What’s That in Her Nappy?
When you’re learning to look after your brand-new baby, one of the first obstacles you’ll encounter is a nappy full of sticky, tarry, dark-green poo – swiftly followed by bowel movements of a startling variety. Babies’ stools vary enormously: The colour can range from lemon-yellow to green and the consistency from liquid to firm. Therefore, it can be hard to tell the good from the bad.
With wee, the story’s a bit different. Instead of being fascinated by colour or consistency, most parents obsess about quantity: How much and how often?
Getting all blocked up about constipation
Constipation is relatively common in bottle-fed babies and babies who have been weaned on to solids. Although constipation is seldom a cause for concern, you must deal with it quickly, because waste matter that builds up in the rectum dries out quickly, making it more and more difficult – and painful – to pass.
Signs of constipation
The main concern is not the frequency but the consistency of your baby’s poo. If she appears to be in distress during a bowel movement, and if her poo is hard and dry, then she’s likely to be constipated. You may also notice that her tummy feels hard and she may have tummy ache – she may be difficult to comfort, pull up her legs to her chest in pain, and seem lethargic.
How often a baby should poo can be a worry for new parents. The answer is that there’s no magic number. Some new babies can produce ten dirty nappies a day, while others, especially breastfed babies, can go for days without doing a poo. Breast milk is so well suited to your baby that there isn’t much waste for her to get rid of. Try not to worry about quantity: If your baby seems well and comfortable and has plenty of wet nappies, then she’s probably fine. If she’s unhappy and seems to be in discomfort or pain, seek medical advice.
Don’t delay in asking for help: The sooner constipation is dealt with, the easier it is to rectify. If your baby has any of the following, take her to a doctor:
- Cream- or white-coloured stools, which can sometimes indicate liver problems.
- Blood in the poo, which may be due to a slight tear (fissure) in the anus or the result of an inflamed bowel.
- Frequent watery poo, accompanied by lethargy, fever, or any other symptoms of illness.
- Hard, infrequent stools that cause discomfort and distress.
Treating constipation
A shortage of fluids in your baby’s diet is one of the most common causes of constipation, although bugs and other illnesses can also trigger the problem. Once she’s onto solids, a shortage of fiber can also be a cause. Your GP or health visitor is likely to suggest increasing your baby’s fluid intake with cooled, boiled water. For babies on solid food, diluted juice or puréed fruit can help get things moving. If your bottle-fed baby has hard painful poos, check that you’re adding the correct amount of formula to her bottles: Make sure you fill the scoops loosely and level them, as over-thick feeds are a common cause of constipation.
When you wash your baby’s bottom, apply cream or petroleum jelly around the outside of the anus to help ease any soreness caused by constipation.
A warm bath can make your baby relax and help to open her bowels. Tummy massage is also a good way to get things going. With oil or moisturizing cream on your fingers, start at the belly button and then massage outwards in circles in a clockwise direction. If your baby enjoys the massage and is comfortable and relaxed, continue. While she’s lying on her back, hold her legs and turn them gently in a quick cycling motion. This makes the stomach muscles move and puts gentle pressure on the intestines, making them move.
Never put a thermometer or anything else inside your baby’s anus to stimulate the bowel movement, because doing so may cause damage.
After you begin to offer your baby foods other than milk, you will notice changes in her poo. Until now, her digestive system has been used to only one type of food – milk. Your baby will react to new foods by producing more solid, smellier poos. You may find that pieces of food pass straight through, entirely undigested – a normal event that will happen less as your child’s digestion matures.
When you’ve weaned your baby, give her lots of fresh fruit and vegetables to make sure her diet contains enough fiber. Dried fruits such as raisins, apricots, and figs help, as do peas, beans, sweetcorn, baked beans, and jacket potatoes.
Although you don’t want your baby to be constipated, her digestive system isn’t made to cope with a very high fiber diet. So while a good selection of puréed fruit and vegetable is invaluable, too much high-bran bread may do more harm than good.
Having a wee look at your baby’s waterworks
A young baby can wee up to 30 times in 24 hours. Copious weeing is nothing to be concerned about. In fact, a dry nappy is more worrying. If your newborn’s nappy stays dry for four to six hours, speak to your midwife, health visitor, or GP, because your baby may be unwell or dehydrated. If your baby’s urine is yellow and concentrated , she needs more fluids. Offering plenty of drinks (cooled, boiled water for young babies) should solve the problem.
If you think your baby’s urine contains blood, contact your doctor immediately. But bear in mind that certain foods and drinks, such as blackcurrant juice, can turn wee red. Also seek medical help if your baby’s urine is very concentrated and smelly, because this may be a sign of a urine infection.
