Newborn Poop and Color

The content of your baby’s diaper says a whole lot about what is going on inside of his tiny little body.

The color, texture, smell, consistency and frequency of his poop are totally different from what you’re used to, and seem to change a lot.

What is considered normal for your baby poop depends on whether you’re breastfeeding or formula feeding. This quick overview of the first shades and forms of baby poop will give you an idea about what’s normal and what to expect:

In the first 24 hours of life, a newborn baby usually passes a blackish green tar like stuff, known as meconium. This first poop is made up of old cells baby ingested whilst in the womb.

Two to four days afterwards, baby starts to produce a less sticky stool. This so-called “transitional” poop is a clear indicator that a baby’s digestive system is working very well. What’s normal for this poop varies according to the type of food the baby is eating.

If he’s breastfeeding, his stool will be yellow mustard, green or brown. The texture will be somehow loose with seedy looking bits and the odor far sweeter than regular poop. A breastfed baby will typically soil his diaper 5 times a day, or during and after each feeding.

But if he’s being given the bottle, his poop will be dark yellow or brown. The texture will be soft, ranging between butter and pudding. The odor will be more like regular poop. A formula-fed baby will typically soil his nappy 3 to 4 times a day.

Once baby’s feeding routine is established, he will be producing stool around 5 times a day or even one time every 3 days. As long as it’s coming out soft, the baby is perfectly healthy and has no constipation.

As your baby grows, you may notice additional changes in their poop, especially as they start to eat solid foods. Introducing new foods can lead to changes in color, texture, and frequency. For example, you might see greenish stools after introducing green vegetables or even reddish stools after feeding them beets.

It's normal for the consistency to become firmer as your baby begins to eat more solids. However, if you notice constant diarrhea, very hard stools, or any unusual colors like red, black, or white, it's important to consult your pediatrician to ensure there are no underlying health concerns.

No need to consult the pediatrician about every change in your baby’s poop, unless he stops up for more than 3 days (if breastfed) or more than 5 days (if bottle-fed). The same applies if your infant stool is: hard and more consistent, thin and watery with mucus, or red (which could mean bleeding), black (which could mean constipation), or white (which could mean his body is unable to duly absorb nutrients).