Baby Poop: Everything You Need to Know

The obsession over baby poop is a real and important thing among parents. From the first tar-like poop to finally potty training, parents will take note of every color and consistency imaginable. These dirty details are key to answering questions about the health of your baby.

It’s a great idea to track the poops during the first week or so to share with your pediatrician. You’ll see the first poop will be dark and tar-like. After a few days it will transition into a lighter yellow or green, which tells you that your baby is digesting properly.

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Breastfed babies will resemble diarrhea and be more yellow. The smells at first are kept to a minimum. I believe it to be natures way of building up a parent’s poop tolerance. Formula-fed babies will poop less frequently than those breastfed, and their normal will have a peanut butter consistency with the color showing more browns.

As baby graduates to solid-food, parents graduate to being able to stomach a lot more than they may have been able to a few months ago. It is smellier, and there is more of it in each diaper.

Diarrhea and constipation are common concerns in terms of baby poop. Diarrhea can cause dehydration making it important to address early. Give your baby plenty of fluids, and call your doctor if your baby is younger than three months old or has a fever of 100.4 or higher.

If you have diapers filled with hard poop your baby is constipated. Some ways to ease constipation include, bicycle legs (pedal infant’s legs to and from the chest), give baby a warm bath and adding some prunes to the menu.

Learn more about the different types of baby poop here.