Immediately after birth, and for the first few days, your baby is likely to pass a sticky black-green substance. This is called meconium, and it's the waste that has collected in your baby's bowels during its time in the womb.
As your baby begins to digest milk, the stools (bowel movements) will change. They'll become more yellow or orange, and can be quite bright, sometimes described as mustard yellow. Breastfed babies have quite runny stools, while formula-fed babies have stools that are firmer and more smelly.
Babies vary a lot in how often they pass stools. Some have a bowel movement at or around each feed. Others can go for several days without having one. Either can be normal, but most breastfed babies produce at least one stool a day during the first six weeks.
When to get help
Most small babies strain and go red in the face, or cry, during a bowel movement. This is normal and doesn’t mean that they're constipated, as long as the stools are soft. If you're worried that your baby may be constipated, speak to your midwife or health visitor.
What you find in your baby’s nappies will probably vary from day to day, and there's usually no need to worry. For example, it's normal for some babies to have very runny stools. But ask your doctor, midwife or health visitor if you notice any big changes, such as stools:
- becoming very frequent and watery,
- becoming very smelly, or
- changing colour to become green, white or creamy.
