What Should My Baby’s Poo Look Like?

In your wildest dreams you most likely never imagined yourself examining your baby’s poo! In fact, I’m having a hard time believing that I am actually writing an entire post about it. But the fact is, when you have a baby, poo becomes an important part of your day.

What colour is the poo? How often does he go? How does it smell? These questions may not be best to bring up at your next dinner party but they are important ones to consider. So, what’s in a poo? We’ll tell you!

Newborn Poops

You may be surprised at what will come out of your newborn in the first couple of days. The poops will be greenish black and have the consistency of tar. It will be hard to wipe off the bum and you may need to use a wet cloth. This first poop is known as meconium and fortunately, it will only be the first bowel movement or two. It is seriously sticky and might take quite a few wipes to get it off.  If baby has a sensitive bum, using too many wipes might aggravate little bums (just like tissues can aggravate a nose) – so run a warm bath and ‘soak’ it off.  Gross, but gentler on skin.

Breastfed Baby Poo

If you are exclusively breastfeeding your baby then your baby will have mustardy loose yellow poop. It could look a little like Dijon mustard with that grainy look or it could look like traditional American mustard. And, after reading this, you’ll probably never have mustard on a sandwich ever again! Most breastfeed babies poo around three times per day which will decrease to once a day as he gets older. However, it is not uncommon for a baby to go up to ten times in a day or only once every three days.  Fortunately for breastfed babies, they rarely get constipated!  Alas – not everyone is lucky enough to be able to breastfeed (and we certainly won’t be getting into THAT debate!).

How do I know if my baby is constipated?

Nearly every baby will get constipated at some stage.  If your baby has a firm or hard feeling belly, is crying and won’t settle (more than usual) and has especially foul smelling farts or smell pellet-like poo, they are likely constipated.  Give your baby a warm bath and gently massage their tummy.  Another good trick before you see a doctor (if you baby is seriously upset – take them to the Doc right away!) – put a small amount of brown sugar in a bottle with boiled and cooled water.  It can help things along….

Formula Fed Baby Poo

Bottle fed babies will have browner, more solid type poo. It will be loose and light brown in colour, but most likely more regular and will have an awful smell to it. So be prepared to hold your breath. It is easy for formula fed babies to get constipated, so make sure you make up the bottle strictly according to the instructions, as too much formula and not enough water will certainly give them a belly ache.  Babies can take up to two weeks to get used to a new baby formula, so analyzing what comes out the other end is a good way to judge weather or not the formula is the right one for your baby!

Formula fed babies don’t poop nearly as often as breast-fed babies. But keep an eye on it – and if the problem of constipation persists, talk to your Doctor about changing formula’s.

My baby’s poo is GREEN???

Green baby poo is always a sign something isn’t quite right.  If you are exclusively breastfeeding, it could mean that your bub isn’t feeding for long enough and isn’t getting enough nutrients.  Try feeding for longer.  Green broccoli style poo could mean sensitivity to lactose – so get bubs checked out by a Doctor.

Solid Food Number Twos

Once solids are introduced into the diet you can expect a more rainbow of poop. In fact, your baby may have an orange tinged poop after eating carrots or a blue streak of poop after trying blueberries. As long as there is no blood in the stool, then it’s all good. Solid food poop will be more solid, mushier and much smellier.

Once your baby starts to eat meat based foods, expect the smell to be, well, as bad as adult’s poop is.

My baby has really slimey poo and it smells horrific? What’s wrong?

Welcome to the world of the ‘teething poo’.  Slimey poo means that it contains mucus, and this usually occurs when your baby starts teething (even if there are no signs of teeth yet, some babies take MONTHS for their teeth to come through).  Teething increases the amount of saliva produced, and that saliva is swallowed, and becomes mucus like in the poo.  Other causes for slimey poo include an infection or allergy.  So double check and get your baby checked over to make sure everything is okay!

Number Threes or Poo-namis

You are not officially inducted into the mummy wall of fame until you have been hit with a poo explosion. Number threes are incredibly massive poo’s that somehow manage to escape the nappy and end up everywhere (in his hair, on your bed sheets, on the car seat, across the room). It is a mystery how the poo manages to get everywhere and it is also a law of mummy hood that number three’s will occur when you are already late for something. They also tend to explode after a couple of days without a bowel movement. So be prepared.

Always carry a spare set of clothing when going out, and a washer is also handy to help clean baby!

When to Be Concerned

All babies will have slightly different shades of poop and different schedules; however, if your baby is constantly having trouble pushing out the poop or is passing pebbles, then this can indicate constipation. If your baby’s poop is constantly runny, white or grey or tinged with blood, then it’s time to call the doctor to check that everything is okay.

Baby poop, like all aspects of parenthood, is an adventure. Be prepared to go through a few different outfits, always pack backup clothes and wipes when you are out and invest in some high-quality laundry cleaner and disinfectant. When it comes to baby poop, anything goes. So go get grubby!

If  your child experiences any worsening symptoms or if you have any concerns about their health, please seek immediate medical attention we have some hotlines and suggested websites for further information and advice  https://www.stayathomemum.com.au/my-kids/babies/important-hotlines-websites/

SAHM takes no responsibility for any illness, injury or death caused by misuse of this information.  All information provided is correct at time of publication.