# What does breastfed babies poop look like?



## robynholly

My son's poop is orange and liquidy...more often than not his poop is also NOT seedy. Sometimes he strains and gives off a cry before he goes. Is this normal or is it diareaha?


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## Rosemarino

It's normal. Sometimes DS had seeds, sometimes he didn't. Orange/yellow and all variations are normal. Green is normal on a once-only basis, but if you notice consistent green or black specks or whole poops, most likely he isn't getting enough hindmilk. Your baby's poop sounds perfect!


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## fruitfulmomma

What does it smell like? Is it foamy?

Normal breastmilk poop should be a mustardy color, liquid but not water-thin, and have kind of a sweet-fermented, yogurty smell to it.

There will of course be variations from one baby to another depending on mom's diet.

My babies generally have seemed annoyed by pooping. They grunt, squash up their faces, maybe fuss a bit.

If it is foamy that would indicate that you have overactive let down and he is swallowing it too fast. If you think it is that you might try pulling him off and letting down into a towel and then putting him back on and also start block feeding by using only one breast within a 3-4 hour period and then switching to the other breast. (You can still offer the other side if he finishes one and is still hungry though, but this rarely happens with us.)

If it has a foul smell to it, I would suspect either food allergies/intolerance and/or illness. Screaming would probably indicate a gas issue. Is his tummy really tight?


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## PatioGardener

Here is a great article on poop!

http://www.drjaygordon.com/developme...ricks/poop.asp

The fussing/cry is probably just baby learning how it all works - if you think about all the muscles involved, pooping is actually a pretty complicated process


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## robynholly

His stomach does get tight sometimes and sometimes he has gas. His poop either doesn't smell or has the faintest smell of diareaha (in my opinion). How bad is the smell when it is an allergic reaction?


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## robynholly

Just to be sure because I have been totally freaking out that there is something wrong with my precious baby....It is okay that it is NOT seedy? Sometimes there are some "seeds" but mostly it is liquid.


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## PatioGardener

Quote:


Originally Posted by *robynholly* 
It is okay that it is NOT seedy? Sometimes there are some "seeds" but mostly it is liquid.

Yup, totally OK! How old is your baby? Is he growing well? Are you finding that breastfeeding is going well?


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## robynholly

He is 10 weeks old....born at 8.2 lbs and is now 13.2!! He is 24 1/2 inches long and super happy and sweet! Breastfeeding is going great! I let him tell me when and how much he wants to eat. His poop was my only concern and now I guess I don't have to even worry about that!! Thanks so much


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## Honey693

Ella's is bright yellow and the consistency of watery glue. It's never been solid and it reeks. If one more person tells me they have baby poop that smells like buttered popcorn I'm going to lose it


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## MountainMamaGC

LOL Reading this thread reminded me of the time way back when my DD was EBF. I ate chicken curry and her poop smelled like curry for 2 days.


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## fruitfulmomma

Not sure what you mean by seedy... Grainy? I guess it is sometimes but I don't think it has to be that way. Sometimes there might be curd looking chunks it it.

About the smell... This is my first time dealing with the allergies/intolerances but it seems to me that I either don't smell it or it only has that very light yogurty smell most of the time but if I have eaten something that doesn't agree with her (I think we've narrowed it down to gluten and latex relatives) then she pukes a lot and gets gassy and you can smell the diapers in the bucket, kind of acrid/acidic and she will get an immediate rash from it.

If it is just a one time thing I would say it was diarrhea, although I don't think it is something to get too worried about unless there are other signs of illness or it doesn't clear up. If you suspect food issues you might make a diary of what you are eating and see if you can pinpoint what might be causing it.

But... to me it sounds like he is just fine and a normal boy. Enjoy him!


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## Llyra

My DD2 pooed immense quantities of yellow-orange liquid stuff, all the way until she started solids. It had a mild smell, but it was really really runny. Anyway, she's fine. DS did thick yellow stuff with little bits in it, that would be soft but not liquidy. DD1 did this soft yellow stuff that looked like mustard. That was most of the time. But we had everything in the spectrum, from brown to green to yellow to orange to a pale tan color, depending on what I'd been eating and how much they were nursing and what color shirt I was wearing and how many airplanes flew over that day. (In other words, there was no real pattern to it.)

I think that the main reason we look for yellow seedy poo is to make sure baby is getting enough fat for adequate growth. With a baby that's gaining well, you don't have to worry about that. I think you're fine!


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## Smylingeyz

I wouldn't worry... although I don't think DD ever had orange poop.


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## laurelg

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fruitfulmomma* 
Not sure what you mean by seedy...

nak

dd's literally looks like it has millet (like birdseed) or sesame seeds in it.


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## fruitfulmomma

Quote:

dd's literally looks like it has millet (like birdseed) or sesame seeds in it.
Hmm... never seen that one.

Your baby is gorgeous by the way. Love that hair.


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## robynholly

Thank you so much for all of the posts. I feel better but because he is my first I will probably still worry. I just changed him and it was orange and very liquidy and it had a very mild smell to it. I guess I thought this was diarrhea because it was so wet. If this is normal, what does diarrhea look like??


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## PatioGardener

Quote:


Originally Posted by *robynholly* 
I guess I thought this was diarrhea because it was so wet. If this is normal, what does diarrhea look like??

Any poop that has blood in it (red or black) needs to be checked out. If baby goes from pooping 4 times a day to being sick and having many watery poops a day, especially if they are green or mucousy, and stinky - really nasty gag when you take the diaper off stinky - then that could be diarrhea. Diarrhea is not common at all in the exclusively breastfed baby. Wet poops are normal. Even when the rest of the family get some sort of tummy bug, breastfed baby often avoids it









It's great to hear that your bundle of joy is growing well and brestfeeding is going great! Congratulations!







:


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## robynholly

Thank you thank you thank you I can't say it enough I have been a wreck. My DS goes has a wet, orange BM practically every diaper. I guess I just worried that "it was going right through him" but since he has gained almost 3 pounds in 5 1/2 weeks...I guess he is doing pretty well


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## laurelg

Thank you, Fruitfulmomma!







She's getting cuter by the day, I swear... and keeping the hair, too.


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