Changing colors and smells

Newborns and poop

You’ve been eagerly awaiting this moment for nine months: your baby is here! If you have just become a father or mother, you will notice that even though you have read a lot about parenthood, there are still lots of things that will take you by surprise. For example, you will wake up at night with the question of how to get your baby faster to sleep on your mind, but you will also hear yourself ask your partner the question “What color poop is normal in a newborn baby?” This page is about the different stages of bowel movements of your baby, and which color and consistency of your baby’s poop are normal or not.

On this page you’ll find..

The colors
First poop
Changes
Different stages
Articles

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The colors of newborn poop

The colors of newborn poop

The color and consistency of newborn poop can change a lot in the first few months. This is quite normal, but the change in color and consistency may sometimes be confusing for new parents or cause them to worry. It is important to remember that it’s quite normal for the poop of newborn babies to come in different colors and textures, depending on age, nutrition and health. What colors and textures are considered normal and when should you consult a doctor?

Just as your baby’s poop is going through different developmental stages, so is your baby! Did you know that our app describes the mental development of your baby during the first 20 months of his/her life?

Your newborn’s first poop: meconium

Your newborn’s first poop: meconium

Parents who have already had one or two (or more) babies, will immediately recognize the first poop of their newborn baby: black poo. For first-time new parents, this can be quite disconcerting. Because black poop, is that even normal? Indeed, it is. For the first few days after birth, your baby will produce a special form of stool, also known as meconium. In the uterus, your baby has swallowed things like amniotic fluid, bile and mucus, which cause the black color. This is perfectly normal: it is an indication that your baby’s digestive system is working properly.

Changes in your newborn baby’s poop

Transitional stool

After this first phase of black poop, or meconium, you will notice that the color of your baby’s poop changes. Your newborn no longer swallows amniotic fluid, bile and mucus after birth, and this causes the color and texture of the poop to change. You will usually see that change on the 3rd or 4th day after birth. This is called transitional stool, and it means, your baby is starting to digest the milk (breast milk or formula). The color of transitional stools is typically green-yellow or brown. The texture is a lot less sticky than meconium and is usually soft or a little granular.

Normal poop of breastfed babies

The poop produced by newborns may differ in color and consistency, depending on whether your baby is being breastfed or bottle-fed. These different forms of poop are normal. When a baby receives a combination of breastfeeding and formula, the color and texture of the poop may be in between. The poop of a breastfed baby is quite characteristic and often has a (mustard) yellow color. But the color may also vary from yellow to orange. Its consistency is soft, watery or granular.

Sometimes it almost looks like mustard with small seeds. The number of bowel movements of your newborn baby varies in the case of a breastfed baby. Some babies pass stool after each feeding, while others will not have bowel movement for days. Both occurrences are normal, as long as you notice that your baby is comfortable and not in pain or discomfort.

Normal stool of bottle-fed babies

The stool of bottle-fed babies may differ from the poop of breast-fed babies. Its color is light yellow to light brown and everything in between. In other words, your newborn baby may even pass orange poop. In addition, the poop will be firmer and less watery in texture than that of breastfed babies. The texture can be compared to a peanut butter-like consistency. The number of bowel movements of babies receiving bottle feeding ranges from a few times per day to once every few days.

At what color or smell of newborn baby’s poop should you contact your doctor?

Different babies with different health conditions and exposed to different food will produce different colors, textures and even smells of poop. Moste types of poop are normal, but when should you contact your doctor?

When your newborn baby’s stool is white or gray: this may indicate problems with the bile ducts of liver.
In the case of red or bloody poop: this may indicate an allergy, infection or small tears in de anus.
In the case of black poop beyond the meconium phase: once the meconium phase is over and your newborn baby’s poop is (still) black, this may indicate digestive problems or bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
In the case of foamy of watery poop: this may indicate an infection or lactose intolerance.
If your newborn baby’s poop suddenly starts to smell very bad, it can be caused by digestive problems, an infection, allergy or intolerance. Smelly poop is basically normal, but if the smell is extremely malodorous or if you notice that in addition to smelly poop, your baby also shows changes in behavior or appetite, has a fever or other symptoms of an infection, you should contact your doctor.

The different stages of your newborn baby’s poop

The different stages of your newborn baby’s poop

You may notice that the color and consistency of your newborn baby’s poop has changed. This change may be caused by various factors: for example, a transition from breastfeeding to bottle feeding can result in different color and texture, but an infection or gastrointestinal problems can likewise cause change. In addition, the intake of certain medications can also result in a change of color and/or texture. Supplements such as iron, for example, can darken the stool. Are you worried about your newborn baby’s poop? Then contact your doctor.