Urine
In the first 1-2 days of life, your baby may only have 1-3 wet diapers. This is especially true in breastfed babies until your milk comes in. We typically expect one more wet diaper each day. Your baby should then have at least six wet diapers in a 24 hour period. The urine will be a pale yellow color. A little pinkish/red/orange color in the diaper is not uncommon and is nothing to worry about. It is caused by a reaction between the chemicals in the diaper and the chemicals in the baby’s urine. It could also be caused by a precipitate in the urine called urate crystals.
Stools
The first bowel movement is meconium, a black, sticky stool. Over the next few days, it gradually changes color to green and brown and is usually a normal stool by the third day.
Breast-fed babies stool frequently in the first month. They may have a bowel movement after each feed. Later, these babies may pass only one stool a day or less and may even go a few days without a stool. Breast-fed babies pass yellow, mustard colored stools that are runny to soft.
Formula-fed babies will also stool frequently the first month of life. Their stools often resemble scrambled eggs and are brown to yellow to green. Sometimes, a formula-fed baby will pass an occasional odd loose, green and unformed stool.
Some babies may not have a stool for a few days. This is okay as long as the poop is soft without any blood. Constipated stools are dry, hard and pellet like. Please call my office if you are noticing this type of stool or if you feel that your baby is constipated.