All guides › Health & daily care
Baby poop: colour, frequency and when to worry
Nappies tell you a lot about your baby's health. The colour, texture and number of stools change a great deal in the first months, and the range of normal is wide. This guide covers what is usual and which signs need a call.
The first days: meconium
Your baby's first stools are meconium, a thick, sticky, dark green-black substance. It is normal for the first 2 to 3 days. As feeding gets going, stools turn greener, then yellow over the first week.
Tell the midwife or health nurse if your baby has not passed meconium within the first 24 to 48 hours, or if stools are still black after day 4 to 5.
Breastfed babies
Breastfed stools are usually soft, mustard yellow, seedy and often runny. In the first weeks many babies poo after most feeds. After about 6 weeks some babies go several days, or even up to a week or more, without a stool and then pass a large, soft one. This can be normal if the baby is feeding well, gaining weight and the stool is soft.
Green, orange or brown shades can be fine too.
Formula-fed babies
Formula-fed babies tend to have firmer, paste-like stools that are yellow, tan or brownish green, and typically go once or more per day, though some go every other day. Stools are a little smellier than in breastfed babies.
Changing formula brand or type can change colour and consistency. Talk to your health nurse before switching formula because of stools alone.
Colours that need a call
Contact a doctor or health nurse promptly if stools are white, pale grey or chalky (clay-coloured), which can be a sign of a liver or bile duct problem, particularly in the first weeks. Early assessment matters. Red stool or blood mixed with mucus, and black stool after the first few days, also need a medical check, although a small streak of blood can have simple causes such as a small tear or swallowed blood from sore nipples.
Frequent watery stools with fever, vomiting or signs of dehydration, such as few wet nappies, also need a call. Out of hours, ring 116 117.
Constipation versus normal
Infrequent stools alone are not constipation. Constipation means hard, dry, pellet-like stools that are painful or difficult to pass, often with straining and a hard belly. Straining or going red in the face with a soft stool is common and usually normal.
Ask your health nurse for advice if your baby seems to be in pain, passes hard stools or blood, or has a swollen belly. Do not give medicines or home remedies without advice. When solid foods start, stools change in colour and consistency, and fibre and fluid can help.
Frequently asked questions
What colour should baby poop be?
Yellow, green and brown shades are normal, as is dark meconium in the first days. White, pale grey, red and black stools after the first days should be checked by a doctor.
How often should a baby poop?
It varies widely. Newborns often poo several times a day. Breastfed babies after about 6 weeks may skip days and still be fine. Formula-fed babies usually go daily or every other day.
Is green poop normal for a baby?
Often yes. It is common in breastfed and formula-fed babies. If it is accompanied by fever, poor feeding or watery frequent stools, ask a health nurse or doctor.
When is baby poop a sign to call a doctor?
If it is white or very pale, contains red blood, is black after the first days, or comes with fever, vomiting, dehydration or a very hard belly.
Check the facts: rules, recommendations and products change. Always verify with the manufacturer, official sources such as NAV, Helsedirektoratet and Arbeidstilsynet, and other relevant health authorities before you act.