Is my baby's poop okay?

[Excerpt from Simply Baby: An invaluable quick reference to infants] Newborns and infants have an array of colors, consistencies, and frequencies in bowel movements. Routinely use diaper cream during the first few months of age while bowel movements are frequent to prevent diaper rash.

When to call the pediatrician:

• Blood or mucus present in stool (especially if darker read in color)
• Bowel has a white color
• Black and tar looking (not including very first bowel movement)
• If exclusively breast feeding, no bowel movement in 7 days
• If exclusively formula feeding, no bowel movement in 2 days
• Consistency thicker than peanut butter if still on liquid only diet
• Green stool along with yellowish skin and/or eyes, if baby hasn't already been diagnosed with jaundice

*If there is a questionable bowel movement, save and bring the diaper to the pediatrician for testing.
COLORS
Any colors ranging from yellow to yellow green are normal when exclusively breast feeding or formula feeding. Breast fed infant stools should be mustard colored, seedy and runny. Formula fed infant stools should be yellow to green and soft. Different colors and what they could mean are below:
Green:

• Some infant formulas containing iron make stools change
• Foremilk/Hindmilk imbalance: Too much of the foremilk (less fatty) and not enough hind milk; sometimes caused by nursing too frequently or from only one breast
• Jaundice (liver not functioning correctly)
• Dairy Sensitivity, or cow's milk intolerance

Black:

• Iron Supplements
• Intestinal bleeding, if stools are also tarry call doctor immediately

Dark Red or Raspberry:

• Red food, if on solid foods (gelatin, juice, berries, etc.)
• Small tears at anal opening from constipation
• Extreme diaper rash

The first few days of an infant's bowel movements change from black, tarry to brown to yellowish. After the first week, the diaper usuage remains fairly consistent for 3-4 weeks. At one month, the number of bowel movements, especially in breast fed infants, rapidly decreases.
Once solid foods are introduced, the bowel movements become more solid and change colors depending on the food given. Most often, certain foods cannot be digested (corn, pea hulls, etc.) and are found in the stools later.