so beware that there might come a time when you are changing your tot and an explosive stool will shoot out without warning leaving you with quite a mess to clean up!


What if my baby is constipated?

 

For many new parents, when their child comes down with something like constipation, their first reaction is to do what comes naturally -- call their parents for advice. While Grandma and Grandpa are always wonderful people to turn to, sometimes their advice on what worked for them way back when may not always be what the doctor would advise today. Remedies such as mineral oil, water enemas and suppositories should always be discussed with your child's doctor before they are used. If the doctor OKs the suggested treatment, thank your parents for their loving advice.

 

Is it normal for my 3 week old baby to not have a stool for five days?

 

It can be normal, both for breastfed and formula fed babies. Formula can be constipating to some babies, and a baby can go five days or more without a stool. Breastfed babies can also go several days between stools because breastmilk is so easily digested that there is very little waste left over. If your baby seems uncomfortable, fussier than normal, or has a distended or hard abdomen, call your pediatrician. In those cases, your baby might need help passing stool.



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Kodavali
Kodavali
June 01, 2008
jdelmauro77
jdelmauro77
May 08, 2008

My little stinker is not really making any stinkies!

My four month old breastfeed baby is on strike! Normally, she poops a few times a day. But now, she hasn't had a bowl movement in two days! I was really starting to get concerned. Racking my brain to see if it was my food intake. However, from reading online information it seems as though...  read more

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daneha2708
daneha2708
March 01, 2008

scared at the amount

I am a first time mom and my daughter was only four days old when she began a frequent poop. i was really concerned about it and decided to surf the web to find out if it was normal to my shock it was ok and it wasn't like she had diahera so i accepted the fact and prepared to be elbow...  read more

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