The 411 on Baby Poop

Babies, parents, and poop: it's a consuming topic for the first few years of your little one's life. Just what is baby poop supposed to look like? More importantly, is your baby's poop (and his elimination pattern) normal?

Newborn Diapers

The newborn period is marked by a unique substance called meconium. It's black and looks like tar. It's sticky and stains everything. It's altogether unpleasant! It doesn't smell bad, though; it's just something to look forward to being done. The meconium lined the inside of your baby's intestines while she was still in the womb, and after birth it needs to be eliminated. It lasts 3-4 days and as it is eliminated you'll notice a gradual transition to normal poop for a baby not having solids.

Breastfed Baby Poop

If your baby is breastfeed you'll see mustard-yellow poop. Sometimes it looks a bit seedy or curd-y. It can be runny or creamy. It has a faint smell of cheese or movie theater popcorn! Sometimes the hue and color can change slightly depending on what you've eaten.

Formula Poop

If a baby is getting any formula, including a homemade one, you'll probably see poop that looks more pasty and like peanut butter. Like breastfed poop it can sometimes have a greenish hue. It smells more than breastfed baby's poop.

Problem Movements

If your baby is having frothy, green bowel movements he is probably not getting enough of the fatty hind-milk. This is the milk that comes in after you experience let-down and contains the calories and fat your baby needs to grow and his brain needs thrive. If you notice this you should be sure you're not cutting your baby's feeds short. Try starting your baby on the same side you finished him on. You should also increase the amount of good fat in your diet -- traditional fats like butter, bacon grease, and coconut oil are best. Consider a fish oil supplement as well.

If you are giving your baby an iron supplement you may see black poop. This is normal but may be scary. Since the iron in a supplement isn't well-digested much of it tends to come back out in the diaper. Consider boosting your own iron reserves if you're nursing or giving a meat-based formula if you're formula feeding.

Solid Stools

When your baby begins solid food you'll see big changes in the poop. It becomes much more like what you expect bowel movements to look like. It's dark brown and more solid than previous no-solid movements. It's slightly more formed but should still be formed and easy to pass.

You may see bits of undigested food in your baby's bowel movements after starting solids, too. Color may change based on what your baby ate. If your baby always has undigested food in her poop you should consult with your doctor to be sure there's nothing going on with her digestive system.

Other Problem Poop

It's possible for babies to suffer from diarrhea and constipation. These are more likely to occur with babies who are formula fed or who have started solid foods. Both look much like the adult versions: diarrhea is very watery and constipation is hard and pebble-like.

Diarrhea can be a response to infection or to allergy. If it persists for more than a couple of days call your baby's doctor. If your baby stops taking liquids and grows listless or unresponsive take her to the emergency room immediately as dehydration can set in quickly. Most of the time a baby who continues to nurse or take the bottle will be okay, but you should watch her very closely.

Constipation is often in response to hard-to-digest foods. Consider removing grains from your baby's diet and sticking with fruits, vegetables, and meats. Babies don't have the enzymes needed to digest grains, so eliminating them can solve the problem. Occasionally a milk allergy can cause constipation, too.

Call your doctor if you see any other types of unusual poop: bright red poop which indicates bleeding in the intestines (sometimes a few red streaks accompany constipated poop), blackish poop when not giving iron which indicates bleeding further up the digestive tract, mucus-y poop which may indicate infection, or very pale, chalk-colored poop which can indicate problems with internal organs.

A Rainbow of Color

Remember that most baby (and toddler) poop will be a normal variation of yellow to brown. You may sometimes see surprising colors, such as when your little one has berries -- or samples a crayon! But a variety of hue and texture can be very normal. Remember that one day you'll finally be done with worry about what's in the diaper!