Newborn Poop: What Parents Need to Know

New parents quickly discover that baby poop becomes a major part of daily life—and conversation! From color to consistency, what shows up in a diaper can tell an important story about a newborn’s health. As a childbirth educator, helping parents understand what’s normal (and what’s not) can ease worries, build confidence, and support healthy feeding in the early weeks.

Poop in the First Days

Soon after birth, all babies—whether breastfed or formula fed—will pass their first poop, usually within 24 or 48 hours of birth. It’s a tarry, sticky, black poop called meconium. Meconium was already present in their digestive tract at the end of pregnancy. Some babies pass meconium during labor or delivery.
 
The passage of the first poop (meconium) after birth is a good sign that a baby’s digestive tract is working well. Colostrum—the first milk produced after birth—has laxative properties, which can help a baby pass this meconium. After meconium has been cleared out of a newborn's system, what follows can vary based on whether they are exclusively breastfeeding, getting only formula, or combo feeding. 

What's Normal for Babies Only Fed Breast Milk

Color and consistency:
As breast milk volume increases in the week after birth, a baby’s poop will change from tarry black to greenish-brown and then to yellow. Babies who are exclusively receiving breast milk will have yellowish poop, though it’s also normal for it to be brownish at times. Exclusively breastfed poop tends to have a more liquid consistency than formula fed poop. Breastfed baby poop may also look chunky or seedy at times.

 
Quantity and frequency:
For the first six weeks or so, it’s common for breastfed babies to poop very frequently. Most breastfed babies will poop at least three times a day, but others will poop much more frequently than this—sometimes after every feeding. Frequent poops may be small, about the size of a quarter. Poops may also be bigger “blow-outs,” filling an entire diaper, especially if it has been a while since the last poop.

What's Normal for Babies Only Fed Formula

Color and consistency:
Formula-fed baby poop tends to be more fully formed and solid than breastfed baby poop. It also tends to be less yellow and more tannish or browner in color. It may resemble peanut butter at times. Poop also tends to have a stronger odor than breastfed baby poop.
 
Quantity and frequency:
Formula-fed babies tend to poop less frequently than breastfed babies. In the first week, formula-fed babies poop between one and eight times per day. After this, they usually poop between one and four times a day. After two months, pooping frequency slows down even more.

What's Normal for Combo Fed Babies

Babies who are fed a combination of breast milk and formula have poops that reflect that. So, depending on how much of each type of milk they are getting, they will generally have poops that are somewhere between liquid and solid, and their poop color may look yellowish or brownish. The more breast milk they are getting, the more frequently they will likely poop. At the same time, each baby is unique, so how their system responds to combo feeding will vary from one baby to another.

What's Not Normal

There can be pretty wide variations in baby poops that are inside of a normal range. Usually changes in color, consistency or frequency are nothing to be concerned about, but there are a few things that parents should be on the lookout for.

Signs of oversupply

After meconium has passed, green poop can be a normal variation for a breastfed infant, but if it’s consistently very green, very liquidy, and frothy, and your baby is very gassy, this may be a sign of breastfeeding oversupply. Using a laid back position, gentle massage or expressing a bit of milk before feeding, or only offering one breast per feeding can help ensure baby receives an adequate supply of hindmilk which may help reduce the symptoms.

Diarrhea

Breastfed babies often have frequent, loose stools that can sometimes come out with force, which makes diarrhea harder to recognize. However, if a baby starts pooping much more often than usual without any changes in feeding, or if the stools become unusually watery or change color, it may be a sign of diarrhea—especially when accompanied by fussiness, tiredness, fever, or other signs of illness. The biggest concern with diarrhea is dehydration, so parents who suspect it should contact their baby’s health care provider right away, particularly for very young infants. The good news is that breastfeeding offers strong protection against diarrhea and helps keep babies hydrated and healthy.

Constipation

After six to eight weeks, it’s normal for babies to slow down with the frequency of their poops. As long as they are growing and eating frequently, it’s even normal to go a few days without pooping. Typically, it’s not considered constipation unless poop comes out hard or in small pellets, or if a baby goes more than a week without pooping.
 
However, if a baby is very gassy and struggling when trying to poop, they will be very uncomfortable. Often, when a baby hasn’t pooped for a few days, a gentle tummy massage or bicycling of their legs as they lie on their backs can help get things moving. If a baby is distressed or in pain and poops are hard and infrequent, parents should consult their baby's health care provider.

Concerning Colors

Red in poop may indicate blood. This may result from a variety of things, such as a reaction to medications or anal fissures (tiny tears in the anus from constipation). Babies with food allergies may have blood-streaked stools. In the case of an older baby who is eating new foods, something red in poop may be a food that did not digest completely. Whatever the case, it’s important to bring a baby to their pediatrician if a parent notices blood or redness in their baby’s poop.

Completely  white or light grey poop  can indicate a problem with the liver and baby should be evaluated by their pediatrician. Occasionally, there are small white blobs or curds in the stool. This is typically due to undigested milk fat and not a cause for concern. 

Tips for Teaching About Newborn Poop

Keep it Light but Informative

The best way to teach about newborn poop is to keep it lighthearted and humorous. Talking about poop and how obsessed parents of newborns tend to be with their baby’s poop can lighten the mood, for sure. At the same time, you’ll want to make sure your students are well informed about what to expect. Emphasize what is normal and how important it is to reach out for support if they have any questions.

Use Visuals

Using visuals can be helpful. Fortunately, Plumtree Baby makes this tip easy to incorporate into your classes. Visuals showing a timeline of normal newborn stool color and other changes are incorporated throughout teaching materials, including content for childbirth education, newborn care and breastfeeding. Check out our PowerPoint slides or posters for your classes!

Provide a Cheat Sheet

Sending your clients home with a “cheat sheet” about poop in the first few weeks of life is a great idea, because poop color and frequency changes frequently—even every day—and it can get confusing. These popular resources provide great information and visuals:

• Nursing Your Baby Quick Reference Guide
• Newborn Care parent guidebook
• Breastfeeding Pocket Guide (pictured)

Emphasize the Importance of Reaching Out for Help

Lastly, it’s a good idea to normalize reaching out to their baby's health care provider if they have questions about their baby’s poop. It is common for parents to have questions, and they should not be afraid to check in and have their concerns calmed.

Wendy Wisner, Freelance Writer and Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)

Sources

Diarrhea (0-12 Months). Academy of American Pediatrics. 2025.
The Many Colors of Baby Poop. Academy of American Pediatrics. 2024.
Meconium. StatPearls. 2025.
Newborn Breastfeeding Basics. CDC. 2024.
Pooping By the Numbers: What's Normal for Infants?. Academy of American Pediatrics. 2024.
Red Stools in Children: Common Causes. Academy of American Pediatrics. 2024.

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