Baby Poop 101

As a nurse, one of the first questions I will ask my patients (of any age) is, "When did you have your last bowel movement?" Nurses and doctors are obsessed with poop ... and for good reason. Changes in bowel movements (frequency, consistency, color, etc.) are more often than not some of the first indications of improving or worsening health. While we are all quite familiar with our own bowel movements as adults, knowing what is normal - and not normal - for a baby can be quite a completely new experience. When I first had Little Bear, I was unfamiliar with what I should be looking for with her poops. Knowing what to expect, what is normal, and what should cause concern can help a new mom or dad relax and not be so surprised at what they find in their little one's diaper!

The first rule of baby poop is "there is no normal." While a caring friend may share what to expect based on her own baby's poops, be aware that your experience may be completely different. Remember: this is normal! There are some general rules, however, that you can go by to help understand what you are looking at!

Green-Black. This is what you will most likely see the first few days. This green-black poop is actually called "meconium". This amniotic fluid that has been digested by your little one and has been sitting in your baby's intestines for quite some time. It is often described as having the consistency of "tar" ... and for good reason. It is like tar, and can be quite sticky and hard to wash off. Some babies will have one or two meconium stools. Little Bear had about 15 over a period of 5 days. I literally could not believe that my little baby could be holding that much junk in her intestines! Yet she was, and it is normal! Note: If you see black, tarry poop later on, after all the meconium is gone, this is an indicator that there is blood in the poop. Black specks in poop may occur if your nipples are cracked and bleeding and could simply be your digested blood. To be on the safe side, though, I recommend at least calling your doctor and letting them know what you found.

Green-Brown to Yellow-Brown. As your milk comes in and your little one begins drinking more (or, if you are giving formula, even sooner) the green-black color will slowly begin changing color. It will most likely start to take on a more brown tinge. Over the first week this brown will become lighter and lighter as the last of the meconium moves out of your baby's system (usually by day three). Little Bear took almost 7 days to clear her meconium. The midwives were a little worried that I was not producing enough milk. They weight Little Bear on a scale, however, and saw she was gaining weight - a solid indication that she was getting plenty to eat and all was okay!

Yellow. Bright yellow to brownish yellow, actually. Breastfed babies usually have a bright yellow poop until another food source (formula, solids, etc.) are added. It is usually watery. Often it looks "seedy".

Light Brown. Formula feeding (or supplementing breastmilk with formula) will cause poops to be a pasty light brown - sometimes light, sometimes darker, depending on baby and formula type. At times the poop may appear to have tan or greenish hues.

Green. Iron-fortified formula can cause green streaks in baby poop. Most formula is iron-fortified. Frothy green poop may mean that baby is not getting a proper balance of breastmilk. Breastmilk actually varies (what comes out in the first few minutes of a feeding, versus the last part of a feeding). Making sure baby feeds 10 minutes on one breast before switching can help solve this problem.

Green Specks. Okay, this one freaked me out. I noticed small little specks of green in Little Bear's poop at around 6 weeks. I did some research and found out THIS IS NORMAL and that it has to do with bile being excreted. Whew.

White/Chalky. This is one color you DON'T want to see. It means that there is an issue with not enough bile being produced to properly digest foods. Save a sample of poop and call your doctor for an appointment.

Bright Red Streaks. This means blood. This often occurs if a baby gets constipated, which in turn can cause small skin tears to the anus. If you don't believe constipation is the problem, call your doctor. And save a sample of your baby's poop to bring in!

Black. Just like in adults, iron supplements can cause black colored poop. Did your pediatrician recently add iron supplements to your baby's diet? This is most likely the cause behind that black poop.


Other colors. Once solids are added, poops can vary greatly in color. They may be brown, orange, even blue ... depending on what you are feeding your little one. Little Bear has a lot of bright orange poops because she eats a lot of sweet potatoes!

Smell. Breastfed babies have what is often described as "sweet-smelling" poop. And it's true. Which makes changing diapers much more enjoyable! Formula fed babies will have more "stinky" diapers with "grown-up poop" smells. Once solid food is added to a baby's diet, a range of smells is quite common. Right now we are giving Little Bear lots of vegetables, some fruits, and a few meats. Her poops are still quite pleasant smelling!

Consistency. Watery poop is going to be normal for breastfed babies. Formula fed babies will have a more pasty consistency to their poop. Around 4 months, however, Little Bear suddenly developed beautiful yellow, pasty poop! I describe it as "smooth peanut butter" consistency. We didn't add anything to her diet ... it just suddenly changed! I think her system must have started digesting things differently. Once solids are added, poop will very quickly take on a more formed consistency - similar to ours. It should still be soft, however, and never hard. Little Bear started getting hard stools when I fed her too much banana. This indicates constipation, meaning that stools are sitting longer than necessary in the intestines. Not good. Visit my post on constipation for ideas to solve this issue!

Frequency. Here is another category that can vary greatly depending on baby! It can be very normal for a newborn to poop after every meal! Little Bear had many poops every day the first month. On the other hand, your baby may only poop once every day or two. Breastfed babies are more likely to poop several times a day. Formula fed babies will often poop much less - even during the first month. And it changes, as each baby grows older. It can be quite common for a baby to be pooping several times a day - and then suddenly go several days without pooping. Even a week without pooping is considered normal! Little Bear went 5 days without pooping once. I was a little nervous, but because we were breastfeeding and had not changed our feeding habits, I doubted she was constipated. And she wasn't. When she finally did poop, however, it was quite a sight to see!

Using your mothering instincts, however, is especially important during times like these. If your little ones looks uncomfortable - trust your instincts!

Changes in Frequency and/or Consistency. While there are going to be changes in color and consistency, always make sure to be alert and aware of these changes. As mentioned above, it is very normal to see changes in these patterns as you change food sources and/or your baby grows older. What is not normal, though, is going from formed poop one day ... to multiple watery poops the next. This is an indication that your baby has diarrhea. Again, be aware and trust your instincts!

Grunting/Crying. As an adult, we hear a baby grunting/crying and think: constipation! And perhaps this is true. But more likely than not, your baby is simply getting used to this new sensation of pooping! Little Bear did NOT like pooping once she started having more formed poops. She would sit and scream on her potty, very upset at the whole scenario. She has since gotten used to the fact that pooping is okay and not as scary as she first thought. Very hard poops, however, may very well indicate constipation.

Click here for a wonderful look at various pictures of baby poops!

Remember, though, that every baby is different. Those little GI tracts all work at different speeds - resulting in very different looking poops and pooping patterns. Use your instincts, observe your baby, and if really concerned, call your doctor.