5 conditions to understand the basics of baby poop

How will you know that your child is internally healthy or not? The child may be just fine by mere looking at them but there is a possibility he or she is not well from inside. Even in adults health, digestion, and frequency of bowel movements are seen to know about your internal conditions. Similarly the baby poop is considered as an indication of their health especially baby constipation.

Every child is different and through an observed pattern, it is known that some babies poop in every few hours while others may skip a day.  You might see a sudden drop in the frequency of the bowel movements in breastfed babies, gradually as the milk of the mother matures. But is not the factor to worry about, as the mother’s milk has balanced nutrients, there is hardly any amount of baby poop do not confuse it with baby constipation.

Now we shall discuss the required five basic conditions of baby poop:

Poop of the baby who is Breastfed:

The baby pushes the meconium for the very first time when the colostrum or the first milk mother serves as a medium to help the internal system to push the baby poop out. You will notice a change in the color of baby poop after the initial three days, don’t confuse it with baby constipation. The baby poop of a healthy child would be as follows:

1. It would be lighter in color and vary from bright to brown mustard yellow to greenish brown.
2. The initial baby poop would be yellow in color, has a loose texture with a sweet smell.
3. There is nothing to worry about if the baby poops for three to four times a day in the early week, its completely normal. The breastfed baby may poop even during the feed or after every feed.
4. You need to give time to the baby’s body and no need to panic the frequency of baby poop would reduce to one or two as slowly and gradually the bowel movements slow down.
5. If your baby poops only three or two times a week. Don’t think of it as baby constipation, it is completely normal until the poop is soft.
6. The cycle mentioned above experience changes when the baby starts in taking solid food shifts more towards solid food then feed or in the worst scenario might be ill.

Poop of Formula Fed Babies:

The poop of the formula-fed babies is very different as compared to the breastfed babies. The following are the essential details about baby poop of formula fed baby:

1. The stools that are produced are bulkier than normal because formula milk is hard to digest as compared to breast milk, not due to baby constipation
2. Their poop is just like adults and has a strong smell.
3. The baby poop color is yellowish brown or pale yellow.
4. With the formula-fed babies, the other problem that arises is baby constipation as the breast milk is easy to digest unlike the formula fed milk.  You need to consult a doctor in such a situation because, in babies, the baby constipation may lead to bleeding.
5. The poop color undergoes changes if the diet of the baby is shifted from breast milk to formula food, therefore you need to keep an eye on the baby poop color and consistency. If you consult a doctor that he or she would advise you to undergo the shifting process slowly over a few weeks so that the baby’s digestive system can adjust.

The Poop undergoes changes after Solids:

You will witness a dramatic change in baby poop color and form as soon as your baby’s diet is shifted from breast milk to formula feed.

1. The baby poop largely depends upon the type of food you are feeding your baby with.
2. Some parents prefer to give their young children pureed carrot or tomato, that makes the baby poop bright orange or red in color.
3. The child body is not yet developed to feed him or her with Fiber-rich foods like baked beans or raisins. In such a case, the food does not gets digested and comes back in the form of solid baby poop.
4. With the gradual growth of the baby, he or she would be able to consume and digest a lot of other food items thus gives out a smelly, darker and thicker poop. And now might also have baby constipation just like adults.

The Poop Colour:

Doctors say that the color of baby poop should not be red or black or even pale yellow in color, any color then these are considered normal.  In case it is of any color mentioned above then:

1. The black color of the baby poop is an indication of a problem within the stomach, most probably bleeding has occurred there or in the gastrointestinal tract.
2. The red color of the baby poop means that the lower part of the intestinal tract is bleeding.
3. The pale yellow color tells you that there is some form of blockage in the due to bile is accumulating inside the liver.

Green Stools in Infants:

There is no issue if a breastfed baby is having a green stool, it could be because the mother is eating green vegetables or greener food varieties in her diet. But if the green stool is consistent for a long period of time it could be an indication of any problem but the occasional green stool is just fine.  Consistent green stools might be due to the following reasons:

1. Most of the parents think it as baby constipation but it might be illness due to an intestinal virus.
2. The reason behind green poop could also be mere cough and cold.
3. Teething is a process which can be a reason for changes because increased saliva can make the tummy upset.
4. Food eaten by the mother might have a substance that the baby is allergic to.
5. The basic reason is a shift from a liquid diet to solid food.