Yes. Some babies will poo after every feed and some every three days. It’s all normal.
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For the first couple of days after she's born, your baby will pass meconium. Meconium is greeny-black in colour, and has a sticky, tar-like texture. It is made up of mucus, amniotic fluid, and everything your baby has swallowed while she was in your uterus (womb). Your
colostrum, or first milk, acts as a laxative, helping to push meconium out of your baby's system.
Pooing after every feed is especially common if you're breastfeeding your baby. It's a sign that your baby is getting plenty of milk. As your baby’s stomach fills up, the milk stimulates her digestive tract, giving her the urge to poo.
Once your
milk comes in, after about three days, your baby's poos should:
- Be at least the size of a toonie coin.
- Get lighter in colour, changing from a greenish-brown to bright or mustard yellow.
- Become looser in texture. The poos may seem grainy at times, curdled at others.
In the early weeks, your baby may poo during or after every feed. But after a few weeks, you may find that she does fewer poos as her bowel movements settle into a routine. On the other hand, she may continue to poo after every feed. All babies are different.
If you formula feed your baby she may poo less often than breastfed babies. This is because formula milk isn't as easily digested as breast milk. Even so, there's no need to worry if she does poo after every feed, especially in the early weeks.
Starting your baby on solids may affect the frequency of her poos. Fibre-rich foods, such as raisins or baked beans, may pass straight through your baby and end up in her diaper. This will change as she gets older and is able to digest fibre more efficiently.
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As long as your baby's poos are soft and easy to pass, there's no cause for concern. However, your baby may have
diarrhea if:
- her poo is very runny
- she is pooing more often, or passing larger amounts than normal
- the poo is explosive or spurts out of her bottom
If your baby has diarrhea, the cause could be:
- an infection, such as gastroenteritis
- too much fruit or juice
- a reaction to medication
- a sensitivity or allergy to a food
Diarrhea should clear up without treatment within 24 hours. If it doesn’t, and especially if your baby is vomiting, speak to your doctor, as your baby could become dehydrated.
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Take a look at our
poo photo gallery to find out what diarrhea looks like.
