A baby’s health and happiness are at the top of every parent’s wish list. When a baby has an inconsistent bowel movement, it can be a frightening experience if you are unaware of what baby poop should look and smell like.
By paying attention to a baby’s stool, it will tell you what your little one can’t verbally communicate at the moment. You’ll also know when you need to be concerned about changes in their digestion system.
Consistency 
Parents often wonder what is considered ‘normal’ poop. Lifestyle can play a significant role in what your baby’s stool should look and smell like.
For example, breastfeeding babies will have a different consistency than formula poop. The age of the baby can also play an important factor.
A baby who is sick, has an upset stomach, or is dehydrated can further affect stool consistency.
regularity
Did you know irregularity affects babies and toddlers? Newborns tend to have several bowel movements when firstborn because of the meconium process. A new baby will get rid of the bile, cells, fats, and protein.
Don’t worry! A thick brownish or greenish stool is just the nutrients your baby consumed in the uterus. After a few days, your baby’s poop will develop a regular pattern.
Many parents ask, how often should a newborn poop on formula? A Study Of Newborn To 3 Month Babies Breastfeeding, Bottle-feeding, and Mixed Feeding Show:
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- First Week Regularity: 3.65 Poops Per Day
- 3 Month Regularity: 1.88 Poops Per Day
- Breastfed newborns should have a softer stool that is usually yellow.
- At 3 months, formula fed baby poop should be firmer, greenish, or brownish in color.
- No difference in the quantity of stool is found between breastfed and formula fed baby poop.
- Breastfed baby poop has a sweet smell while formula fed baby poop smells like vinegar.
Tip #1: Foamy baby poop suggests formula fed babies have an allergy or an infection. Talk to your pediatrician if it is consistent.
Tip #2: If the formula poop in cloth diapers is runny, you can simply wash it out, but if it is hard or firm, dump waste in the toilet to dispose of it properly.
Also, most parents use disposable diapers during this time to prevent staining cloth diapers.
poop color
I would start this part of the conversation off with a good poop joke, but they always stink (haha….get it?).
So, let’s talk about something that won’t be so funny the first time you experience it; poop color.
From runny yellowish poop to dark brown lumps, a baby’s gut health and digestive tract will keep you on your toes, but it will also teach you a lot about motherhood or fatherhood.
What is important to understand is that a baby’s feeding pattern and age greatly influence the color of stool you should expect to see. It also gives you clues on when to see your pediatrician.
So what does formula poop look like?
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- Orange, Yellow, Or Brown Baby Poop: These are the normal colors you should expect for breastfed or bottle-fed babies.
- Green Baby Poop: Stool that is a greenish color tends to be from nutrient additives like iron or when beginning to eat solid foods.
- Black Baby Poop: This is most common with breastfed babies as breasts can bleed during feedings. Tell your pediatrician as bloody stool can also be problematic.
- White Baby Poop: If baby poop is white and chalky, you should tell your pediatrician as it may indicate your baby is not digesting food properly
We also recommend talking to your pediatrician if your baby has runny, hard, bloody, or mucus-like baby poop. These are signs a baby may have an issue like an infection, an allergy, or constipation.
