Baby Poop: A Guide For Parents
Babies can poop almost every colour of the rainbow, which can make opening your infants diaper quite a shock.
From broadcasting their diets to alerting us to illness, our babies poop tells us whats going on in their little bodies when they cant, so it helps to have a newborn poop guide to know how to read the signs. What if your babys poop smells sour or like vinegar? What if your baby has smelly gas, but no poop? What if your breastfed babys poop suddenly smells bad, or theres dark green baby poop?
Weve put together a baby poop primer to help you figure out what your babys diaper is saying. If you need additional help, you can always use Maple to see a Canadian-licensed doctor online in minutes, 24/7.
Are Breastfed Babies More Likely To Have Green Poop
Actually, green poop is common in both breastfed and formula-fed babies, but it’s more common in formula-fed babies.
While breastfed babies tend to have poop that’s yellowish , formula-fed babies have poop that’s more brown: usually tan, yellow/brown, or green/brown. Formula-fed babies also tend to have smellier poop, because breast milk is digested more quickly than formula.
Keep in mind that a change in your baby’s diet switching formula, changing what you eat if you’re breastfeeding, or introducing solids can result in a change in your baby’s poop.
Learn more about what formula-fed babies’ poop looks like.
How Often Should Babies Poop
Its OK if your baby doesnt pass stool every day. This does not necessarily mean theres a concern. A newborn can have few bowel movements early on.
If youre breastfeeding or chestfeeding, your baby may poop only once per week when they get to the 3- to 6-week mark. If your baby is formula-fed, then you should see bowel movements occurring around once per day. Anything less than this could indicate constipation, though some formula-fed babies dont poop every day, either.
Your baby will likely have a daily bowel movement once theyre on solids. Pooping more than once after each feeding at any stage could indicate diarrhea.
Know that changes in color and even consistency are expected during your babys first year of life. But its also important to monitor these changes in case you need to call your childs pediatrician.
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What If You See Blood In Stool
Blood may be present in a babys stool from straining during constipation. It could also be a sign of an infection, which warrants a call to the pediatrician.
Small amounts of blood are sometimes ingested during nursing if your nipples are cracked. This appears as specks of black or dark red in your babys poop.
It Can Be Disconcerting To Notice Green Poop In Your Babys Diaper But Its Usually Not A Cause For Concern Find Out More About What Green Baby Poop Means And When To Call A Doctor
Noticing green poop in your baby’s diaper can leave you wondering about their health and well-being. But thankfully, the occasional greenish stool is normal for a newborn, says Linda Folden Palmer, D.C., author of Baby Poop: What Your Pediatrician May Not Tell You. If your baby is eating enoughand if the green stool doesn’t appear at every diaper changeyou probably don’t need to visit the pediatrician. Keep reading to learn more about the causes of green baby poop.
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Thick Black Baby Poop
Thick, black stools when your baby is more than 3 days old may indicate bleeding in the digestive tract, which can be dangerous. Contact your pediatrician.
One thing to note: Iron supplements or iron-fortified formula can sometimes cause stool to turn dark brown or black, in which case theres no need to be concerned. Check with your doctor to be sure.
What If You See Mucus In Stool
The presence of mucus in the stool is standard in newborns as they pass meconium. Its also seen in babies who swallow their drool. However, mucus can also be caused by a bacterial infection or other trouble in your babys intestines.
As a rule of thumb, you should call your pediatrician if your baby is older than a few days, is not drooling, and has persistent mucus in their stool.
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Guide For Baby Poop By Color
Green Baby Poop: Babies taking an iron-supplement will often have green baby poop. Green baby poop can also occur at 4 to 6 months when they start eating solid, green foods, such as pureed peas, spinach and beans.
Orange, Yellow and Brown Stools: These colors are normal in breastfed and bottle fed babies.
Black Blood in Baby Poop: If babys stool has little specks of black blood in it, it means baby has digested blood while breastfeeding on mothers cracked and bleeding nipples. This does not pose a threat to your baby, but its a good idea to check with a doctor to make sure the blood is not a symptom of something more serious.
Once your baby begins eating solid food, his or her bowel movements might contain a wide variety of colors.
Why Is It Usually Brown Anyway
The usual brown color of excrement is due to a leftover mix of dead red blood cells and waste from the bacteria in your bowels. The bile in your intestines is usually a yellowish-green color, but bacteria add the rest of the hue. Besides making your poop brown, bacteria perform vitally important functions, like helping you to absorb nutrients from your meals.
Feces can be a different color when food doesnt spend enough time in your digestive tract. This can happen if you have diarrhea. In that case, the contents of your intestines rush through the process too quickly to allow healthy bacteria to give your poo its characteristic hue.
The most common reason for green stool is a dietary habit or change. Food that can cause green stools include:
Dark green vegetables and green powder supplements contain chlorophyll, the chemical that allows plants to make energy from the sun. Eating a lot of them can turn your poop green, but that doesnt mean theres something wrong. Keep eating those greens!
Some foods contain food coloring that doesnt get processed properly. This can also leave a colorful residue in your stool. So if you wake up after a St. Patricks Day spent imbibing green beer and notice something off when you go to the bathroom, you probably just need some water.
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What Is The Normal Color And Consistency Of Baby Poop
Your babys very first stools are likely to be the black and tarry meconium that was in her gut at birth. When your breastfeeding is going good after few days your baby should move on to transitional stool. This is usually darkish green in color. After about five days it should go on to become yellow. The consistency, from now until your baby starts having something other than breast milk, should ideally be liquid with seedy bits in it.
Is Green Baby Poop Normal
Baby poop goes through a variety of changes as they grow, drink breast milk or formula and start solid foods. Its important to pay attention to whats in babys diaper because the color and consistency can tell you a lot about babys health. Green poop, yellow or brown lets examine what each means.
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Can Liver Issues Cause Green Poop
Bile is a a greenish-yellow liquid made in your liver. If you have green poop or green diarrhea, then there may be excess bile in your stool. Some types of liver disease that cause increased bile production can result in yellowish or green, watery diarrhea. This effect is seen in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
What Causes Mucus In Baby Poop
Finding poop with mucus in your babys diaper can be alarming. Luckily this isnt always a cause for concern. Its common for infants and newborns to be congested in the winter months when the air is drier, or if they have a cold. Because young babies dont know how to blow their nose, they often end up swallowing a lot of mucus.
Using saline and a mucus aspirator will help unblock their nose and get rid of much of the mucus in their poop. If your baby isnt congested, however, and mucus in their stool persists, alert your childs doctor and bring a sample dirty diaper to the appointment. Sometimes mucus is a sign of intestinal issues.
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Allergies And Dietary Changes
Allergies and food sensitivities can cause diarrhea or lead to mucus in a babys poop, though this is uncommon. In babies that breastfeed, a sudden change in the mothers diet may be the cause. Sensitivities to iron, soy, or other formula ingredients may also play a role.
In older babies who eat solids, certain foods can cause diarrhea. This could be an early warning sign of a food sensitivity, though it is common for poop to change in color or consistency as new foods are introduced.
Sometimes, a sudden change in a babys diet such as a switch to a new formula can cause diarrhea for a few days. Talk to a pediatrician about how to manage these dietary changes to minimize the risk of diarrhea and stomach pain.
Changes in the way that a baby breastfeeds can affect the texture of their poop. For example, some babies who feed for short periods before switching breasts have frothy green stool.
If a baby breastfeeds, their stool may seem to contain mucus. This can happen when the baby gets more foremilk than hindmilk. Foremilk is the milk available at the beginning of a feed, and it can be thinner and sweeter, while hindmilk is available at the end.
Feeding on each breast for longer periods may help.
When Theres No Poop Constipation
With all the variation in how often your baby poops, you may sometimes wonder how you can tell if your little one is constipated.
Constipation in babies is more common after the introduction of solids, but it can occur in younger babies, too. Here are some typical signs of constipation:
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In a newborn baby. Firm stools that come less than once a day.
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In an older baby or toddler. Hard, compact stools that only come every three or four days.
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In a baby or child of any age. Large, hard, and dry stools that are painful to pass blood on or in your childâs stools you child strains for more than 10 minutes without passing any stool at all.
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When To Take Your Baby To The Doctor
While its true that a wide range of baby poop colours are normal, there are some notable exceptions. White, grey, or very anemic, pale-looking clay-coloured poops might signal a serious issue with your childs liver. And while black poop is expected for the first few days of the babys life, if it comes back, see a pediatrician immediately.
In an older child, black poop can mean a serious internal stomach bleed. Similarly, if your babys poop contains streaks of blood, you should contact their pediatrician. If their stool is hard and your little one frequently strains while pooping, its likely due to constipation, so you may want to learn more about foods causing and relieving constipation in babies. Sometimes, however, it can also be the result of an allergy.
Diarrhea in newborns can also be quite serious. If your little one has had diarrhea for more than 24 hours, its crucial to take them to a doctor. Newborns with diarrhea are at high risk of dehydration. If your baby has diarrhea and has fewer than six wet diapers a day, a sunken fontanelle , a fever, or vomiting, seek emergency care immediately.
Paying attention to your childs diaper is a great way to monitor their health. Know the signs that can signal trouble, but also keep in mind that food is the most likely culprit of funny-coloured baby poop. So always make sure to check and if you dont know, dont be afraid to ask.
Green Baby Poop In Formula
Formula-fed babies may have green poop if the formula they drink has an iron sulfate supplement or is iron-fortified. Sometimes stool can even be so dark green that it looks black. This is no cause for alarm and has no significant effect on your baby’s digestive system.
Other normal colors for formula-fed baby poop include yellow or brown with a pasty consistency that resembles peanut butter. Formula-fed babies poop a bit less frequently than breastfed babies, and the stools are usually more odorous.
Its good to know, however, that black poop may be a sign of blood present in the digestive tract, so this could be a reason to see a doctor.
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Why Is My Babys Poop Green
The usual colour of a breastfed babys poo is mustard or yellow. Plenty of soft yellow poop after day five of life shows your baby is drinking plenty of breast milk . A green poo on day three of life is normal. Later, an occasional green poo is not unusual, but what about frequent green nappies? What do they mean?
Should You Worry If Your Poop Is Green
Lets start with a basic fact: Youre not alone in finding an unexpectedly verdant dash of color in the toilet bowl following a splashdown. The color and shade of a bowel movement can vary day by day, says Dr. Lee. Its like life always changing and never the same.
So what causes it? Lets look at some potential Technicolor triggers.
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Treatment For Green Stool In Infants
If the baby is eating well, has no diarrhea, and has overall good health, then there is seldom any treatment required. The doctor will perform a thorough examination and take a detailed history of the baby before suggesting any treatment. Some of the treatment options are:
- Breastfeeding is the best form of nutrition for a baby. The doctor might recommend exclusive breastfeeding for babies when the formula is the suspected cause of green stools. If breastfeeding is not possible due to various reasons, they might suggest a change in the formula.
- If the baby has green stools and diarrhea due to an infection, then the doctor may prescribe some medications .
- A few research studies claim that prebiotics may help in treating green stools and improving stool consistency. Do not give any prebiotics to your baby without consulting the doctor.
- If lactose intolerance is the cause, then the baby can consume low lactose or a lactose-free formula. It might even help improve weight gain in babies with diarrhea caused by secondary lactose intolerance , following an episode of infectious diarrhea.
- If the doctor suspects a food allergy, then the mother will have to keep a watch on the change in the babys poop color. Making a note of the food you eat and then correlating it with the altered poop color of the baby might help in identifying the allergen and avoiding it. Some common allergens are eggs, nuts, dairy products, wheat, fish, soy products, and corn .
Green Poop & Diarrhea
Infants or children with diarrhea typically produce stool the color of whatever they have eaten. For example, if your kid ate blue Jell-O and then had diarrhea, the toilet or diaper contents will likely be blue.
Babies with poop issues, like diarrhea, are more likely to be dehydrated. Dehydration is a threat to little ones, so be sure they are getting plenty of fluids.
Its important not to impose dietary restrictions on your baby without first consulting your pediatric provider. Babies require appropriate nutrition for healthy growth. Limiting them because you think theyre gaining too much weight, or because you think they need to diet is a mistake. Every child needs access to a plentiful, healthy, balanced diet.
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Sensitivity To Breast Milk
Your babys green poop could be an early indication of him or her being sensitive to something in your diet. This can be cows milk or anything else. You can try eliminating senstitive items from your diet to see improvement in your babys poop color and consistency.
When a sensitive or allergic baby reacts to a drug youre taking, something in your diet, or something baby consumes directly, this may turn her poops green or mucusy. You may even see bits of blood in it, which is not considered serious.
Coffee Spicy Foods And Alcohol
As bile moves through the small intestine to the large intestine, it changes color from green to yellow to brown. This is due to how bacteria in the large intestine acts on bile salts.
Coffee, alcohol, jalapeños, and chili pepper can make you have to poop more quickly. These foods cause a laxative effect that makes food rush through your intestines too fast for it to change from green to brown.
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Medications For Mother Or Baby
Some antibiotics or other medications may cause poop to rush through the bowel more quickly causing green nappies. Many mothers have also reported sudden onset of green poop following a babys vaccinations . Author Robyn Noble says vaccination deserves consideration as a contributor to food allergies and that vaccinations are best not given to anyone with abnormal poop as this is a major sign of abnormal gut conditions and a sign that the immune system is already under stress3.