How many wet nappies should a baby have a day? Baby poo and nappies, what is normal
The wet nappy count by day, what the poo should look like, how often it should come and the short list of things worth a phone call.
In short
About 1 wet nappy on day 1, about 2 on day 2, building to 6 or more wet nappies a day from about day 5 onwards. Fewer than that after day 5, or dark strong-smelling urine, can mean your baby is not getting enough milk.
- The first poo is black and sticky meconium for 1 to 2 days, then greenish, then by day 4 to 5 yellow and seedy if breastfed, or tan to yellow-brown and firmer if formula-fed.
- Breastfed babies may poo after every feed, or from about 6 weeks go several days without one. Formula-fed babies usually poo at least once a day.
- Green poo is usually fine if your baby is otherwise well.
- Ring the GP or PHN urgently for white, pale or chalky poo, black poo after the first days, or red or bloody poo.
- Constipation is hard pellet-like poo with straining and pain, not just going less often.
A baby should have about 1 wet nappy on day 1, about 2 on day 2, and then 6 or more wet nappies a day from about day 5 onwards. Poo is far more variable, and most of what lands in the nappy in the first weeks is normal, including some of the colours that look alarming at 4am.
How many wet nappies should a newborn have?
In the first days, roughly one wet nappy for each day of life: about 1 on day 1, about 2 on day 2, and so on, building up as your milk comes in or as bottle amounts grow. From about day 5 onwards, expect 6 or more wet nappies in 24 hours. That stays the benchmark for the months that follow, whether your baby is 4 weeks, 2 months or 6 months old.
Modern nappies are so absorbent that "wet" can be hard to judge. A wet nappy feels noticeably heavier than a dry one. If you want a comparison, pour about 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of water into a dry nappy and feel the weight. The urine should be pale and should not smell strong.
Wet nappies are the single most useful sign that your baby is feeding enough, which is why the PHN asks about them at every visit. If you are bottle feeding, the nappy count and the day's total in ml together tell you more than either one alone, and there is a table of how much formula a baby needs by weight if you want to check the ml side.
What colour should baby poo be?
It changes a lot in the first week, and every stage is expected:
- Days 1 to 2: black, sticky, tar-like meconium. This is what was in the gut before birth and it is normal.
- Days 2 to 4: greenish or dark green as the meconium clears and milk starts coming through.
- Day 4 to 5 onwards, breastfed: mustard yellow, loose and often seedy, sometimes with a greenish tinge.
- Day 4 to 5 onwards, formula-fed: tan, yellow-brown or light brown, firmer and more paste-like, with a stronger smell.
Once solids start at around 6 months the colour and smell change again and start to reflect what went in. Beetroot and carrot in particular can give you a fright.
The colours that are not normal, at any age, are white, pale or chalky, black after the first few days, and red or bloody. Those are covered below.
How often should a newborn poo?
There is no single right number. In the early weeks a breastfed baby may poo after every feed, so 8 or more times a day, and that is fine. A formula-fed baby usually poos at least once a day, often a few times. A poo that arrives with a lot of noise, red-faced effort and grunting is still normal as long as what comes out is soft.
What matters more than the count is that the poo is soft, your baby is feeding well and the wet nappies are there.
Is green poo normal?
Usually, yes. Green poo is common in the first week as the meconium clears, and it shows up on and off after that in perfectly well babies. If your baby is feeding, gaining weight and content, green poo on its own is not a reason to ring anyone.
The exception is green poo in a baby who is unwell, off feeds, feverish or having lots of watery nappies. Then it is worth a call to the GP or PHN.
Is it normal for a breastfed baby not to poo for days?
After about 6 weeks, yes. Breastmilk is used so completely that some breastfed babies go several days without a poo and then produce an enormous one. That is normal as long as the poo, when it comes, is soft and your baby is feeding well, has plenty of wet nappies and is not in obvious discomfort.
In the first 6 weeks it is different. A breastfed newborn who is pooing less than once a day in those early weeks should be checked, because few poos at that stage can be a sign that not enough milk is going in. Formula-fed babies at any age are expected to poo most days, so a formula-fed baby who has not gone in 2 or 3 days is worth a mention to the PHN.
How do I know if my baby is constipated?
Constipation is about what the poo is like, not how often it comes. A constipated baby passes hard, dry, pellet-like poo, strains and cries with it, and may have a firm tummy or go off feeds. A baby who grunts and goes red but produces a soft poo is not constipated, however dramatic it looked.
True constipation is unusual in breastfed babies. It is more common in formula-fed babies, and it can show up when a baby moves from breastmilk to formula, changes formula or starts solids. If you think your baby is constipated, do not add anything to bottles or try remedies on your own. Ring the PHN or GP, and check that you are making up formula exactly as the tin says, with the right number of level scoops for the water.
How do I know if my baby has diarrhoea?
Newborn poo is loose anyway, so diarrhoea means a change from what is usual for your baby: very watery poo, much more often than normal, often with a different smell. A small baby can lose fluid quickly, so keep offering feeds and watch the wet nappies. See the GP if the diarrhoea comes with a fever, vomiting or blood, or if the wet nappies drop off.
When should I worry about baby poo?
Ring the GP or PHN urgently, the same day, if you see:
- White, pale or chalky poo, which needs checking quickly.
- Black poo after the first few days, once the meconium has cleared.
- Red or bloody poo. A streak of blood with hard poo may be a small tear, but it still needs to be seen.
- Fewer than 6 wet nappies a day after day 5, dark strong-smelling urine or a dry mouth, which can mean your baby is not getting enough milk.
- Diarrhoea with a fever, vomiting or blood.
Beyond that list, trust what the nappy is telling you over any colour chart. If the poo is soft, the wet nappies are there and your baby is feeding and gaining weight, it is almost always fine. The PHN visits in the first weeks are the right place to ask about anything that has been bothering you.
This is a guide, not medical advice. If you are worried about your baby, ring your PHN or GP, and ring 999 or 112 if your baby is struggling to breathe, is floppy or unresponsive, or has a rash that does not fade under a glass.
How do I keep track of nappies without losing count?
For the first week, a tally on a sheet of paper stuck to the fridge does the job: a tick for wet, a tick for dirty, a new row each day. The trouble starts around day 4 when you are up all night, both of you are changing nappies and nobody is sure whether that was the fifth or the sixth. Lullagram logs each nappy in one tap as wet, dirty or both, shows the day's count next to the feeds, and gives you a real answer when the PHN asks. It is free to try on Android, iPhone and web.