Well Done Mum

Your baby's first bowel movements

Your baby's first bowel movement normally occurs within 24 hours of birth. It is a thick, sticky, dark green or black paste called meconium, which is the amniotic fluid and other liquids made by the baby's intestines before birth. During the next three to four days, once your baby begins to drink breast milk or formula, the stool loses its stickiness and changes from its dark greenish black color to brownish green, then to brown and to yellow.

By the end of the first week, stools of breast-fed babies tend to be mushy and odorless; usually mustard-yellow colored with a loose consistency. Formula-fed babies, meanwhile, tend to have more formed stools with a stronger odor and colors ranging from yellow to green to brown.

Urine

Babies wet their diapers with urine several times a day. The number of wet diapers is a helpful sign of how much fluid the baby is taking in. Although it is sometimes hard to tell when a disposable diaper is wet, generally, a baby should have approximately 6 wet diapers each day.

For the first few days after birth, your baby's urine will be very pale, gradually turning a deeper shade of yellow as it becomes more concentrated.

How often should I change baby's nappy?

Newborns have usually 5-6 wet or dirty nappies a day. Breastfed babies have more dirty nappies - 3-4 a day. Bottle fed baby may have 1 dirty nappy a day or in 2 days. The amount of wet and dirty nappies is an important indicator whether your baby gets enough food.