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How To Decode Your Baby's Poop, As It Doesn't Take An Advance Degree

by Meg Kehoe

When you become a mother for the first time, an entire world of newness is thrown at you. It's no secret your entire life changes when you bring a life into this world, but what about the little things? All those little skills you gain as a mother, they're not just suddenly acquired. They require hard work and a lot of questions. Including the stuff you never thought you'd be reading up on, like how to decode your baby's poop. Yeah, that's right. When you become a mother, you instantly become a poop sleuth.

Because baby poop is one of the great mysteries of the world, it can be difficult to gauge exactly what's going on with your babe if you haven't studied up on your baby poop lately. And you know what? You're not alone. There are so many different shades and consistencies out there that even experienced parents might not recognize all of mysteries of the diaper. But fear not. Thanks to doctors, nurses, and the many mothers of the internet, there are plenty of ways to decode exactly why you're seeing what you're seeing in your little one's diaper.

For starters, your baby should expel their first round of poop within 24 hours, and according to Parents, the proper name for this is meconium. And once they start, they don't stop. Your baby will become a regular pooping machine. Parents went on to note that poop color, consistency, and odor, can all change depending on what your baby's consuming. There happens to be a wide range of "normal" poop colors when it comes to what you should be seeing in your baby's diaper. Yellow, brown, green, and soft consistencies are all things you should expect to see in your baby's diaper.

However, if your baby is producing poop that's small, hard, and pellet like, Parenting recommended considering a switch in what you're feeding your baby. From formula to adding more fiber to your baby's diet, it's important to pay attention to what you're seeing in your baby's diaper, because difficulty passing poop can in turn make your baby withhold stool, making the situation even worse. Other alarming baby poop you'll want to watch out for, according to Baby Center, are thick black poop, bloody poop, or chalky poop. Thick black poop is often made up mostly of digested blood, bloody poop signifies an intestinal problem, and chalky poop can signify infection, or worse, organ failure.

If you're concerned about what you're seeing in your baby's diaper, first check out an online resource like Baby Center's poop guide (yes, there are real photos, you've been warned), and if you're still concerned with the color or consistency, take a photo, and make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible to get their take on what's going on with your little one.