Baby poops after every feed is absolutely normal, if it causes no discomfort to the baby himself. The frequency of stool is an individual feature of the child’s body. The amount of stool is also individual, since it is determined both by the general condition of the child’s body, and by the drinking regime, diet and other features.
How much should a baby poop on average?
On average, when breastfeeding, the volume of feces of a newborn baby is about 15 grams, but gradually its volume will increase and reach 50 grams.
If the baby is breastfed, then his stool is a yellow homogeneous gruel with a characteristic smell of sour milk. But with the same diet, baby stools come out not only with small lumps but also with inclusion of green color.
How much should a formula-fed baby poop on average?
Formula-fed babies may initially poop about 40 grams. Moreover, with this option, the feces themselves have a pungent odor and color from light yellow to dark brown. It may contain small white lumps or a little mucus – thus, undigested milk fats come out of the body.
How many times a day should a baby poop in the first month of life?
Pediatricians say that for artificially fed babies, a rarer stool is characteristic, no more than 4 times a day, although here everything is also individual. Some formula-fed babies can really have a stool after each feeding, that is, up to 8-9 times during the day. This is also considered as normal.
Baby pooping often – what deserves a call to a pediatrician:
- If your baby cannot poop for 4 days, while often crying, this indicates constipation. You should call your pediatrician. Also, It is better to deal with this problem with sparing methods, that is, drinking plenty of water for the mother and including foods with a laxative effect in her diet. However, any medicine without a doctor’s prescription in this case should not be taken.
- If a child aged about a month poops 10-12 times a day, that is, not only after each feeding, but more often, and also if the feces acquire a specific smell, a change in color and foaming is observed.
- Babies often face the problem of colic, that is, increased gas formation, in which case the advice of a doctor will also be required.
- If the baby poops after each feeding and has diarrhea – a very loose or watery stool for 3 or more diapers.
- Red baby poop – usually this is because of red food or medicine, the exception is the blood in the baby’s stool. In this case it can be a sign of allergies or bleeding in the digestive tract. Anyway, if you see blood in your baby’s stool, call your doctor.
- White or light gray baby poop – this can be a symptom of digestion issue or liver condition. Consult your doctor.
- Black baby poop – you need to closely observe your baby’s stool and if you see that its color is not dark green but black, then this can be a symptom of stomach bleeding. Call your doctor.
- Hard and pebble-like baby poop – this can be a sign of constipation. You need to consult your pediatrician.
Never give your baby any kind of laxatives, enemas, suppositories or other stool stimulators without asking your doctor first.