File this under thing #863 that no one tells you about having a baby: You’ll become obsessed with your newborn’s poop. What color is it? Mushy? Hard? How often? (Welcome to parenthood!)
Bowel movements are an important indicator of your babe’s health. So what’s it actually telling us? And when should you call the pediatrician? Read on.
The poop color wheel
The color, texture, and frequency of a baby's stool can vary widely. These differences depend on many factors, such as whether the baby is drinking breastmilk, formula, or eating solid foods. Food sensitivities or intolerances may also influence stool appearance. The following visual guide helps parents recognize different types of stool and understand what might affect its color and consistency.1
It is important to speak with your child's doctor or healthcare provider if you have any concerns or questions about your baby's poop.
A. Greenish-Black: Typically on the first few days following birth, you may see the baby's first stool which is known as meconium. This greenish-black, tarry, sticky consistency is expected and considered totally normal. However, if you see a black stool after this initial period, you should call your baby's pediatrician.
B. Green: If your baby takes an iron supplement, it may make poop green. If you are breastfeeding, then your diet may also impact the color of the poop.2 The hue of green may range from a brighter green to a darker green color. Again, this can also be normal and different for all babies, so asking your baby’s pediatrician about it may be a good idea.
C. Mustard Yellow: Seedy, loose, and mustard yellow colored stools, are typical of breastfed babies.3 Also breastfed baby poop typically has a sweet smell.3
D. Yellow-Brown: A pasty consistency poop is normal for formula-fed babies. Often formula-fed babies have bigger but less frequent poops.
E. White/Gray: If your baby has white or light gray poop, there is potentially a digestion issue, so call the doctor.1,4
F. Red: If you spy blood in even a normal stool, there may be many reasons why, but they all point to calling the doctor.1
The Lowdown on Stool Consistency
 |
Mushy/Pasty: Slightly loose but not liquid with even a seedy texture is normal in both breastfed and formula-fed babies. No cause for concern.1 |
 |
Runny/Diarrhea: Very runny, watery poop in any color (green, yellow, brown) with an increase in frequency, can be a sign of an allergy or infection. Call the pediatrician. You don’t want to risk dehydration.1,3 |
 |
Hard Pebbles: This means your baby is constipated and can be a sign they aren’t tolerating something in either breastmilk or formula. Time to call the pediatrician. |
 |
Mucus: Slimy green strings in poop can be a sign of infection. Call the pediatrician. |
Frequency
So how often should your newborn baby poop? Well, there are no hard and fast rules here, but here’s what is considered “normal”:
- Newborns less than 6 weeks old poop anywhere from 1 to 10 times a day (usually after feeding) – anywhere in that window. At around 6 weeks, the frequency tends to go down, and some babies can go up to a week without a bowel movement . As long as they are gaining weight and seem comfortable, it’s fine.
- Exclusively breastfed babies are rarely constipated, as breastmilk is a natural laxative.
- Formula-fed babies can sometimes get constipated (if it can roll, it’s considered too hard). Consult your pediatrician about the best remedy.
Gut Health
When making Nara’s formula, healthy digestion was top of mind. A happy tummy means a happy baby (or at least it helps!). Here’s what we included in our formula for gut health.
Easy-on-tummies protein blend: Our whey/casein ratio is 60:40, a protein blend patterned after mature breastmilk and designed to be easy on tummies.6
Prebiotics: We add organic Galactooligosaccharides also known as GOS, a prebiotic that may help support digestion and soft poops.7,8
Lactose: This is the primary carbohydrate in our formula (like breastmilk) and it helps support healthy bacteria in your baby’s gut.9,10,11
Whole milk fat: Because our formula is built on organic whole milk (not skim), babies get the benefit of natural milk fat, including MFGM (Milk Fat Globule Membrane). Ongoing research shows that MFGM may help support many things, including gut health12*.
Talk to your pediatrician
If you have questions about your baby’s digestion, your pediatrician is your best resource. They can help you understand what’s normal and what might be a cause for concern.
