It might sound strange, but the sight of your baby’s first poo will be something you welcome! It’s called meconium, and will be dark, greenish black in colour², but this will change as your baby grows. Over the next few days it will start to turn brown, orange or yellow, depending on whether your baby is breast or formula fed.

Breastfed baby poo tends to be yellow, whereas formula fed baby poo can be yellow-green or a pale brown. Once your baby starts eating solid food, their poo is likely to turn into a darker colour.

Green baby poo might look strange, but it’s usually nothing to worry about³. Some formula milks designed to help with digestion problems can cause green baby poo, but if it persists, talk to your midwife or GP to rule out any underlying issues.

You should always speak to a healthcare professional if your baby’s poo is black (after the first poo), red, grey or white, as these could indicate a health problem that needs to be treated³. 

Take a look at our baby poo colour chart to get a better idea of what to look out for.

When your baby does a poo for the first time, it will have a sticky, tar-like consistency. Be warned, this can be very stubborn to remove from baby clothes, not to mention your actual baby!

As your tiny tot grows, the consistency of their poo will change. Breastfed baby poo can be quite runny, and might have what looks like seeds in it - this is completely normal⁵. Formula fed baby poo on the other hand, is likely to be firmer or more paste-like⁶.

Baby poo when weaning. Change is ahead!

Once your baby starts to enjoy their first tastes of solid food, their poo may become more solid in texture. As such, it’s not uncommon for your baby to experience some constipation as they enjoy and adapt to new tastes and textures⁷.

If you’ve noticed a change to your baby’s pooing habits, and you’ve recently switched from breast to formula feeding, then chances are your baby’s poo will be different in terms of texture, smell and appearance⁸. 

So just how often should your baby poo?

As a general rule, your newborn baby might poo as much as four times a day during their first week, but this can reduce to around twice a day during their first year^9. However, this can differ depending on whether your baby is breast or formula fed.

Breastfed babies may poo every time you feed them at first, but as they grow and develop, it’s not unusual for them to go several days without having a poo. Formula fed babies may poo around five times a day when first born, settling to once a day as they get older.

The important thing to remember here is that all babies are different. So what’s normal for one baby may not be the same for yours. Ultimately, if your baby is gaining weight, not in distress and feeding well, there’s usually no cause for concern. Another consideration is their diet, as the frequency of baby poo when weaning will be different to how often breast and formula fed babies do a poo.

There’s no getting away from it, your baby’s going to create a stink! Particularly if they’re formula fed, as this tends to result in stronger smelling poos¹⁰.  Breastfed baby poo doesn’t really have a strong aroma, beyond smelling a little sweet. 

Once your baby embarks on their weaning journey, the variety of foods will change the way their poo smells (spoiler alert:  it’s more than likely going to be much stronger!).

If you notice that your baby is producing consistently foul smelling poos, it’s always best to have a chat with your GP to check that everything’s OK and put your mind at ease. 

1. Thaman LA and Eichenfield LF. Diapering Habits: A Global Perspective. Pediatr Dermatol, 2014;31: 15-18.
2. National Childbirth Trust (NCT). Newborn baby poo in nappies: what to expect [online]. Available at https://www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/nappies-and-poo/newborn-baby-poo-nappies-what-expect. Accessed April 2021.
3. Mayo Clinic. Stool Colour: when to worry [online]. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/stool-color/expert-answers/faq-20058080. Accessed April 2021.
4. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Postnatal care up to 8 weeks after birth [online] 2006. Available at https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg37/chapter/1-Recommendations#infant-feeding. Accessed April 2021.
5. National Health Service (NHS) Derbyshire Community Health Services. Advice and guidance: bowel movements [online]. Available at http://www.dchs.nhs.uk/home/our-services/find_services_by_topic/healthvisiting/advice_guidance/hvs_bowel_movements#:~:text=A%20simple%20way%20to%20manage,(30%20%E2%80%93%2040%20mls). Accessed April 2021.
6. National Health Service (NHS). How to change your baby’s nappy [online] 2018. Available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/how-to-change-your-babys-nappy/#:~:text=Your%20baby's%20first%20poo%20is,a%20yellow%20or%20mustard%20colour. Accessed April 2021.
7. National Health Service (NHS) Start 4 life. Breastfeeding challenges: Constipation [online]. Available at https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/baby/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-challenges/constipation/. Accessed April 2021.
8. National Health Service (NHS) Derbyshire Community Health Services. Advice and guidance: bowel movements [online]. Available at http://www.dchs.nhs.uk/home/our-services/find_services_by_topic/healthvisiting/advice_guidance/hvs_bowel_movements#:~:text=A%20simple%20way%20to%20manage,(30%20%E2%80%93%2040%20mls). Accessed April 2021.
9. National Health Service (NHS). How to change your baby’s nappy [online] 2018. Available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/how-to-change-your-babys-nappy/#:~:text=Your%20baby's%20first%20poo%20is,a%20yellow%20or%20mustard%20colour. Accessed April 2021.
10.  National Health Service (NHS) Derbyshire Community Health Services. Advice and guidance: bowel movements [online]. Available at http://www.dchs.nhs.uk/home/our-services/find_services_by_topic/healthvisiting/advice_guidance/hvs_bowel_movements#:~:text=A%20simple%20way%20to%20manage,(30%20%E2%80%93%2040%20mls). Accessed April 2021.