Baby poo colour, smell, textures, and frequency: What’s normal?
Baby poo colour, smell, textures, and frequency: What’s normal?
Find out more about your baby’s poo, including the meaning of different baby poo colours, smells, and textures. Plus, download our baby poo chart.
When you become a parent, baby poo suddenly becomes something you talk about a lot and for good reason. On average, parents will change almost 2,000 nappies a year and the contents of your baby’s nappy can give you a lot of information about their health and wellbeing (1) (2). Baby poo can come in a whole spectrum of colours, textures, and smells. Some of these are normal and others may be a cause for concern, so, getting to know your baby’s poo is therefore important (2).
Baby poo colour, smell, textures, and frequency: What’s normal?
Every baby is different, and their poo will be unique too. Baby poo varies depending on many factors like their age and what they eat or drink (2).
One of the first things that changes with your baby’s poo is the colour…
Baby poo colour
Your baby’s poo colour may change from one day to the next, and that is normal- you will often find yourself wiping various shades of brown, green and yellow tones from your baby’s bottom.
Have a look at our baby poo chart to remind you what different baby poo colours may look like.
Baby poo textures
Baby poo textures will depend on how your baby is being fed. Meconium in the first few days is thick and sticky, often it is trickier to clean off your baby. Breastfed baby poo is often quite runny whilst formula fed baby poo is firmer in texture. The poo of a formula fed baby may also vary depending on the composition of the formula used, as some makes poo runnier than others. Once your baby is weaning their poo will start to become more solid. Whilst runny baby poo may indicate diarrhoea, hard and dry baby poo may indicate constipation3. Although a variation in baby too texture could be normal, if you are concerned it is advisable to contact your GP for guidance.
Frequency of baby poo
Other common questions about baby poo
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Last reviewed: 26th April 2022
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Important notice
Breastfeeding is best for babies and provides many benefits. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, you eat a varied, balanced diet. Combined breast and bottle feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of your own breast milk, and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. The social and financial implications of using an infant formula should be considered. Improper use of an infant formula or inappropriate foods or feeding methods may present a health hazard. If you use an infant formula, you should follow manufacturer’s instructions for use carefully – failure to follow the instructions may make your baby ill. Always consult your doctor, midwife or health visitor for advice about feeding your baby.