Хүүхдийн баасны өөрчлөлт ба өтгөн хаталт

• Poo is usually soft, loose  or runny, similar to mustard and can be yellow, brown, mustard coloured or green.If your baby is healthy and feeding well, with lots of wet nappies, these colours are all normal.
• It can have a sweet smell, and this can change depending on what the breastfeeding mother eats.
• Up until 6 weeks of age, most breastfed babies poo more than 3 times in 24 hours, and sometimes after every feed. 
• If your baby poos less than this in 24 hours and have less wet nappies, this may be a sign they are not getting enough milk.
• After 6 weeks, exclusively breastfed babies may poo less often. Some may poo once a week or even every 10 days. As long as the poo is soft and there is a good amount when they poo and you have no other concerns, this can be normal. The poo usually stays soft until solids are started. 
• If your baby is fussy and has green, explosive or frothy poo, alot of gas, very wet nappies and gains alot of weight, these can be signs of having too much breastmilk (oversupply). If you notice these signs, please talk to the Australian Breastfeeding Association on 1800 686 268, your Child and Family Health Nurse, a Lactation Consultant or your family doctor for more information. 

• Poo is usually a bit firmer or harder than breastfed poo.
• The colour can vary between grey-yellow, grey-blue, or shades of brown are all normal.
• Poo can look and feel different if you change the type of formula you offer your baby.  Poo can be looser if a baby is having a hypoallergenic formula. 
• Formula fed babies can poo once or twice a day or once every 2-3 days. As long as the poo is soft and a good amount when they poo, this is normal.
• If your baby has formula, make sure you are preparing it exactly as the instructions say. 

Poo is usually somewhere in between what is described above for breastfed and formula-fed babies. 

What is not normal 

If your baby’s poo has blood or mucous in it or is black in colour, please see your family doctor or call Health Direct for advice on 1800 022 222.  

Solid foods usually cause changes in your baby's poo

When your baby starts solid foods there can be changes in the colour, consistency and frequency of your baby’s poo because:

• Breast milk and formula milk are easily digested by your baby
• Your baby’s digestive system needs to work harder to break down the different types of food when they start eating solid foods.
• Feeding your baby solid foods too early can cause firm or hard poos and constipation.  It is best to start solids when your baby is around 6 months old. 
• Firmer poo when starting solids usually improves quickly becuase the digestive system gets used to it.