Baby poo - a visual guide: photos

by Priya Solomon Bellani | February 2020 |

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What should baby poo look like?

Most new parents find baby poo quite surprising! It has so many shades and consistencies that even experienced parents may not have seen them all.

This photo guide to baby poo will give you a good idea of what's normal and what's not as your newborn grows, drinks breast milk or formula, and starts eating solids. You'll find out when not to worry and when it's wise to be concerned.

As a general rule if you see anything completely out of the ordinary in your baby's nappy play it safe and call the doctor.
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Newborn poo: meconium

Expect to find a greenish-black, tarry, sticky stool that looks like motor oil in your newborn's nappy. Since meconium is made of amniotic fluid, mucus, skin cells, and other stuff ingested in the womb, it doesn't really smell - so you may not realise it's time for a nappy change.

Read more about First 24 hours: newborn pee and poo.

When your baby is two to four days old, his stools will become lighter in colour - sort of an army green - and less sticky. This transitional stool is a sign that he's started digesting early breastmilk or formula and that his intestinal tract is fine.
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Healthy breastfed poo

If your baby is exclusively breastfed her stools will be yellow or slightly green and have a mushy or creamy consistency. It may be runny enough to resemble diarrhoea.

Breastfed poo typically looks like Dijon mustard and cottage cheese mixed together and may be dotted with little seed-like flecks. Interestingly its smell isn't too bad.

There are many shades of normal when it comes to breastfed poo. One you might see is a greener hue which could signify that you have eaten something different to what you normally do. If your baby isn't experiencing any other symptoms there's no need to worry.

If you see bright green and frothy stools in your baby's nappy almost like algae she's probably getting too much foremilk - the low-calorie milk that comes first in a feeding - and not enough hindmilk the good higher-fat stuff. It could mean that you're not feeding her long enough on each breast. To remedy this start each feeding on the breast you ended on last time.
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Healthy formula-fed poo

Formula-fed babies have pasty peanut butter-like stools on the brown colour spectrum: tan-brown yellow-brown or green-brown. It's more pungent than poo from breastfed babies and a little less pungent than stools from babies who are eating solid food but you'll recognise the smell.
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Dark green or black poo

When you give your baby an iron supplement, his stools may turn dark green or almost black. This doesn't happen often, but it's a completely normal variation.

If your baby's more than a few days old, his poo looks blackish, and he's not taking an iron supplement, see your doctor as soon as possible. In rare cases, this can be a sign of bleeding in your baby's digestive system. It's not likely to happen to your baby, but you should get him checked out, just in case.

If there are black specks in your breastfed baby's poo, this could be a sign that he's swallowing blood from cracked and bleeding nipples when you breastfeed him. The blood turns black when your baby digests it.

It's always a good idea to get any blood in your baby's poo checked out by your paediatrician, but in most cases, black specks are unlikely to be anything to worry about.
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Solid-food poo

Once you start changing your baby's input to solid foods - rice cereal pureed bananas and so on - you'll quickly notice a change in her output especially if she's breastfed.

Solid-food stools tend to be brown or dark brown and thicker than peanut butter but still mushy. It's also smellier.
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Poo with partially digested food

Occasionally your baby's poo will have identifiable chunks of food in it or be tinged with a surprising colour, such as red, orange, or dark blue. Orange suggests carrots, red from beetroot and dark blue implies blueberries (you may see pieces of blueberry skin in there, too).

Not to worry! You're probably seeing this because certain foods are only partially digestible or travel so quickly through the intestines that they don't have time to completely break down. It also happens when your baby eats a lot of one type of food or doesn't chew a mouthful completely before he swallows.

If your baby’s poo consistently has undigested food in it, it's worth talking to your doctor. She'll check to make sure your baby's intestines are working properly, and he's getting all the nutrients he needs.
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Diarrhoea
In babies, diarrhoea is very runny and appears to be made up of water more than solids. It can be yellow green or brown and can seep or explode out of the nappy.

Diarrhoea can be a sign of an infection or allergy and if it lasts for a while without being treated can lead to dehydration.

Loose, watery stools should be brought to your doctor's notice right away. The biggest concern with diarrhoea is fluid loss, that can become a serious problem if it’s not addressed quickly. So don't delay seeking medical advice if your baby shows these signs:
- dry skin or lips
- listlessness
- tearless crying
- a sunken fontanelle
- discoloured hands and feet
- strong, smelly yellow urine
- fewer wet nappies than usual
- diarrhoea has visible blood or mucus.
Always call your paediatrician if you suspect that your baby is unwell, especially if your child is under six months.
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Constipation

If your baby's stool is hard and looks like little pebbles, she's probably constipated. Your baby may be visibly uncomfortable when she's pooing and the poo may even be tinged with blood from irritating the bottom on the way out.

Constipation often happens in babies who are being introduced to solid foods or it can be a sign of milk or soy protein sensitivity or a lack of tolerance to something in breast milk or formula. Your doctor may recommend giving your baby water pear juice or prune juice to help move things along.

One or two pebbly nappies aren't a concern but if your baby has three or more (or if you see blood) it's best to call the doctor. In some cases, constipation can be a sign of dehydration, a food allergy, or a medical condition.
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Poo with mucus

Does your baby's nappy look like it's been slimed? Greenish poo streaked with shiny, glistening strings means there's mucus in it.

This sometimes happens when a baby is especially drooly, since mucus in saliva often remains undigested. It can also happen when he has a cold, as he'll naturally produce more mucus.

But mucus in poo is also a telltale sign of an infection or allergy. If it's accompanied by any other symptoms or shows up in your baby's nappy for two days or more, call the doctor to rule out any problems.
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Bloody poo: bright red blood
If you have a baby girl, you may notice a few specks of blood in her nappy a few days after the birth. This is known as a false period. It happens because of the surge in hormones your body experiences in pregnancy, which in turn stimulate your baby’s womb to produce a period. It's perfectly normal, and no cause for concern.

In boys, and girls after the first few days, bright red blood can show up in baby stools for a few different reasons. For example, constipation or nappy rash can irritate your baby's bottom and make it bleed. Bright red blood can show up in baby stools for a few different reasons.

Call your doctor if you notice:
- Normal stools tinged with red blood, which is often a sign of a milk protein allergy.
- Constipated poo with a hint of red blood. This is likely to be a result of tears in the anus or tiny haemorrhoids.
- Diarrhoea mixed with red blood, which can indicate a bacterial infection.
Blood in the poo could also indicate a problem with your baby's digestive system.
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The end
Thanks very much to the BabyCenter US parents (and their babies!) who contributed to this slide show.

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Want to learn more?
- Visit our digestion and tummy problems page
- See our guide to baby toilet training
- Follow our tips for successful potty training