No one said it’s pretty or fun, but it’s a fact: As a new parent, you’ll spend a lot of time looking at your baby’s poop. The good news? All those diaper changes can give you insight into your baby’s health.

Pediatrician Dr. Kaitlin Whelan, MD, and our expert pediatric team have created a baby poop guide to give you the 411 on your baby’s number two, from color and consistency to constipation and more. They also share special insights for babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or with ongoing medical needs.

Take pictures of your baby’s poop

This is a very helpful tip that is often overlooked as it’s often easier to show than tell.

We all have cameras readily available, so if you notice something that worries you in your baby’s poop, don’t leave it to the imagination. Snap a photo of it to share with your pediatrician. This gives them the exact information they need to answer any question you may have.

“Whatever you tell us about your baby’s poop, we’ll take seriously. But we can see exactly what you’re seeing if you take a picture,” says Dr. Whelan.

Infant poop frequency

Stool frequency in babies is highly variable, so don’t put too much stock into how many times a day your baby “should” be pooping.

Babies can poop as frequently as every feeding or as infrequently as every two to three days. One notable fact is that in the first 2 months of life, breastfed infants tend to poop more frequently than formula-fed infants.

“I’m looking more at how hydrated they’re staying more than the number of poops they’re having,” Dr. Whelan notes. “What matters most is that the poops are soft, and your baby is feeding and growing well.”

Constipation vs. infant dyschezia

It’s important to understand that there is a difference between constipation and infant dyschezia, a temporary condition where babies 9 months and under might strain, grunt or cry for several minutes before passing soft stool.

Here are some important distinctions to keep in mind.

Constipation symptoms:

• Stool consistency is hard, dry or pebble-like
• Pain and crying when passing stool
• Less frequent movements
• Blood in stool

Infant dyschezia symptoms:

• Crying and pushing before a movement
• Turning red or purple in the face while pushing
• Normal, soft poop consistency
• Regular feeding and growth

Keep in mind, your baby is learning how to poop and how to control and relax certain muscles. Because of these adjustments, infant dyschezia is often assumed to be constipation. The most telling sign of constipation is the consistency of poop.

“As adults, we have been pooping for years now. We have mastered the coordination. Straining doesn’t always mean constipation, which can be hard to recognize,” Dr. Whelan explains. “It’s important for us to normalize the fact that straining isn’t always bad and can be a form of learning.”

How to relieve a baby’s gas

If your baby is passing gas, you can be sure their bowels are moving. Keep an eye out for gas, and if they’re not pooping, gas may be building up.

Here are a couple tips to help relieve gas:

• Try moving their legs like bicycle pedals or from side to side like windshield wipers.
• Encourage tummy time while they’re awake to put a gentle, normal pressure on their belly.
• Give your baby a warm bath.

When should I call my pediatrician about my baby’s poop frequency?

While every baby’s poop schedule is unique, if your baby hasn’t pooped in four days, you should call your pediatrician.

“I don’t really start thinking about treatment until it’s been four days or more in a breastfed infant,” says Dr. Whelan. “As long as they’re feeding well and peeing well, I’m not concerned until day four.”

Infant poop color

For new parents, or even experienced parents, the color of your baby’s poop can surprise you. Babies can create a rainbow of poops, but it typically doesn’t mean there’s a problem.

Almost all infants’ first poops will be thick, black and tarry looking for about a week. These stools are called meconium and are completely normal.

When your baby starts breastfeeding or drinking formula, their poop will turn green or yellow and have a more liquid consistency.

Breastfed babies’ poop will stay in the green-yellow-brown palette as long as they continue breastfeeding.

Formula-fed babies’ poop will typically be slightly lighter, but similar in color to breastfed babies. Slight changes in color are typically the result of your baby’s intestinal lining or how they digest milk and aren’t concerning.

As your baby begins to eat solid food, the color of their poop will change. This is natural, but certain colors can tell you something about your baby’s health or signal a warning sign.

Yellow baby poop

Any poop that is yellow, orange or brown is completely normal.

Green baby poop

This is completely normal, even when it’s dark green. Dark green poop is usually caused by bile, a fluid made in your baby’s liver that aids digestion. Inspect dark green poop closely (yes, this is your parental duty) to make sure it’s not black, as that could be cause for concern.

Red baby poop

While it may look startling, red poop can have many different causes. Red food or medicine can lead to a red color. Swallowed blood during birth, a nosebleed or a cracked nipple while breast feeding can cause blood to temporarily be in the stool. Bad diaper rashes or small skin tears may lead you to see blood as well. In rare cases, dark or red stools can be caused by bleeding in the intestine. Call your doctor if you see blood in your baby's stool.

Black baby poop

If your baby has black poop beyond their thick, tarry infant poops, it could be a sign of stomach bleeding. Look at the poop under bright light and if it’s black instead of dark green, call your doctor.

White or light grey baby poop

This is the one shade that should almost always alert you of a problem. White or light grey baby poop could signal that your baby has a liver condition and isn’t digesting food properly.

When should I call my pediatrician about my baby’s poop color?

Most colors are normal, but call your doctor if your baby’s poop is white, black or has blood in it.

“I think about fall colors minus red being normal poop colors. Think of Colorado fall leaves: green, yellow, orange and brown. Those are all normal colors. Black, white and grey? Those aren’t fall colors,” Dr. Whelan says.

Some situations should ring minor alarm bells:

• Watery stool with no texture for three or more diapers — a sign of diarrhea, which could lead to dehydration
• Hard, pellet-like poop — a sign of constipation
• Grey, white or bloody poops — a sign of internal issues

Never give your infant laxatives, enemas, suppositories or other stool stimulators without asking your doctor first.

Infant poop consistency

Baby poop is softer and more liquid than older kids’ stools. The following consistencies are normal for breastfed and formula-fed infants:

• Soft and somewhat runny
• Slightly seedy
• Pasty (more common in formula-fed babies)

If your baby’s poop strays too far from these textures, that’s when you should reach out to your pediatrician.

Treating constipation

It’s completely natural that babies’ poop will become more solid as they begin consuming more solids. But the solid foods they eat can also cause constipation. Try to work in foods with high fiber content, like beans and whole grains, and natural probiotics, such as sauerkraut and yogurt. To help soften poops, add some “P fruits” to their diet:

• Prunes
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums

Maternal or parental diet

The maternal or parental diet can influence breastfeeding infants’ poops because it changes the breast milk composition. For breastfeeding parents, experts recommend healthy fats, healthy proteins, fibers, fruits and vegetables.

What to know about poop for babies with complex medical needs

Babies who spend time in the NICU or have complex medical needs often need extra care or follow different developmental timelines than other babies. Parents should consider learning as much as they can about their baby’s condition and what to look for.

When it comes to baby poop, parents whose babies have medical conditions should be on the lookout for the same things mentioned above, with a few additions.

Reaction to medication

When babies leave the NICU, they sometimes need medicine or have different dietary needs. This may change the color or consistency of their poop. These changes shouldn’t alarm you, but you should know what to expect, so you can spot anything that really is a problem.

• Antibiotics: When babies are on antibiotics at home, they often have looser stools and are at higher risk for developing diaper rash. If your baby is on antibiotics, try to change their diaper soon after they poop and apply a barrier cream, with a high percentage of zinc oxide, such as Aquaphor or Desitin as a preventive measure.
• Fortified breastmilk or medicine: If your baby needs more calories, your care team may give you fortified breastmilk for feeding at home. Your care team might also prescribe medicine for your baby to take at home. Both of these things could change your baby’s poop, so talk to your doctor to make sure you know what to expect.

For babies with gastrointestinal issues

Babies with gastrointestinal conditions or complications will see the greatest impact to their digestive systems. Their bowel movements and developmental schedule won’t be the same as their peers’.

Here are some gastrointestinal issues that affect a baby’s poop:

• Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC): This is a serious intestinal disease for premature babies that occurs when the small or large intestine becomes inflamed.
• This can sometimes create a hole in the intestinal wall that allows waste to move into the baby’s bloodstream or abdomen.
• Both diarrhea and constipation can be symptoms of NEC.
• Some babies with NEC need to have some of their bowel removed, which affects their ability to absorb food.
• Our neonatal and gastrointestinal experts work together to get the best results for babies with NEC.
• Babies with blockage or narrowing of bowels: These bowel issues often require surgery. Bright green poop or no pooping for the first few days of life are warning signs for blocked or narrow bowels.

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