As a parent, you probably never imagined you’d be so concerned with the subject of poop, but the status of your little one’s bowel movements is important for a number of reasons. Your baby’s poop (or lack of) can tell you a lot about what’s going on with his digestive system and give insight as to why he’s feeling the way he is.
If your baby is exclusively formula fed, you can expect his poop to be a little different than the stool of a baby who is exclusively breastfed. The differences in the composition of breast milk and formula can make a difference in the texture, color, and smell of your baby’s stool.
Your Baby’s First Poops
Regardless of whether your baby is given formula or not, all newborns start with rather odd-looking bowel movements – meconium. If you’re not expecting it, meconium can be startling due to its black, tar like appearance. Surprisingly, meconium doesn’t smell and usually only lasts a few days after birth.
Once your baby is done passing meconium and has spent a few days nursing or bottle feeding, his poop will begin to resemble more of what you’d expect a baby’s stool to look like – green and goopy. If your little one is exclusively formula fed, you can expect his poop to:
- Appear more like peanut butter
- Have more brown than green tones – tan, green or yellow brown in color
- Have a slightly sharper smell than breastfed poop
Babies who are on an iron supplement usually have dark, almost black colored stool. Although the appearance of dark stool may frighten you, there’s nothing to be concerned about.
How Solids Change Baby’s Poop
When you begin to introduce solid foods into your baby’s diet, expect a change in the frequency and appearance of his bowel movements. Your baby’s first solids – cereal, fruit, veggies – will make his poop thicker and less green than when he was just drinking baby formula. As your baby’s palette grows, you may start to notice chucks of partially digested food in his stool, which is normal.
When to Call the Doctor
You should give your child’s doctor a call if you notice:
- Blood or mucus in his poop
- He has had diarrhea for more than a day or two
- He has more than three or more hard, pebble shaped poops in a row
- He is visibly in pain when passing a bowel movement
- His stool is dark and he is NOT on an iron supplement
How Organic Formula Can Help Bowel Movements
Children who are having issues with constipation or excessive gas can benefit from a European organic baby formula like Lebenswert. Unlike organic formulas made here in the U.S., formulas made in Europe must meet strict regulations. According to European regulations, infant formulas cannot contain synthetic preservatives, highly processed oils or added or refined sugars.
Because European formulas are made using the highest quality biodynamic ingredients, your child’s digestive system will be able to break down the formula with ease. Help reduce his gas and eliminate his constipation by switching to a European made baby formula.
At My Organic Formula, we carry a large selection of organic infant formulas imported from Europe. Browse our shop today and become a member to save instantly!
