How Often Should A Baby Poop? We get down and dirty with our Mamamade Baby Poo Guide for the need to know parents

No matter what someone might say. Looking at your baby’s poop or being the slightest bit interested is not weird! It's a sign of a concerned, trying to learn and protective parent. Did you know that your baby's poo colour can work as an alarm system to notify you if your baby isn't healthy or is feeling unwell? Yup, that's insane right! 🤯

Can you believe that within the first years of your baby's development, they will go through several varieties of poo colours! 🌈 We as adults have a completely different digestive system to a baby, which means that what might be the case for them isn't always the case for us.

So let's learn about baby poos, without any judgement 🙌🏼

If you’re a new parent you might be asking “how often should a newborn poop?”. Well, all babies are different and that also includes the number of times they poo. This can be because of their milk intake depending on whether they are breast-fed or formula-fed amongst many other factors. According to the NHS, your baby can have an average of four poos a day in the first week of life. If you have a breastfed newborn, the NHS states that they can poo at each feed in the early weeks. This might seem a lot but think of it as a detoxing period as they adjust to their new world outside the womb. If you are concerned in any way, we would always suggest talking to a healthcare professional.

We’ve got our creativity flowing this week so let me introduce you to our Mamamade inspired Baby Poop Guide characters.

Hi, I'm Meconium 👋🏻

You'll see me in the first few minutes or hours after your baby is born. I have a tar-like consistency and look a little bit like my picture - keep in mind that most of the time, I can be a little runnier too. I'm full of mucus, skin cells and amniotic fluid. I don't stick around for too long, mostly just a couple of days. But if I do come back in infancy, you might want to consult a health care professional.

I'm Mustard Yellow 🌻

It's lovely to meet you! We should get acquainted because you're probably going to see a lot of me if your baby is at the newborn stage and is breastfed. It's entirely normal for me to stay a good couple of months as your baby grows and develops its digestive system. I hate being confused for my bestie Bright Yellow; she's great and all but come on, we don't look that similar, do we?

Sup, I’m Bright Yellow 🌞

Okay, Bright Yellow usually drops down if you have a breastfed or formula-fed baby. She's a fun ray of sunshine, so don't mind her! But she does get extremely runny and could sometimes indicate diarrhoea, in which case make sure that your little one isn't dehydrated.

Hey there, My name is Orange 🧡

I might look alarming, but can you believe that I'm absolutely fine to bump into. I get my beautiful colour from pigments picked up in your baby's digestive tract, which can occur in both breastfed and formula-fed babies!

What’s up? I’m Red 🍓

I come down when you least expect me. I love surprises you see 😅 Okay, so if your baby has had too much red stuff, for example, tomato juice, beetroot or anything of the sort, you might find that I could give you a surprise visit. Other times that you might see me is if your baby has blood in their bowel movement from an intestinal infection, a milk allergy or even an anal fissure. If that happens, please do consult a paediatrician. I know I sound scary but think of me as a warning system. I’m an ally, really ✌🏼

I'm Greenish Tan 🦖

You don't have to worry about me; I’m completely harmless and almost always seen in formula-fed babies. I can sometimes be a bit firm. So, sorry about that little one 👀

My name is Dark Green 🥒

How exciting that you've started weaning! If you see me knocking at your door, it's probably because you're feeding your little munchkin lots of green organic baby foods such as spinach, peas and broccoli. I love that you have a good portion of your veg in your diet, but maybe not too much. Oh, and if you're taking some iron supplements, that might be the cause of Dark Green baby poos too.

Unfortunately, we also need to mention the unwanted visitors 🙅🏻‍♀️

In which case, here's Mr White and Mrs Grey. Mr White normally makes an appearance when your baby isn't producing enough bile in their liver to help them digest their foods properly. This can be a serious issue, so if you see him at any point, then do call your GP or Health Visitor.

On a similar note, Mrs Grey isn't all that nice either. If your little one’s poo is grey, that could mean that they aren't digesting their food as they should. In which case, follow the same advice of seeking help if your baby is pooping out grey or a chalky-like consistency.

I hope you enjoyed reading about our poo friends! let us know if this helped by commenting below or sending us a DM on the Mamamade Facebook group and Instagram

Love,

Himanshi