WHEN WILL MY BABY PASS HIS FIRST STOOL?
Baby will do his first poo within the first couple of days after birth.
It is a large sticky black stool referred to as meconium.
As your breast milk comes in his stool will gradually start changing to be far more runny and yellow in colour.
His stool would normally not change until formula or solids are introduced.
HOW MANY STOOLS SHOULD MY BABY HAVE A DAY?
The amount of stools will vary from baby to baby.
An exclusively breast fed baby can pass a stool with every feed and maybe a few more in between. New parents are often shocked at how much poo can come out of their little baby.
However some breast fed babies may poo as little as once every 10 days. This does not mean that your baby is constipated, as a breast fed baby cannot get constipated.
If your baby has not passed a stool after 7 days I recommend you visit your clinic to weigh baby as baby may not be passing a stool as he is not getting enough food or maybe he is just a little storer saving you on nappies.
WHAT COLOUR WILL HIS POO BE?
Your baby’s stool may vary in colour from butternut yellow to green to brown to grey, and all this is fine.
The only time we are concerned is if the stool has blood in it, or is white in colour – then please contact your doctor.
WHAT CONSISTENCY SHOULD I EXPECT?
As mentioned earlier a breast fed stool may be very runny almost like water or the consistency of cottage cheese. Often one may see small white undigested milk curds in the stool.
A bottle fed stool will vary from cottage cheese consistency to a putty consistency. And that is fine. However if the stools are hard round little balls then your baby is constipated.
When on solids stools will be firmer and offensive smelling.
I deal with many parents who are over concerned over their baby’s stools. So relax moms and try not to over analyse every poo!