How Often Should Your Newborn Be Pooping?

Newborn Poop – Bowel movements are an essential measurement of your baby’s health and nourishment.  Typically, formula-fed babies tend to have fewer bowel movements than breastfed babies.  However, the digestive process will vary from baby to baby and also develop as your baby grows.

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Newborn Poop – The First 24 Hours

Babies change a lot during the first month, and that includes their poops.

In the first few days of life, your newborn will excrete thick, dark green or black, tarry stool that is meconium discharge ^[1].

Meconium is actually the by-product of materials ingested while in the womb.

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Newborn Poop – Transitional Stool

After the meconium has passed, transitional stools begin.

These are greenish-yellow in color and loose in texture.

Sometimes, they may be seedy.

You may see some mucous.

Again, color and consistency can change from day to day and baby to baby.

If blood is present in the stool, contact your medical health professional immediately.

This could be normal, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

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Newborn Poop – At About 6 Weeks, Things Change

Between one to two months, the frequency of bowel movements changes from once a day to once every other day.

The consistency should be that of peanut butter.

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Newborn Poop – Most Common Signs of Constipation

Constipation is sometimes a problem among infants.

When a baby is under four months, switching to a different formula may solve the problem.

For babies four months or older, give the baby 2 oz. to 4 oz. of water in addition to the normal number of bottles.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact your doctor.

Signs To Watch Out For:

• Hard stools
• Pebble-size stools
• Infrequent stools
• Bloody stools
• Grunting
• Pulling legs up to the stomach
• Turning red in the face
• Crying or fussing when trying to poop

   

Resources;
[1]   Healthy Children; Baby’s First Days: Bowel Movements & Urination, August 1, 2009.