Is this baby poop normal?

YOU’RE IN FOR A SURPRISE WHEN IT COMES TO THE COLOUR, TEXTURE AND SMELL OF BABY POOP! BECOME AN EXPERT IN ONE OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT SUBJECTS FOR NEW PARENTS ON WHAT’S NORMAL AND WHAT ISN’T.

Poop. Something you hardly thought about and certainly didn’t talk about before becoming a parent. And now it’s not only a hot topic of conversation but wondering whether the colour, texture, smell or frequency is normal is starting to drive you a little crazy!

Baby poop comes in all sorts of shades and forms and can keep even the most experienced parent guessing. Let us help demystify that nappy for you….

BABY’S FIRST POOP

Among the most unusual baby poop is baby’s first poop. This is because it is made up of something called meconium, which is made up of everything mom ingested while baby was in the womb. This poop is a dark greeny-black and very, very sticky which can make it quite difficult to wipe away. Yes, it does look and feel like something they tarmac the roads with, this is normal and will likely last for a few days at least.

BABY POOP WHEN BREASTFEEDING

After the meconium has passed your baby’s poop will start to change to a lighter greeny-black and then on to a yellow. It is often quite bright. The texture will change too, from sticky to grainy, even loose. It should be soft and easy to pass. The biggest surprise for new parents is often the smell as it is far sweeter than you might anticipate – a breastfeeding bonus!

BABY POOP WHEN BOTTLE FEEDING

It is a little more difficult for a baby to digest formula than breast milk and this results in some small differences in their poop. Bottle-fed baby poop is likely to be bulkier than breast-fed baby poop. Colour-wise you can expect the poop to be a paler yellow or yellowish brown and it will be stronger smelling. Your nappy disposal system should be helping you keep those nasty niffs away.

BABY POOP WHEN INTRODUCING SOLID FOODS

All change! With solid foods your baby’s poop will now become larger and thicker, more like an adults. And unfortunately they will get smellier too! You may notice that different foods affect the poop differently. Sometimes you’ll see the colour of the poop reflect what you’ve given your baby to eat. You may also notice certain hard-to-digest foods pass straight through. This will change in time, as your baby gets used to different food types. In the meantime you’ll have fun guessing what those weird little black flecks are (HINT: it’s probably that banana).

JET PROPELLED POOP

Yes your baby can achieve some real force behind that poop! Don’t be surprised if that poop you’ve waited longer than usual for has made it’s way out of the diaper.

BABY POOP – WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR

You already know that poop comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes (not to mention smells and colours). Because of this, it is sometimes hard to tell when something is wrong. Nevertheless, there are a few signs you should watch out for that could indicate a greater problem:

• Diarrhea – runny or even explosive diarrhea could be a symptom of teething or an allergy, but you should check with your doctor in case of infection or other medical problem.
• Constipation – some babies just don’t poop as often as others (especially if they are bottle fed), but if your baby is really struggling, crying and their poops are like rabbit droppings, you should contact your doctor. This is especially true if there is blood in baby’s poop.
• Blood – Blood is baby’s stool is usually a symptom of constipation and can normally be remedied quite easily. Nevertheless, you should always consult your doctor to be on the safe side.
• Green Poop – green poop is normal in newborns but could be a sign of infection in older babies. It is often sign in breastfed babies that they are drinking all of the fore milk but not getting the rich milk at the end of the feed.
• Pale Poop – very pale poop is a sign of jaundice, which is common in newborns. If it lasts longer than a couple of weeks you should consult your doctor.

If there was ever a time to wonder how your life has changed since parenthood, this might be it! This poop just got real.