The Scoop On Newborns Poop
Something mums are going to become very well acquainted with during the starting months, is their babies’ poo!
A newborn stool patterns differ from adults’. The frequency or consistency of stools depend on the individual baby and on the food
he or she is fed.
Mums Worries: What should I expect in my baby’s early bowel movement? Is my baby’s digestion on track?
Mums Worries: What is the normal color of my newborn poop? When should I worry about baby’s bowel movements?
Green poop is a worry of most mums because they expect the poop to be yellow in color.
There is no need to worry if the baby is feeding well and is content and gaining weight.
Orange/Yellow poop is not that unusual either and is
normal.
Black (or extremely dark-green) poop or meconium, is normal for the first
three days, but if the baby is still having them four or five days after birth, consult your pediatrician.
Mums Worries: What is the difference between the poop produced by breastfed babies and formula-fed baby?
Baby’s Food Affects Stools
- Healthy breastfed babies should have a stool after each feeding, or at least three or four runny stools a day once your milk is in.
- The color will be yellow or slightly green and have a mushy or creamy consistency.
- Lots of breastfed babies dirty a diaper every time (or most times) they eat for the first few weeks, or even months.
- This is totally normal and usually just means your baby is getting plenty to eat.
- Mums need to stock up on diapers, as baby needs more diaper change due to their delicate skin.
- If baby is having excessive (12 to 16 per day), watery, stinky stools, call the doc - this may be diarrhoea.
- Formula-fed babies have pasty, peanut butter-like stools on the brown colour spectrum: tan-brown, yellow-brown or green- brown.
- Formula-fed babies may have fewer stools than breastfed ones.
- It is more pungent than poo from breastfed babies.
Mums Worries: How do I know if my baby has diarrhoea and what should I do?
- Diarrhoea is characterized by stools that are mucousy, foul-smelling, more frequent than usual, blood-tinged, or watery.
- It can be yellow, green, or brown and can seep or explode out of the nappy.
- Diarrhoea can be a sign or an infection or allergy.
- If it lasts for a while without being treated, it can lead to dehydration.
- Call the doctor if the baby is three months old or younger, has more than two or three diarrhoea-filled nappies, or continues having diarrhoea for more than a day or two.
Mums Worries: How likely will my babies have constipation?
Constipation
- Breastfed babies rarely have constipation, or hard, dry stools that are difficult to pass.
- While some older breastfed babies have only one bowel movement per week, this is usually not indicative of constipation; their more mature digestive systems are efficiently using more of their mother’s milk.
Mums Worries: What is the usual feeding and diaper goal for newborn?
Photos and article are by courtesy of Dr. Khoo Phaik Choo, Consultant Paediatrician
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