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The Scoop on Baby Poop: When Parents Should Become Concerned

If you do not have children, you may wonder why so many parents instantly become obsessed with bowel movements and dirty diapers. It is true that most people never even considered poop so much as when they had children. Your child’s dirty diapers can be a sign of something wrong and can also mean the difference between a very happy baby and a very cranky baby. Here is a look at baby poop, what it all means and when you should be concerned.

Newborns have very runny, yellow poop called meconium. This is considered “pre-poop” and you will find these stools in your baby’s diaper for a couple of weeks. This is clearing out what is in the baby’s system from the womb, including amniotic fluid, bile and even dead skin cells. If you find that you baby has not passed any meconium 24 hours after birth, you might want to consult your doctor. Some babies pass all of this in the hospital and you may not see any of it. Other babies take a little bit longer to pass this.

After you get home and your baby has passed all the meconium, regular baby bowel movements will start. The color, odor and consistency will depend on several factors. Breastfed babies tend to poop more and it is often more fluid-like that those that are bottle and formula fed. Even then, your baby’s bowel movements should not be thicker than peanut butter. If so, then you baby could be suffering from constipation or other digestive problems.

You can certainly expect to change a lot of stinky diapers throughout your child’s life. While your child is breastfeeding, you can expect a dirty diaper after each feeding. Formula fed babies may have bowel movements less frequently and as you spend more time with your baby, you will start to learn what is normal for your baby and what is not. This will help you spot any trouble that may be lurking.

By the time your baby hits about one month old, the bowel movements will become less frequent and will probably become a bit firmer. This is normal and as long as your baby is not suffering from obvious diarrhea or straining with constipation, you need not to worry about how many times a day your baby has a bowel movement. In fact, most doctors will tell you that it is rare for breastfed babies to suffer from constipation. However, the same cannot be said for gas. Whatever you eat will be passed on to your baby and if you eat certain foods, you may find that your baby suffers from painful bouts of gas.

If you do find that your baby is constipated, many doctors recommend adding a small amount of dark Karo syrup to your baby’s bottle. Most of the time, this will take care of the problem in no time. You should watch out for diarrhea, however, because this can cause dehydration very quickly. If you find unusual bowel movements, especially those accompanied with fever or vomiting, then it is time to talk to your doctor. There are several products and medicines that can help your baby with diarrhea.

You should also know that many babies grunt and cry during bowel movements. This does not always indicate a problem. This could be quite normal for you baby, so don’t immediately assume your baby is hurting or is constipated.

When you spend a lot of time with your baby, you soon learn that bowel movements are good indicators of your baby’s overall health. If you ever have questions about your baby, then you should consult your doctor.