12 Types of Baby Poop and What They Mean

There may never be a time in your life when you think about poop more than after having a baby. New parents spend a surprising amount of time examining diapers, wondering what’s normal and what’s not. With newborns pooping multiple times a day in the early weeks, it’s easy to become concerned about every color and consistency.¹

The good news is that baby poop changes often, and most variations are completely normal. Below, we’ll break down the most common types of baby poop, what they usually mean, and when it’s a good idea to check in with your pediatrician.

Baby Poop: What Does It Mean?

A baby’s stool can vary based on age, diet, and development, and many changes are expected during the first year of life.

1. Meconium

Congrats, new parent! This is the first poop your baby will ever have. Meconium is a sterile, thick, tarry, black-green, odorless poop.^2,3,4 It’s the result of everything your baby’s gastrointestinal tract accumulated in utero, including mucus and bile.^2,4 It usually occurs within 24-48 hours after delivery.^1,2 This is the only time that truly black stool is okay for your baby or, really, for anyone.^5,6 Babies can also have their first poop before or during delivery. This might lead to Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS), which requires treatment.^7,8

2. Breastmilk Poop

Newborn breastmilk poop is very liquid and frequent.^9,10 Sometimes, newborns poop with every feed, which can be up to 10 times per day!¹¹ It’s often very watery because it’s so easily digested. It’s also commonly yellow and seedy. But any shade of yellow, green, brown, or orange is normal. It can also have a sweet odor.^10,12,13

3. Formula Poop

This poop tends to be thicker than breastmilk poop. It’s often more green or brown and slightly darker than breastmilk poop. The consistency is similar to peanut butter.^11,14 Any shade of yellow, green, brown, or orange is also normal.^11,13

4. Transitional Poop

This is something between the thick dark meconium and the softer stools from breast milk or formula.¹³ Babies don’t eat much in the first few days of life, and most lose weight during this time, which is also normal. We usually expect them to lose up to 10% of their birth weight.^15,16 By day five of life, though, your baby should start gaining the weight back.¹⁵ The poop before they’re eating well and gaining weight is a transition from meconium to the traditional breastmilk or formula poops.¹³

Related: How Much Weight Loss Is Normal for a Newborn

5. Poop After Starting Solids

Once your baby starts eating solid food (and isn’t just drinking breast milk or formula), their stool will drastically change. It becomes smellier and thicker, trending more toward the poop of an adult. The color also changes and often reflects the color of the foods they ingest. You can even see pieces of undigested food in the poop.^11,13 This usually freaks out new parents, but it’s normal!

6. Diarrhea

Parents often have difficulty defining diarrhea for a baby, especially in the early days when every poop looks like what you’d call diarrhea for an adult. The key indicator for diarrhea is a change in your baby’s regular stool pattern. So, if your baby goes more frequently than usual, or their poop is more liquid than normal, that’s considered diarrhea.^10,11 The problem with having a newborn is that you don’t know what “normal” is yet.

Diarrhea can be a side effect of medication or result from an infection, food intolerance, or simply swallowing extra saliva or mucus if your baby is teething or has a cold.⁶ If you’re concerned that your baby might have diarrhea (especially while you’re figuring out what “normal” is), you should check with their doctor.

7. Constipation

Constipation is when your baby has hard stools. Poop that resembles small, rabbit-like pellets, hard logs, or marbles typically indicates constipation.¹² Constipation isn’t defined by how your baby looks or sounds when pooping or even the frequency of the poops. This is a common mistake that new parents often make.

If your baby grunts, squirms, or turns red when pooping, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re constipated. Pooping is a complex series of events that one has to get used to! It requires contracting specific muscles while relaxing others. And your baby has to do it all while lying on their back! Frequency isn’t an indicator of constipation, either.

Some breastfed babies hang onto all the nutrients they need and can go for many days without pooping.¹⁷ So, use the consistency of the poop to determine if your baby is constipated or not. Constipation usually means your baby needs more liquid or fiber in their diet.¹⁸ But the specifics vary by age, so check with the doctor to see what your baby might need.

Related: Baby Constipation Remedies

8. Mustardy Yellow Poop

Whether it’s reminiscent of Grey Poupon, a typical chef’s mustard like Maille with the grainy, seedy texture, or the classic French’s yellow mustard, any mustardy poop is common for breastfed babies.¹³ If this is the stage you’re in, it’s understandable that you’ll be putting ketchup on your hot dog for a while!

9. Green Poop

Green poop is normal!¹⁹ If your baby is happy and growing fine, it’s usually nothing to worry about.

Dark green poop can come from pigment in foods like spinach and other vegetables, or from iron supplements.^12,20 Bright green poop may mean food moved through the intestines more quickly than usual.²¹ For nursing babies, bright green stools can also indicate they received more foremilk than fatty hindmilk.²² If your baby is otherwise doing well, this typically isn’t a concern.^23,24 However, if your baby isn’t growing well or seems unwell, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor, as green poop can sometimes signal infection or another issue.²⁴

If your baby’s poop is consistently green and contains mucus, looking similar to nasal mucus in the diaper, you should call your pediatrician. This can indicate a milk protein intolerance or another underlying issue.²⁵ One other common cause of bright green poop is food dye.²⁰ And not just green dye, either. A birthday cake with blue and yellow frosting can result in surprisingly bright green stools.

Related: How to Spot and Fix a Foremilk and Hindmilk Imbalance

10. Red Poop

If your baby has bright red poop, you should definitely check with the doctor.¹ This is most likely blood and can mean one of many different things.^6,12 It can simply be an anal fissure, which is a small tear in the skin around the butthole, which can cause streaks of blood to appear in usually very hard poop.²⁶ It could be blood from your nipple if you’re breastfeeding and have bleeding, cracked nipples. Blood in the stool can also be caused by a severe, bleeding diaper rash.²⁷ Or it can be a sign of milk protein intolerance.²⁵

However, red stool can sometimes indicate a more serious condition, such as an infection or intussusception.^12,28 If your baby ever has a fever or pain with red poop, you should call your pediatrician immediately.²⁹ Infection can be from a virus, bacteria, or a parasite.³⁰ Intussusception is a medical emergency in which part of the intestines telescopes back into itself. This is accompanied by severe pain and what’s sometimes called “red currant jelly” stool.³¹

11. Black Poop

This is why paying attention to that first meconium poop is good because that’s a true black stool, not just dark. And it usually never happens again. But if you do ever see another true black poop, you should save it and call your baby’s doctor.⁶ It could mean there’s blood in the gastrointestinal tract.³²

12. White Poop

Truly white stool with no color is very rare and not subtle. However, you should consult a doctor if you notice it, as it may indicate a liver problem.^5,6

Baby poop can look surprising at first, but most changes are a normal part of growth and development. As you get to know your baby, it becomes easier to recognize what’s typical for them. If something ever seems unusual or concerning, trust your instincts and reach out to your pediatrician. You’re doing a great job.