My Baby’s Stool Pattern
“Precise communication” is not exactly a skill that babies are born with, but thankfully, they do leave some clues to help you understand whether they are hungry, sleepy, tired, and even clues that point towards their overall health. And when it comes to their health, surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly), the best place where these clues are hidden are in the diaper. You’d be surprised to know the amount of time parents spend trying to decode the “poop clues” their little one leaves behind –which includes the amount, the colour, the consistency and what it indicates.
A baby’s bowel movements go through many changes with respect to colour, consistency and frequency. And this can happen as early as the first day after the birth. This makes it important to keep track of your infant's bowel movements.
Here is a table to help “demystify” some of these clues:
Colour, consistency and frequency of a baby’s stool
Colour |
|
Consistency |
|
Frequency |
|
If you are worried about the colour or consistency of your baby's bowel movements, please free to ask your doctor. This is especially important if your baby's bowel movements are:
- Still black even several days after birth
- Red or bloody
- White or grey
- Consistently watery
- Consistently large, hard or difficult to pass
- Zamosky L. Health & Baby The Truth About Baby Poop. Cited 2016 April 21. Available from: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/truth-about-baby-poop#1.
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. What are some of the basics of infant health? Cited 2016 April 21. Available from: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/infantcare/conditioninfo/Pages/basics.aspx.
- Hoecker JL. Infant and toddler health. Cited 2016 April 21. Available from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/baby-poop/faq-20057971.