Most mothers find that the first month of having a new baby brings a whirlwind of emotions and struggles. Learning about what is and isn’t normal for your new baby. Are they sleeping enough? Are they nursing enough? Even questioning if they’re peeing and pooping enough and if the consistency is normal. Let’s face it; parenthood brings a new comfort of discussing bowel movements and the nitty gritty details.
So what is and isn’t normal for a newborn? First let’s talk urination. It is normal for your infant to have one wet diaper per day of life for the first 6 days. What this means is that on your baby’s first day they should have at least one wet diaper. Day two they should have at least two wet diapers. Day three, three wet diapers. Etc. after day 6 your infant should have 6-8 wet diapers a day.
Next, we can get to the nitty gritty of what is and isn't normal for a newborn breastfed infant.
Frequency:
For roughly the first 6 weeks your newborn should have at least 2-4 bowel movements a day. Although some infants tend to go every time they nurse, which is completely normal. Some infants, as early as 4 weeks, will decrease the number of times they poo.
It is acceptable and generally normal for infants to go up to two weeks without a bowel movement.
This just means their body is soaking up your awesome liquid gold!
If your baby tends to go days between having a bowel movement please do not try and force baby to go! If baby seems to be gassy or trying to go, you can move their legs in a bicycle motion; a warm bath; or the I love you massage. It is absolutely NOT RECOMMENDED or appropriate to give any kind of water or juice to stimulate a movement. Per the american association of pediatrics (aap) and world health organization (who) nothing but breastmilk (or formula if needed) should be given before 6 months of age under any circumstance. Also, nothing should be inserted into your child's rectum without doctor supervision. These "procedures" tend to be invasive with a high risk of causing damage or dependency and completely unnecessary.
Consistency:
Let’s first talk about the first 2-3 days after you have your baby. You should expect thick meconium. After the first few days it will start to transition to normal poo. Usually it will be a bit “seedy” and have what seems to be tiny chunks in it. This can resemble either scrambled eggs or cottage cheese. It is also normal for the poo to be completely liquid or runny. Between the consistency paired with the frequency (again, this can be every single nursing session/every 2-3 hours) many new parents worry their infant has diarrhea. This is not the case. Your baby is on a liquid diet. What goes in will come out the way it went in. There are no solids to bulk it up.
Color:
In the first few days, meconium is passed. Meconium tends to be almost tar-like. Thick and usually a dark brown/greenish color. After this point it is normal for your baby’s bowels to turn a runny yellow color similar to that of mustard. It can be normal for your infant to have a brownish or greenish stool.
It’s time to call the doctor if :
- Your infant's bowel movement is bright green and/or frothy it can be a sign there is an issue with your fore/hind milk and there could be a milk imbalance or dairy/food intolerance.
- The bowel movement is white or gray it could be a sign of dehydration.
- Baby's stomach is distended/hard and they are crying/screaming inconsolably.