Baby poo becomes a serious topic of conversation amongst new parents. When your baby is first born and for the first couple of days, they will pass a ‘tar like’ poo called meconium. Meconium will be passed maybe 3 or 4 times before the consistency and colour changes progressively from brown, through green to yellow colour and becomes looser at around 4 days old.
The number of poos a baby has will increase from this point, at least a couple each day. At some point in the first month they will be very yellow and watery with a ‘seedy’ appearance. Expect two or more each day, at least the size of a £2 coin. You’ll start to see what is normal for your baby, which may be completely different to anyone else as some babies poo much more than others.
If you’re at all concerned about your baby’s poo (consistency, colour, smell, frequency) contact a health professional for advice. Babies are expected to poo daily until around 6 weeks. The link illustrates what to expect but don’t be surprised if from day to day or week to week your baby’s poos vary slightly.
A bit about ‘wet’ nappies:- You may notice a pink/red substance in your baby’s wet nappy in the first couple of days. These are called ‘urates’ and many babies pass these. If they last beyond the first couple of days, tell your midwife. By day 7 you would expect to your baby to have 6 or more wet nappies per day.
You can fill whatever nappy you are using (disposable or cloth) with 3 tablespoons or 45ml of water, this will help you to know what a “heavy” wet nappy feels like.
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