It may feel very unusual to new parents to see that after every meal the new born is passing a stool. They become anxious and ask: is it normal for newborn to poop after every feeding? It is very normal. In fact, pooping after feeding shows that your newborn is in good health and getting enough feed. All children have different habits; you should not be alarmed unless the child is in pain or the color or consistency of the stool has changed from what it has been previously. Here is more on normal and abnormal baby poop.
Is It Normal for Newborn to Poop After Every Feeding?
The First Few Days
Yes, it is perfectly normal for newborns to poop after every feeding. For the first few days after birth, meconium will be passed by your baby. Meconium is made up of amniotic fluid, mucus and everything that has been swallowed by your infant while she was in your womb. It is greenish black in color and has a sticky, tar like consistency. The first milk or colostrum that you feed your baby will do the work of a laxative and push the meconium out of your baby’s body. Pooping after every feeding is particularly common in babies who are breastfed. This shows that your baby is getting enough feed.
After a Few Days
Once you start producing actual milk, i.e. after about 2-3 days, the characteristics of the poop of your baby should be:
- The color should change to greenish-brown to mustard or bright yellow.
- The texture becomes loose and they may appear either grainy or curdled.
After a Few Weeks
During the first few weeks after her birth, your kid will poop after every feed; however, her bowel movements will become less frequent over the weeks as they settle down. Some babies may still continue to poop after every feed, which is again normal.
Babies, who are fed on formula milk, poop less often than babies who are breast fed. This occurs because formula-milk is difficult to digest. However, even if she poops after every feed, there is no reason to get concerned, especially during the first few weeks.
Can It Be Diarrhea?
The frequency of your baby’s poops will change when she is started on solid foods. Foods that are rich in fiber including raisins or baked beans may pass undigested into her nappy. This, however, will change once she gets old enough to digest fiber.
By the time your baby’s poop is soft and is passed easily, you should not get worried. However, she may suffer from diarrhea, if
- She has a poop that is runny or liquid in consistency
- She is passing larger amounts of stools or is passing stools more frequently than normal
- Her poop passes with an explosion or is spurting out
There are various causes of diarrhea, including
- An infection of the digestive tract
- Intake of too much fruits or juices
- Abnormal reaction to an ingested drug
- Abnormal allergic or sensitivity reaction to a food
Diarrhea should go within a time period of 24 hours without any treatment; however, if it lasts longer than that and your baby is appearing sick, then you should consult your physician, so as to avoid development of dehydration in your baby.
When Is Newborn Poop Normal?
1. The First Few Days
The first poop in a newborn will usually occurs within 24 hours after the baby is born. It is not made of food, but of the contents that the infant has swallowed while in your uterus such as old skin and blood cells. The poop is called meconium and is greenish black in color. 2-4 days after birth, your baby’s stool will transition from greenish black to green in color. This shows that your baby’s intestinal system has started working. From this time onwards the type of food your baby eats will determine the quality of her stool.
2. Normal Breastfed Baby Poop
Normal breastfed baby poop is green, mustard yellow or brown in color and is pasty in consistency. The smell is usually sweet (different from normal stool odor). The baby will usually poop up to 5 times a day or even after every feed as breast milk digests easily and at a faster rate than formula milk.
3. Normal Formula-fed Baby Poop
Normal formula fed baby poop is yellowish brown to brown in color. Its consistency can be of a nut batter to a pudding. The smell is more like normal stool. Formula fed babies poops less during the day, usually 3-4 times a day.
Watch a video to learn when a baby’s poop is normal and abnormal:
