The Scoop on Poop

by Renee Dietz | More from this Blogger

20 Sep 2006 10:17 AM

Okay, here's a subject you do not often read about, nor would you want to but the truth is, if you have a newborn baby, you need to understand what different stools mean. After all, your baby's poop will change dramatically from birth to around age three months. As your baby grows and develops, things change, resulting in difference appearance. Knowing what to expect will help you identify things that might be wrong.

Typically, your baby will have a strange, greenish/black colored stool, which is called Meconium. This is perfectly normal and as the Meconium has passed through the baby's intestinal system, the poop will begin to change. In most cases, this phase lasts about two to four days. After that, the color and texture of your baby's poop will vary not only by age but also by what he or she is being fed.

For starters, if you plan to breastfeed your baby, the poop will be yellow, occasionally with a greenish tinge, and curd-like. However, if you feed your baby formula, the poop will not be as loose and have more of a brownish coloring. The reason for this difference is that breast milk is digested easier and quicker. Therefore, the stool does not have the same time to form as with formula.

As your child gets past the first couple of months, his or her poop will become more adult-like, again with a thinner texture and lighter color if breastfed. Now that you know the normal for your baby, if you were to see anything different, you should talk to your pediatrician. Chances are everything is fine but this really is important and a huge indicator of what's going on inside your baby's body.

If you were ever to notice blood in the poop, which could be red, black, or tarry, talk to your doctor right away. The same would be true with hard and small stools, especially if you notice your baby grunting and pushing to go. Typically, this sign shows constipation, which is easily corrected. The sign of possible infection or some type of intestinal bacteria might be seen with water poop or poop that has mucus in it.

Then, if you were to notice chalky or pale colored poop, the pediatrician should be contacted in that this can be a sign of something going on with the liver. Finally, oily or greasy poop could be the signal of your baby not absorbing nutrition as should. Remember, you know what is normal so when or if you notice a change, especially if the change is connected with vomiting, pain, or fever, the doctor should be notified.

Learn more about Renee Dietz

I have been a successful, published writer for the past 26 years, offering a writing style that is informative, creative, and reader-friendly.

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