Breastfed babies have very smelly stools, what is the reason?

The feces of babies who are breastfed for a long time should be odorless, because there is no indigestion and no smell in the feces. However, many parents will find that the feces of breastfed babies still have a bad smell. In this case, you must observe the color of the stool to see if it is indigestion or gastrointestinal disease, because the child's physical health can be judged by the symptoms of the stool.

Baby poop

By observing the baby's stool, such as color, shape, frequency, etc., you can understand the baby's physical condition and use it as a basis for determining whether the child is sick. So, how to observe baby poop? What are the common problems and care methods for baby defecation?

How to observe baby's poop

1. Observe the color of stool

When observing your baby's stool, start with the color. Newborns excrete meconium within 24 hours after birth. Meconium is composed of gastrointestinal secretions, bile, epithelial cells, fetal hair and vernix caseosa, as well as swallowed amniotic fluid. It is dark green and sticky. 2-3 days after birth, the stool color becomes lighter and gradually turns military green. The stools of a breastfed baby are yellow or golden yellow; the stools of a bottle-fed baby are light yellow.

2. Pay attention to stool odor

The meconium of a newborn baby has no odor. As the baby continues to grow, the smell will be different depending on the feeding conditions: the feces of breastfed babies are sour and not smelly, while those fed with bottles have a distinct odor.

3. Look at the shape and consistency of the stool

The meconium of newborns is usually viscous. For babies who are breastfed, the stool is ointment-like; for babies who are bottle-fed, the stool is uniform and hard. The stool shape caused by improper diet or hunger may be watery or egg drop soup-like.

The color of baby poop

1. Black and green

This color often appears in newborns. This is because the baby swallows amniotic fluid in the mother's stomach and absorbs nutrients from the uterus. Most of the feces are composed of mucus, dandruff, etc., so it appears dark green and has no smell. Generally speaking, a baby will pass dark green meconium 6-12 hours after birth, but premature babies may pass it a little later. This dark green meconium usually lasts for 2-3 days.

2. Army Green

2-3 days after the newborn is born, the intestinal function begins to function after consuming breast milk or formula milk. The baby's stool is less sticky and the color gradually changes from dark green to lighter.

3. Yellow-green

If the baby is exclusively breastfed, the stool will be yellow or a little green in color. The shape is a bit like mustard, and there may be a few small particles, but there is no unpleasant smell. If the stool is greener than before, your baby may have eaten something he or she hasn't eaten before, and this is not a big deal, as long as there are no other symptoms.

4. Bright green

If your baby's stool is bright green, it means that the milk you are feeding is often uneven, with more foremilk and less hindmilk. The situation will change if you start feeding from the same breast where your baby last fed.