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Parenting duties are vast. It is not just the values you instill in your kids but also the responsibilities of taking care of a baby. Learning how to navigate diaper duties is not easy, but as parents to a newborn, it becomes a part of your daily life. But what do you do when your baby does not poop? Unlike what people believe, not every baby fills their diaper effortlessly. It takes practice and time to build a habit of regular bowel movements. Therefore, parents must learn how their babies poop to understand if there are problems with feeding, sickness, or gut function. Sometimes, baby bowel movements can become slow, inconsistent, or even non-existent due to changes in your baby’s body. However, it doesn’t always point to a problem, and there are gentle ways to figure out if your baby’s bowel movements are smooth. To understand if your baby’s bowels are functioning properly, you first need to understand what makes your baby’s stool normal. Read this article to know more.
What Should Your Baby’s Stool Look Like?
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Your newborn baby’s bowel movements can change quite a bit after the first few days of birth. It depends on what they eat and how much water they consume. A baby who is breastfed will have different colored poop when compared to a formula-fed baby.
Meconium is the first stool your baby passes. It’s usually greenish-black, thick, and sticky. After a few days, it changes to a yellowish-brown or yellow color within the first week. The babies who are breastfed have stools that may be seedy-looking and more yellow compared to babies who are given formula. It is also quite normal that the stools are more runny or pasty than sticky if they are breastfed (1).
How Often Should Your Baby Poop?
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You might be surprised to see how many times a newborn needs a diaper change. It might even leave you wondering how such a little-sized human-like baby can produce so much waste. So how much is too much?
Most newborns have at least 1-2 bowel movements in a day, which soon becomes 5-10 times by the end of the first week. Your baby might even pass a stool after every meal, so be prepared to get used to poop being a part of your everyday life. By around 6 weeks, your baby’s bowel movement will be once a day, which is normal unless the stools are hard (2).
How Do You Make Your Baby Poop?
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It’s important to regulate your baby’s bowel movements, so they have a healthy gut and digestive function. But how do you do it?Here are a few things to keep in mind while training your baby to pass stool:
- Maintain a consistent time every day. Prepare a poop schedule for your little one and stick to it so that you can monitor your baby’s bowels if there is an issue.
- When your baby starts eating solids, make sure to add foods that will improve their digestion and make their bowel movements smooth.
- You could try probiotics if your baby is having trouble pooping but consult your pediatrician before you make a decision.
- Place your baby on their back and move their legs in a bicycling motion to make it an interactive and fun activity.
- Avoid methods like manual rectal stimulation because your baby might become dependent on it.
Learning and developing a poop schedule for your infant is not easy because several factors come into play. Their feeding, sleep patterns, and gut health affect their regular bowels. It is essential that you build a habit around your baby’s bowel movements but always ensure that you consult your pediatrician before adopting a method. They know what’s best for your baby, and if you’re having trouble regulating your little one’s stools, they will give you the best advice on how to go about it.
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