Parentpedia

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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.

Breast-Fed Poop: If you breastfeed, your newborn will have mustardy yellow poop that smells a bit sweet, like apricots, and have a highly variable consistency, sometimes looking like curdy scrambled eggs. Very watery poop in breast-fed babies might look like diarrhea to the untrained eye but is actually perfectly normal.

Bottle-Fed Poop: Bottle-fed poop is usually more brown or tan in color, as well as more odorous. Its texture and consistency is also highly variable.

When a Baby Starts Solids: Solid food will make your baby's poop change radically. You'll see a lot of what he eats again in his diaper and his movements may be highly irregular as his intestines learn to digest new foods. Make sure he gets plenty of liquid.

How Often Should Your Baby Poop?

An easy rule to follow: If your baby's happy and acting normally, he's pooping the right number of times. This might mean explosive bowel movements ("projectile poopy") every 15 minutes, or no poop for over a week (beware when it finally comes).

Some babies poop in their sleep, some as they nurse. Some worry their parents for weeks and then have five explosive super-stinky poops in half an hour (oh joy!). As your baby's intestines mature, he will probably poop less frequently. Try not to get hung up on your baby having "regular" bowel movements. It's worth repeating again: As long as he seems happy, he's pooping the number of times he needs to.

Safety Notes

Avoid putting anything up your baby's anus, even a rectal thermometer. While some old-fashioned doctors still prefer this method of temperature taking, rectal thermometers can cause anal perforations.

Sometimes a newborn's anus can get irritated and you may see a single thread of red blood in his stools. This condition might not be serious but take him to the doctor if you're worried.

After the meconium has passed but before starting solids, your baby's poop should not be black or red. Black stool can indicate blood. Take him to the doctor.