Having a baby brings in a world of responsibilities and along with it comes the dirty jobs that need to be taken care of as well. We cannot avoid the fact of dealing with the poop once the baby is born. I have been blessed with a one and half year old baby girl, and the entire journey has thought me to be more observant. I know many moms around want to know more about the baby poop.

You may hate it but the whole world just comes down to what comes out of your baby’s cute little bottom. If he has not done it you are worried of him being constipated and if they are too many then there is fear of diarrhea. The power of knowledge can help you understand your childs needs better. The better you are aware of why your child does what he does the more you are in control of the situation.Be strong even in the most difficult of situations. Read on to know what the various colors mean.

Your baby’s first poop: black in color: 

However the first bowel movement will be black or greenish black in colour. In technical jargon it is named as meconium. Always bear in mind whatever comes out the baby has a reason; it is a combination of amniotic fluid. Remember prior to the birth the new born was in the womb and in the later stages when his digestive system works, then he swallows this fluid which gives the poop that colour. This is one poop you will never see again in your life again.

Green Poop 

I remember the first time i had seen this colour in the diaper i was so frantic and ended up near the doctor, but trust my word on it there is nothing to worry with this colour. Some old wives end up telling there is a stomach bug but don’t follow them, i know when raising a child it is so difficult to balance a strike between the elders and the doctor’s advice. You may end up seeing these colours very now and then in the diaper, do not panic. However there may be some reasons as to why this could occur.

• Iron-fortified formula – When you are breastfeeding you will rarely face this problem but if your baby is formula fed, then the extra iron content may be causing the problem.
• Dairy Sensitivity - Some breastfed babies are very sensitive to certain foods in their mom’s diet. You have to understand the importance of the diet you eat when you are feeding, this is very crucial that you have food that is of nutritional high value. Many babies have constant health issues when it comes to dairy products. An immediate change you can make is to stop milk for a week to see if it is helping your baby’s health.
• Reduction in hind milk intake: While feeding this is the golden rule that is followed to feed from one side and when completely done to switch to the other one. The hind milk is the latter richer milk in terms of fat content that is good for your baby’s overall growth. The fore milk that comes first is lesser in fat and too much of this may even cause tummy aches and green stools.
• Other unexplained reasons – if all the above concerns are not true, then just remember that this is just a phase, it is just green and normal. Any range of yellow, mustard to yellow/green is pretty normal for a baby. If baby is gaining well and happy then there is nothing to worry about.

Multiple colour: You will be surprised at the rate of which the colour of the poop changes, you don’t have to worry until it is not white, black or red.

Blood in baby’s poop

The very sight of blood in your baby’s bowel movement may be alarming and you may need to call the doctor in this case. Small streaks of blood in the stool are usually not something serious this may be due to constipation and can be cured with prune juice.

However, if your baby has stools that look like dark red jelly or are streaked with mucous you should call your doctor right away. If your baby is crying inconsolably in pain then you need to call the doctor too.

There is another major cause that may cause a blood streak is a diaper rash, we cannot forget that the baby’s bottom is very sensitive and it requires special attention. A diaper rash when not treated properly may lead to a skin breakdown and hence the tiny streaks of blood.

Babies who love to poop a lot 

Breast feeding moms complain that they have to do a lot of diaper changing in the first few months, well this is the part and parcel of motherhood. Breastfed babies often have a bowel movement after every feeding for the first few weeks. You cannot put a count on the number of times he will go in a day. It is generally runny and seedy and if you a re breast feeding then the count does not matter, it is normal if he does 10 as well.

Formula-fed babies do not have as many bowel movements, generally, as breastfed babies but you can expect four or five poops a day in the first few weeks 

Babies that don’t poop:

As your baby grows, he may have lesser bowel movements, and once he reaches the potty training stage you are excited. I have reached this milestone and all the hard work in potty training pays off when you say a good bye to the nappy. If your baby is breastfed, he may go several days to a week without having a bowel movement. Exclusively breastfed babies rarely have problems with constipation.

However the story differs for the formula fed, they pass only once a day and if they seem in pain then consult a doc immediately. Whatever the whole process is like be aware and enjoy every moment of motherhood.