How often do newborns poop and pee? If you are a new parent, you may be concerned about this question. You can keep a journal of how many diapers you change and what’s in it every day. You can show this to your pediatrician at check-ups, so they can let you know if baby is thriving or not. This article will help you find the answer.
Newborns Pooping Habits
Pooping habits for newborns is different from one to another. The newborns tent to poop much more often than older children and adults because they do not eat solids yet. The stools also vary in color and consistency based on baby’s age and diet.
1. How Often Do Newborns Poop?
Just after your baby is born or sometime in the first day, your baby will pass a stool known as “meconium.” This is the black/green sticky substance that filled the baby’s intestines while he is in the womb.
On day 2-6, your baby will continue to pass what is left of the meconium mixed with some milk. This turns the stools a spinach green or yellowgreen.
After day 6, your baby will have stools that are green, yellow or even brown. Some even look mustard-yellow. They can be formed or loose.
If your baby takes formula feedings, you can expect up to 4 stools a day, but sometimes less than that. If your baby is breastfed, expect about 3 or 4 very runny stools a day.
2. What Else Should I Know?
Feeding style affects your newborn’s poops. Breastfed babies’ stools look like light yellow mustard. They also may have what look like seeds in them. The consistency is soft to runny. Babies who take formula have stools that are yellow to tan and more firm like peanut butter. Keep in mind that if you see mucus, water or blood in the stools, you should contact your baby’s doctor. Also, stools that are dry and hard could mean that your baby needs more fluids.
Deal with diarrhea. When your baby has soft or runny stools, it is hard to tell whether they have diarrhea or not. One way to tell is look for mucus, odor and increased frequency. This could be a symptom of an infection in the intestines or dietary intolerance. Never treat infant diarrhea yourself, call your doctor for advice.
Pay attention to the stool color. If your baby has stools in very light color, it could be a sign of jaundice. If you notice green color, this is usually not an issue for newborn babies. However, for older babies, green poop could signal infection. If you see there’s blood in poops, this can be constipation and can be treated easily. Always contact your doctor for advice.
Newborns Pee Habits
The good news is babies will pee a lot and that is perfectly normal. As a matter of fact, how much your baby pees will tell you if he or she is getting enough fluids.
1. How Often Do Newborns Pee?
Day 1: Your baby will probably only urinate one time within the first 24 hours after he or she is born. This is perfectly normal and you will be changing plenty of diapers soon enough.
Day 2: Your baby will probably have around 2 wet diapers on his or her second day of life. The orange color begins to lighten a little.
Day 3: Your baby will have about 3 wet diapers and it is usually bright yellow to orange in color.
Day 4: Your baby should have 4 wet diapers that look like a bright lemony yellow color.
Day 5: Your baby should be having around 6 to 8 wet diapers and the urine color should be pale yellow.
Babies who are breastfed may not have more than two wet diapers the first couple of days. After your milk comes in, your baby should have at least 6 to 8 wet diapers every day. Babies who take formula have 6 to 8 wet diapers a day, but may have up to 10 wet diapers because bottle feeding gives them more fluids than breastfed babies.
If after the first few days your baby does not have at least 6 wet diapers daily, you need to contact your pediatrician.
2. What Else Should I Know?
Ways to tell if it’s a wet diaper. You may want to know if your baby is getting enough fluids and passing enough urine. There are a few ways you can tell if your baby is urinating enough:
- You can pour about 2 Tbsp. of water into a dry diaper and then feel to see what a wet diaper feels like to the touch.
- Use a paper tissue and press it into the diaper to see if it soaks up urine.
- When you change your baby’s diaper, peel the covering to see if the gel has absorbed liquid.
- An eco-friendly route is to try using cloth diapers. They easily reveal moisture, are economical and environmentally friendly.
Urination should not be a distress. Your baby should never feel pain when urinating. If your baby cries out or shows signs of pain when peeing, call your doctor. Urinary distress could be a sign of a urinary tract infection or urinary tract issue.
Check the color of the urine. Healthy babies have light to dark yellow urine. It is important to understand that if the urine is very dark yellow. In this case, your baby may need more fluids. Overly concentrated urine may even appear a pink color, but it is not the usual blood in the diaper.
Precautions When Caring for Your Newborn’s Poop and Pee
Soon after birth, girls may have some blood in their diaper due to hormones. This is harmless and will go away. It is known as “pseudomenstruation.”If your baby boy was circumcised, this may cause a small amount of blood during the first few days. If there is any other unexplainable blood in the diaper, you need to contact the pediatrician. So, call the doctor if:
- Your baby has less than 6 wet diapers daily after the 5th day, or only a little dark yellow urine after the 4th day.
- There are “brick dust” stains in your baby’s diaper after day 4.
- Your baby has not passed any meconium within 2 days of birth, or is still passing meconium after the 2nd day.
- Your baby is not feeding well.
- Your baby has more than one stool every hour, or has blood in stool and looks dehydrated.
- Your baby has no bowel movement after 3 to 4 days and seems to be straining to poop.
Watch this video to learn more about your newborn’s poop from this experienced mom:
