Your baby s first poop doesn t look like normal poop and this can make many new mothers panic, thinking that something might have gone wrong with their baby. But in reality, baby s first poop or meconium is different from regular faeces and most of the time there is nothing to worry about. After two pregnancies, it is only now that I have realised that meconium, though looks a little scary (brownish tar-like substance) is harmless. Both the times my paediatricians explained to me that baby s greenish-brown first poop is normal. So, here I am writing a few things about baby s first poop that every mother should know:
1. The first poop is not poop in a literal sense
Since your baby wasn t on breast milk or formula when in the womb, the first poop is not the waste product excreted after digestion. Meconium instead is a mix of skin that has been shed in the uterus, mucus, bile, lanugo or the body hair which sheds inside the womb, water and amniotic fluid which your baby swallows while floating on it. It is devoid of any bacterial microorganism and is said to be sterile.
2. It looks, feels, smells different
One good thing about baby s first poop is that it is odourless. It is viscous and sticky, thick and super-dark almost black or greenish black in colour. It takes some effort to remove it from the baby s bums as it clings to the skin. You might have to give your newborn a wash as the baby wipes might not be of much help over here. But be careful and ask for help from the hospital staff or your family members while cleaning your newborn. As you will be still reeling under the stresses of labour and delivery it is better to take help. The last thing you will want is to harm your baby one way or other. Here is a new mum's guide to change diapers.
3. The first stool usually comes out within the first 24 hours
After birth, your baby might pass stools for the first time within the first 12 hours. However, some babies might wait till 24 hours before passing the first poop.
4. Meconium might last for sometime
Your baby might not be able to pass out all the meconium in one go and continue to do so throughout the first day or so. The change in the poop colour will give you an idea; as your baby s frequency of poop increases, it changes from greenish-brown to yellow which starts smelling bad and develops a diluted consistency and isn t tar-like anymore. Breastfed babies have a more diluted consistency than formula-fed babies when they start to pass regular poop. Once you see yellowish stools you will know that the little one s system is free of meconium. Here is what to do if your child doesn't poop for two days at a stretch.
5. Your baby might pass the first stool in your womb
Your baby might pass stools even when inside the womb or during labour. If the baby poops pre-birth, it taints the colour of the amniotic fluid. When this happens there is always an inhalation risk; your baby might inhale poop, which would block the airways. This is called meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) and is rare in babies born before 34 weeks. But once your baby is overdue, the risk hikes up. So, if your water breaks and your doctor find meconium in the fluid (colour of the amniotic fluid becomes dark) you might have to go for a c-section.
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