Wet Diapers and Baby Poop
You may be amazed at the number of diapers a baby can go through in a day!
What do baby’s bowel movements look like?
The first bowel movement your baby has is thick, greenish black, and sticky. It is called meconium.
This usually changes from this thick, greenish black to green in the first few days. Then to yellow or yellowish brown by the end of the first week.
Breastfed babies tend to have more yellow bowel movements. They may also look like they have seeds in them. It is normal for your baby’s stool to be runny or pasty, especially if breastfed. Formula-fed babies tend to have bowel movements that become yellow then closer to tan and sometimes a shade of green. Formula-fed babies often have firmer bowel movements.
What does baby’s urine look like?
Sometimes babies can have reddish-brown spots or crystals in the diaper, and this is normal during the first few days. Before breastmilk comes in, the baby’s urine may be pale coloured and mild-smelling. Formula fed babies wet diapers should have clear or very pale urine.
Sometimes it is difficult to know if disposable diapers are wet or not. To know what a wet diaper feels like, pour two to four tablespoons of water in a dry diaper and feel the weight of it. You can also place a tissue in the diaper, and you will see when it is wet.
See your health-care provider if your baby:
- suddenly has fewer wet diapers and seems sick or isn’t feeding well;
- passes hard or pellet like stool and has trouble passing stool;
- has blood in their diaper; or
- has diarrhea, watery or explosive stool and seems unwell.
This may be difficult to judge in some breastfed babies. Take your baby to the hospital at once if there are no wet or dirty diapers in a 24-hour period and they seem unwell.
Signs that your baby is growing
Parents are often concerned about the number of wet diapers and bowel movements their baby has as this can be a sign of how much milk they are getting.
However, it is important to remember there are other positive signs that a baby is growing and developing well:
- Baby is content after most feedings.
- Breasts feel less firm after a feeding.
- Baby is swallowing at the breast.
- Baby is bright and alert.
- Baby feels heavier and is filling out clothes.
- Baby is gaining weight.
Services related to this information:
- Contact your Public Health Nurse:
- Breastfeeding support
- 811 HealthLine (Newfoundland & Labrador) – Call 811 or 1-888-709-2929 / TTY 1-888-709-3555.