Stooling Patterns for Breastfed, Combination Fed, and Formula Fed Babies
Understanding your baby’s diaper habits is a helpful tool. It offers insight into the health and nutrition status of your little one.1 The patterns and characteristics of dirty diapers will vary between babies who are breastfed, formula fed, or fed a mixture of both breast milk and formula.
Breastfed Babies
If you are exclusively breastfeeding, a great way to know your baby is getting enough breast milk is by tracking the diaper output.2
Expected stool count per day for a breastfed baby:
- Day one = one stool
- Day two = two stools
- Day three = three stools
- Day four = four stools
- Day five to six weeks = at least three to four stools
As breast milk changes from colostrum to mature milk in the early days postpartum, the baby’s diaper output changes, too.2 After the meconium stools on day one, baby’s poops will change in color from dark brown, to dark green, to mustard yellow. A breastfed baby’s poop remains yellow and “seedy” in texture until your baby starts solid foods around six months old. The “seedy” texture in breastfed stool is undigested milk fat and is normal.2
Formula & Combination Fed Infants
If your baby consumes formula or a mix of formula and breast milk, their stool color will range from yellow to light brown.3 Babies who receive formula will poop less often than babies who are eating just breast milk. This is because formulas take longer to digest. Your baby should still have soft and daily stools. Speak with your baby’s healthcare provider if the texture is harder than peanut butter. This can be a sign that your baby is not getting enough fluids.
When to Call Baby’s Healthcare Provider
- If your baby is less than 6 weeks old and has not passed stool for 24 hours or more
- Blood in stool
- White chalky stool
- Black stool after the first five days
- Very watery stools
- Hard stool, like small rocks or pebbles, or not stooled for three to four days. This is the definition of constipation.2
Your baby’s stool patterns will become predictable and you will learn what is normal for your baby. Stooling patterns can change as they get older, too. Breastfed babies older than six weeks often start to slow down with the amount of stools they create. It can be normal for a breastfed baby to skip a few days in between stools as they get older. Babies fed formula are more likely to continue to produce stool daily.
Though stool patterns in babies can vary, it is important to monitor your baby’s diapers. This includes changes in color, texture, and frequency. Regular bowel movements are good signs your baby is receiving enough feedings. Tracking your baby’s stool patterns is a great way to monitor their health in between visits to their healthcare provider.
What If I Have Questions?
If you are interested in learning more, these Aeroflow classes expand on some of the topics discussed above:
- Babycare for the Breastfed Baby
- Ultimate Breastfeeding Prep
To register for these classes, log into your portal or click here.
Want More Info?
For a directory of Aeroflow’s other Care Guides offering information on pregnancy, baby care, and more, browse our comprehensive list of titles:
References