It may not be the highlight of your job, but as a Newborn Care Specialist you’ll need to be able to know all about what is normal or not when it comes to what may be found in a newborn’s diaper. Most moms don’t have any idea what is normal so educating them can help them feel at ease at what they may encounter when changing their precious newborn’s diapers.

What is Normal?

-Meconium, or sometimes people like to refer to it as the thick, green and black tar-like substance that is a newborn’s first poop. Let your clients know about this before the baby is born (if you have contact with them before). Let them know it is normal and may be hard to clean.

-A pink, red or orange colored stain may be spotted in the newborn’s diaper. This may alarm the parents, but it is most likely what is referred to as brick dust. Brick dust is actually urate crystals found in very concentrated urine that appears during the first few days of life.

-Blood in a newborn girl’s diaper may make a new parent freak out! But, let her know that newborn girls can actually have a mini period. Say what??! You read that right! During pregnancy, estrogen levels can stimulate a female fetus’s uterus.

-Mustard yellow, green or brown color poop are all normal colors that can be found! With breastfed babies it may be more runny, even resembling diarrhea and usually seedy. For formula fed babies it may be more pasty.

-Specks of black blood may be found in a breastfed babies poop. This is usually because they have digested blood from their mother’s cracked and bleeding nipples. While this is most likely the case, it is still a good idea to check with the doctor to make sure it isn’t anything more serious.

What is not normal?

-Red blood in baby poop may just be from a small tear in the rectum (fissure) after being constipated or being a little tough with a rectal thermometer, but it also may be a sign of a more serious issue. Blood can be the sign of an allergy or possibly an infection.

-Mucous found in the poop may be from heavy drooling, but this can also be a sign of an allergy present or even a possible infection. If you or your client notices mucous in the poop then you should inform then to make it known with their doctor.

-White or gray poop can be a warning sign that there is a lack of bile from the liver that helps digest food. If you or your client sees this color in a diaper then call the doctor right away.

There are a lot of things you can see in a newborn’s diaper, but whenever there is doubt never hesitate to have your clients contact their doctor to ease their minds!