To those who don’t have children or haven’t yet had children, the idea of cleaning up someone else’s poo might seem very difficult and disgusting.

Yet, like various other areas of parenting, cleaning up your child’s wee and poo is just one of those tasks that’s not a big deal in the grander scheme of things; you love your baby, and you’d do anything for your baby, and when it comes to cleaning up their mess - it’s simply not that much of a biggie!

However, it’s important to stay informed about what’s healthy and what’s not concerning your baby’s poo and their pooing habits, as this will help you stay on top of their health in general and know what to do if something appears out of kilter.

So, how do you know what’s normal and what’s not when it comes to your baby’s poo, and what can you do about it?

How do I know what’s normal and what’s not when it comes to my baby’s poo and their pooing habits?

Pooing after every feed is normal. If you find that your baby is pooing after every feed, then remember that this is perfectly normal in the early weeks of their life. Equally, if your baby is breastfed, then they might poo as little as once every three or four days - which is also nothing to worry about.

Don’t worry if you need to change your baby’s nappy very often. In the first few weeks of a child’s life, because they are likely to poo a lot, then you will, in turn, need to change their nappy a lot - possibly even ten or twelve times per day. It might help you in this scenario to have a nappy station to equip you with everything you need.
Talk to your doctor if your baby’s poos are very frequent, particularly bad-smelling or watery. If your baby’s poos appear in this form, then it may be worth having a conversation with your doctor, as this could be a sign of possible illness.

Talk to your doctor if your baby’s poos are a peculiar colour. Breast and bottle fed babies usually have yellow or sometimes greenish poos. Tell your doctor if your baby's poo is white, black or contains blood.

Know how to recognise constipation. If your baby releases hard, pellet-like poos that are causing them pain, they could be constipated. Although, please keep in mind that a bit of straining is also very normal. If you feel concerned about possible constipation, then talk to your doctor.

Know how to recognise diarrhoea. Again, your baby may be releasing watery poos with mucus. If they are also showing signs of a fever, then they could have diarrhoea.

Be prepared for nappy rash. Nappy rash is an extremely common occurrence in little babies and is caused by prolonged contact with poo or wee, bubble baths, as well as contact with wipes containing alcohol. To deal with nappy rash, there are several things you can do. First of all, wash and dry the area, let them be nappy-free in a clean area for as long as you can, and use a barrier cream on them (e.g. Sudocrem or a natural alternative).

What should my baby’s poos look like?

On Unii’s Baby Health Journey, we look at what’s normal to see in your baby’s nappy.