A baby'southward bottom may be a affair of cuteness, just what that lesser produces is oft a howling, foul-smelling mess.

Yet every new parent should resign themselves to the fact that they will OBSESS over their baby's poo.

Shudder though you may, it's really quite important - considering the contents of your baby's nappy says a lot about their wellness.

So, for the uninitiated, what'southward normal - and what should you be looking out for?

Luckily, BabyCentre are able to guide you through what your babe's stools should exist looking and smelling like - and fifty-fifty their texture.

Firstly, your baby's poo depends on a few factors.

Are they being breastfed or formula fed? Are they moving on to solids? How erstwhile are they?

A newborn's poo...

Initially, your baby will laissez passer meconium.

This is a greeny-black in color, and has a sticky, tar-like texture.

It'south made upward of a lovely cocktail of mucus, amniotic fluid, and everything your baby has ingested while she was in your womb.

Meconium tin be tricky to wipe off your babe's tiny lesser, but its appearance is a good sign that her bowels are working normally.

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Your baby'due south poo if yous're breastfeeding...

Interestingly, your first milk - aka colostrum - acts as a laxative for your baby and helping to push button that meconium out.

One time your milk comes in (usually after three days), y'all'll discover your baby'southward poo will change.

Y'all can then expect it exist:

  • At to the lowest degree the size of a £2 coin.
  • Lighter in colour, changing from a green-dark-brown to bright or mustard xanthous. This yellow poo may aroma slightly sweetness.
  • Loose in texture. The poos may seem grainy at times, curdled at others

Don't worry at the initial regularity of your baby's bowel movements in their first calendar week.

At commencement they'll be having upwardly to iv poos a 24-hour interval. This will then settle downward.

After the first few weeks, some breastfed babies will just poo one time every few days or once a week. This is not a problem as long every bit your baby'southward poos are soft and are passed easily.

Your colostrum acts equally a laxative (

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Your babe's poo if you're formula feeding...

You can expect these to be:

  • Bulkier in texture than a breastfed baby's (a bit similar the texture of toothpaste). This is because formula milk can't be digested as fully as breastmilk.
  • Pale yellowish or yellowish-chocolate-brown in colour.
  • Strong-smelling, more than like an adult's.

Something to lookout man out for with formula-fed babies is they are more prone to constipation, so make certain yous talk to your health visitor if this is the example.

If you switch from breastmilk to formula then the poos volition change besides.

You may observe that your baby's poos become darker and more paste-like. They will also exist smellier, unfortunately.

Canteen-fed babies are more prone to constipation (

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When your baby'due south on solids...

Information technology may come up every bit no surprise to find out you lot tin expect a big change in your baby'south poo when they reach this milestone.

Expect your baby's poo to reflect what they've eaten. So if they have pureed carrots for dinner, well, the contents of her next nappy will exist vivid orange.

Raisins, baked beans and other fibre-rich foods volition, at first, pass direct through them. Don't worry, their digestive system volition adapt the older they go.

Equally they move on to a broad multifariousness of foods, your baby's poos will become thicker, darker, and a lot more smelly.

Once they're on solids, things will change (

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What sort of poo is not normal?

Diarrhoea

Your babe may have diarrhoea if:

  • her poo is very runny
  • she is pooing more often, or passing larger amounts than normal
  • the poo is explosive or spurts out of her bottom

Diarrhoea should clear up without treatment within 24 hours. If it doesn't, go it checked out as your baby is at take a chance of dehydration.

If your baby has had six episodes of diarrhoea in the by 24 hours, see your GP urgently.

Breastfed and formula-fed babies will take different types of poo (

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Constipation

Many babies plough bright crimson and push difficult when they practice a poo. This is normal.
Constipation, on the other hand, is when:

  • Your baby seems to have real difficulty doing a poo.
  • Her poos are small-scale and dry, like rabbit debris. Alternatively, they may be large and hard.
  • Your baby seems irritable, and she strains and cries when she does a poo.
  • Her tummy feels hard to the touch.
  • Her poos have streaks of blood in them. This can be caused past tiny cracks in the pare, called anal fissures, caused past passing hard poos.

E'er accept your baby to your health visitor or GP as before long equally possible if she'southward constipated, specially if y'all notice claret in her poos. They will be able to check out all possible causes.

Your infant probably isn't going to be phased by a dirty nappy (

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Dark-green poo

If you're breastfeeding, the occasional greenish poo is zero to worry nearly.

But if your baby is consistently doing explosive green poos, it may be because he'due south feeding also fast.

When a fast flow of milk hits his empty tummy, it tin create air bubbles, leading to poor digestion.

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Advice for parents

Very stake poo

Very pale poo can be a sign of jaundice, which is common in newborns.

Jaundice causes your newborn's skin and the whites of her eyes to look yellow, and usually clears up within a couple of weeks of nascency.

Tell your midwife or doctor if your baby has jaundice, fifty-fifty if information technology looks similar information technology'due south going away.

Also tell your midwife or doctor if your baby is passing very stake, chalky white, poos. This tin be a sign of liver problems, especially where jaundice lasts beyond two weeks.