What’s Normal When It Comes to Your Baby’s Poo

One of the biggest concerns new parents ask, is that poo normal? The concerns heighten even more when every nappy reveals something new. In fact, even seasoned parents can sometimes be surprised with the picture that their newborn’s nappy presents.

As strange as it might sound, checking your baby’s poo is a healthy concern and gives you an insight into the baby’s health. But there’s a very thin line between panicking and not panicking when it comes to your baby’s poo and knowing what’s normal (and what’s not!) makes all the difference.

It’s all about the color and the texture of the poo and knowing each one clearly can help you work on your child’s health.

The frequency of pooping behaviors doesn’t really matter much. A baby could be pooping 6-10 times daily or fewer than that, what matters is that the texture and the color indicates good health.

Here’s a complete guide to the newborn’s poo for all the new parents, parents-to-be, and seasoned parents.

What is the Color of your Baby’s Poo Trying to Tell you?

Greenish-Black

Your newborn’s poop in the first few days of his arrival would look drastically different than any poop you might have ever seen. The poop is almost tar like and sticky. These first few poops are called meconium and consist of bile, secretions from intestinal glands, fatty acid, amniotic fluid, mucus, skin cells and other things the newborn might have ingested when in the uterus.

So, don’t be scared when you see something that resembles motor oil in your newborn’s nappy, it’s as normal as it gets.

Specks of Red in Greenish Black

If you catch sight of little specks of blood in the formerly mentioned, motor-like poop then it is a sign of bleeding. Chances are, the baby is ingesting your blood from your cracked nipples and it is not harmful. However, if you are not breast feeding your baby, or if the problem continues for more than a few days, then contact your pediatrician right away.

Yellow / Brownish

AYellow / Brownishcolored poop is completely normal for your baby if they are on formula. AYellow / Brownish could vary in color from yellow to brown and could have a peanut-sauce like consistency. Hence this poop is completely normal.

Mustard Yellow

When you are breast feeding your baby then a mustard yellow, brown, or green poop is to be expected. Even slightly orange is normal, and it might have a sweet smell to it. Babies that are bottle fed might also have stools in the same range of colors.

Green Poop

Forest green poop, or bright green baby poop, like the color of coriander leaves is completely normal if your new born is on iron-supplements. It is also normal for your baby to have this color of poop when they have recently been introduced to solid food such as spinach, beans, pureed peas etc.

Brown Poop

This goes without saying that a normal brown colored poop is indeed normal. Your baby will secrete brown poop once they are on solid food and have been for a while.

The following colors of poops are not normal for your baby and if you notice them you must consult the Pediatrician right away:

White-Grey Poop

It might seem unbelievable, but yes babies can have white chalky poop or grey ones. But this kind of poop is not normal and indicates digestive issues, and that the liver is not producing adequate amount of bile.

Lime Green Poop

There’s a difference between forest green and lime green poop. The latter is a cause of concern and must be investigated immediately. It indicates imbalance of foremilk/hindmilk. Green poop might also indicate at a stomach bug, or something the mother might be eating to which the child is sensitive.

Red Poop

If the baby has consumed beets, then red poop is completely understandable and normal. Red poop might also be because of dairy allergy. However, if you notice red poop in a baby that’s constipated, then it is due to tears in skin caused by strain.

Another reason for red poop could be bacterial infection.

What is the Texture of Your Baby’s Poo Trying to Tell you?

Sticky Texture

The texture of the poop often goes with the color. A sticky consistency is completely normal for your baby in the first few days. This texture is for meconium and once all of it has passed, the texture will go to normal.

Seedy, Curdy Texture

Seedy, mushy and curd-like texture of the baby’s poo is normal when the baby is on breastfeed. It might even go a bit watery and that’s normal. The color this consistency would be found in would be, green, light-brown, and yellow.

Watery Texture

Extremely watery and green stool is a dead giveaway of diarrhea. Diarrhea can be a sign of minor problems in your young one’s diet or it can indicate something serious. In either case, it is best to get it checked immediately.

Meanwhile make sure your baby is getting lots of fluid and is not getting skin rashes. Diarrhea is as uncomfortable for babies as it for adults and would make them cry and become unsettled.

Hard Pellets

If your baby’s poop comes out extremely hard and pebbly and even with blood in it, then the baby is constipated.  Avoid using home-remedies to treat it and refer to a doctor immediately.

Chalky Poop

Chalky poop is white in color and like we mentioned before, white poop indicates liver problems. Chalky poop might also mean an allergy or some sort of stomach bug. It’s treatable and parents must have it checked by their pediatrician right away.

Checking your child’s poop is extremely important, and many times may help with early diagnosis of liver concerns in your newborns.

Early diagnosis of liver failure is everything and can have the baby’s bile flow return to normal within days.

There are even various apps created for helping parents deal with poop concerns and learn what is normal and what is not.

© Teresa Boardman, Nanny Options.

Browse other Parenting Guide articles from Nanny Options
or keep up to date with us on Facebook.