Baby poo colour, smell, textures, and frequency: What’s normal?

Yellow is the most common, normal colour for breastfed baby poo ⁽³⁾.

Brown is the most common, normal colour for formula fed baby poo ⁽³⁾.

Green poo is one of the most common variations to the yellow baby poo or brown baby poo colours. Green baby poo in a baby that is otherwise well in themselves is usually not a cause for concern and can be considered a normal variation in baby poo colour ⁽⁴⁾. If you notice other symptoms in your baby alongside green poo, then contact your GP for advice ⁽³⁾.

Your baby’s first poo is a very dark blackish green shade, it is sticky a bit like marmite in texture and called meconium. Meconium is made up of material that your baby ingests whilst in the womb. It can take a few days for the meconium to pass out of your baby’s system, baby poo colour will then change depending on how you are feeding your baby ⁽³⁾. Black baby poo after meconium could be a sign of blood coming from baby’s stomach and so you should call you doctor if you notice black baby poo. Baby poo colour can also change depending on the food baby has eaten, blueberries for example may make baby poo appear a darker or black colour ⁽⁵⁾.

If you notice any red this could be blood in baby’s stool. It is important to seek medical attention if you suspect blood in baby’s poo as it could indicate a health problem or infection ⁽⁶⁾.

White or pale baby poo can indicate a liver condition, although this is rare you should call you doctor if you notice pale baby poo in your baby’s nappy ⁽⁷⁾⁽³⁾.

The frequency of baby poo can vary significantly. Newborn babies will tend to poo after every feed if breast fed, or up to 5 times a day when formula fed. Then, after the first few months, this goes down to only one poo per day or some babies may even go a few days between poos. Bottom line is, if your baby is otherwise well and gaining weight, the frequency of their poos is likely to be very normal³.

A baby struggling to poo is a sign of constipation, this is relatively common and usually simple to manage at home. A change in your baby’s diet, lack of fluids or inadequate fibre intake may all cause constipation in babies. Baby’s stomachs are learning how to digest foods and sometimes it may take a few days for them to pass a stool again, however if you baby is persistently struggling to poo or it lasts more than a few days you should contact your GP¹⁰.

There is no set normal number of poo’s a baby should do a day as every baby is unique. In the first few weeks a baby should poo at least twice per day but often babies will poo much more than this. Breastfed babies will often poo after every feed, and this is very normal³.

Nappy rash is very common in babies and can cause them to have a red bum. It happens because of baby’s delicate skin being in contact with urine or poo for a prolonged time, nappies rubbing or the use of products on baby’s skin. Nappy rash should clear up in a few days by ensuring you change baby’s nappies as soon as possible, clean thoroughly and gently dry. Nappy free time for baby’s may also help if they are experiencing red patches on their bum from nappy rash¹¹.

Occasional mucus in baby poo on its own is not usually a cause for concern, it could be the result of digestion or a cold in your baby. Persistent mucus in baby poo alongside other symptoms may indicate an allergy and you should contact your GP for advice¹².

Milk fat does not always get fully digested in a baby’s stomach, so they pass cottage cheese like milk curds in their poo because of undigested milk. Although most common in breastfed baby poo as breastmilk has a higher fat content it can also present in formula fed baby poo. If your baby poo is otherwise normal and baby shows no other symptoms this need not be a cause for concern¹².

To learn more about breastmilk and why there may be undigested milk in baby poo read here. 

Foamy stool in breastfed babies may indicate an imbalance in fore and hindmilk, not switching breasts during a feed is a good way to help prevent this. In formula fed babies foamy poo may indicate an allergy or intolerance¹³.  If you are concerned it is advisable to contact your GP for guidance.

It can seem like there is a lot of information to take in about your baby’s nappies, your baby’s poo colours, texture and frequency, but don’t feel overwhelmed. You can use our baby poo colour chart for a quick check and take each baby poo at a time.