Baby poo photos: see what's normal and what's not

The very first poo your baby does is known as meconium. It's usually a dark green-black colour, and can be very sticky!

Meconium is made up of the hair and other substances your baby ingested while they were still in the womb.

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Your baby should do their first poo within about 48 hours of being born – some babies even do it before or during labour.

Pro tip: if you've just had your new baby, and they haven't done their first poo yet, try coating their bum in a thin layer of vaseline. This can make that first poo much easier to clean off!

Breastfed babies usually do quite soft or even runny poos, which are usually a mustard yellow or light brown colour. They can be surprisingly sweet-smelling, too!

Formula-fed babies' poo tends to be a bit firmer, darker and smellier than breastfed poo.

Changing to a different formula may also affect your baby's poo, so don't be surprised if you notice a change when switching to different milk.

Green baby poo is fairly common, and isn't usually a cause for concern.

It's normal for newborn poo to look a bit green as your baby transitions from meconium to regular poo. Green poo can also be caused by:

- certain types of formula
- eating green foods after weaning
- iron supplements

If your baby seems otherwise well, the occasional green poo is nothing to worry about.

However, less commonly, green poo can sometimes be a sign of a tummy bug, infection or allergies, particularly in breastfed babies.

If your baby's poo is green for more than a few days, and you're not sure what's causing it – or if your baby has any other symptoms that concern you – speak to your GP or health visitor for reassurance.

A little bit of mucus in your baby's poo every now and then isn't usually anything to worry about.

It often comes and goes in healthy babies, and is thought to be because their digestion isn't fully mature yet.

However, mucus in baby poo can sometimes be a sign of infection. If your little one has other symptoms, such as a high temperature, blood in their nappy, or poor feeding, see your GP as soon as possible.

If your baby seems otherwise well, but there suddenly always seems to be mucus in their poo, mention it to your health visitor. Chances are it's nothing to worry about, but it's always best to mention any changes to your baby's poo, to be on the safe side.

You'll definitely notice a change to your baby's poo when they start on solid foods, particularly if you've been breastfeeding!

You'll likely find that your baby's poo gets much firmer and smellier; more like an adult's.

It's also common to see little bits of undigested food in your baby's nappy, such as raisins, sweetcorn and kiwi pips.

Undigested food can also affect the colour of your baby's poo, making it look green, orange, red and so on, depending on what your little one's been eating.

Some babies may develop diarrhoea or constipation when they first try solid foods. This is usually nothing to worry about, and just a sign that their digestive system is getting used to solids. However, if your baby has other symptoms, or the diarrhoea/constipation lasts for more than a few days, it's worth having a word with your health visitor or GP.

In the early days and weeks after the birth, it can be normal for baby girls to experience some vaginal bleeding, which can mix with their poo and give you a fright if you see it in their nappy! It's caused by left-over hormones from when your baby was in your womb, and should soon pass.

In boys and older babies, blood in their nappy is often down to tiny cuts around their bottom, which can be caused by straining to do a poo (particularly if your baby is constipated). This isn't anything to worry about, and the cuts should soon heal.

However, if your baby has blood in their poo for more than a few days, it could be a sign of infection – see your GP for advice. Seek urgent medical help if there's a lot of blood (more than a few spots).

Pro tip: if your baby is on solid foods, first be sure that what you're seeing is blood. It's normal for red foods such as beetroot to make your baby's poo red, too!

Have you just given your baby banana for the first time? If so, that could explain the black bits! This photo shows poo from a baby who's just enjoyed their first banana, and the black bits come from the fruit!

Other little bits of undigested food can also sometimes appear as black bits in your baby's poo.

Less commonly, black specks in your baby's poo could be little bits of digested blood; usually from cracked nipples when breastfeeding.

However, in rare cases, black spots in your baby's poo could be a sign of infection. If you notice black spots (these often look a bit like coffee grounds), and you don't think solid foods or cracked nipples have caused it, it's always worth getting urgent advice from your GP or NHS 111.

Pro tip: Although the black bits in your baby's poo may look a little bit stringy, they're probably not worms. Threadworms are fairly common in young children, but they look more like little white threads.

Pale yellow poo can be normal, especially in breastfeeding babies. However, if your baby's poo is very pale, white or grey, you should get it checked out immediately.

Chances are, it could be nothing at all, or perhaps a sign of a mild tummy bug or infection.

However, in rare cases, extremely pale poo can be a sign of problems with your baby's liver, which need urgent medical care.

If your baby's poo is pure white or pale with a clay-like texture, or if pale poos persist for more than a day or so, see your GP or call NHS 111 for urgent advice.

It can be fairly common to see little bubbles in your baby's poo. This is particularly true if you're exclusively breastfeeding, as breastfed poo tends to be a bit runnier than formula-fed poo.

If your baby is otherwise well, the occasional frothy poo is usually nothing to worry about.

However, baby poo usually only becomes foamy or frothy if it's very runny. If this isn't normal for your baby, it could be diarrhoea, which can be a sign of infection.

If your baby has any other symptoms, or if the frothy poo lasts for more than a few days, it's worth contacting your GP or health visitor for advice.

If your baby is constipated, their poo will likely be hard and dry. You may find a single large lump in your baby's nappy, or lots of smaller nuggets. You may also find that your baby poos less often.

It's possible for both breastfed babies and formula-fed babies to become constipated, but it's more common with formula. It can also happen when transitioning to solid foods.

If you think your baby could be constipated, there are things you can do at home to help:

- If you're breastfeeding, offer extra breastfeeds.
- If you're formula-feeding, make sure you're using the right amount of water to make up your baby's feeds. In hot weather, you may want to offer extra water in between feeds, but don't add extra water to your baby's regular feeds, as they may not get all the nutrients they need.
- If your baby's on solids, offer them high-fibre foods, plus drinks of well-diluted fruit juice.

If these tips don't help, and the constipation lasts for more than a few days, speak to your health visitor for advice. If you wait too long, it can make the problem worse, so do reach out as soon as you're concerned.

Pro tip: If your baby seems to strain or go red in the face whenever they do a poo, that doesn't necessarily mean they're constipated; some babies just seem to like pulling funny faces when they go! The frequency and consistency of the poos is a much better guide; if you notice any sudden changes, it's always a good idea to get it checked out.

Runny poo can be common, especially in breastfed babies. However, if your baby's poo is suddenly much more watery than usual, it could be diarrhoea.

Diarrhoea is usually caused by a tummy bug or infection, and will often go away on its own. In the meantime, the main thing is just to make sure that your baby's well hydrated:

- If you're breastfeeding, offer extra breastfeeds.
- If you're formula-feeding, you can offer extra water in between feeds (don't add extra water when making up feeds, though, as your baby may not get the nutrients they need).
- If your baby is on solids, give them plenty of water to drink, plus foods that contain lots of liquid, like soups and melon.

If you notice that your baby is peeing less often, their pee is darker and smellier than usual, or they have other signs of dehydration, call NHS 111 for advice.

If your baby has other symptoms of illness, or the diarrhoea lasts more than a week, make an appointment with your GP.

Pro tip: many parents find that their baby's poo gets a bit looser during teething (probably due to all that drool). However, teething shouldn't cause true diarrhoea, so if your baby has it, don't assume it's because of teething.

Also known as a 'poonami'!

Ah, the joys of parenting! Yes, unfortunately it's completely normal for your baby to do the occasional poo that explodes out of their nappy and all over their legs and back.

Not much fun for you to clean up, but not usually anything to worry about either.

As ever, if your baby has any other signs of illness, or if they're doing explosive poos all the time, then it's worth mentioning to your health visitor or GP.

But the occasional explosive poo is just one of those less-than-glamorous parts of parenting we all deal with from time to time. Baby wipes to the rescue!