Your midwife will ask you about baby’s wet and dirty nappies often in the first weeks after baby is born. It’s helpful to know what’s normal in the first days and weeks after birth.
Wet nappies
It’s normal to have one wet nappy per day of life in the first 6 days after birth – so one wet nappy in the first 24 hours, two wet nappies in the second 24 hours, three wet nappies in the 3rd 24 hours etc.
By day 3-4, the wet nappies should be becoming heavier as baby passes more urine each time.
From Day 6 onward, your baby should have 6 or more heavy wet nappies per day. If this reduces, please let your midwife know.
Dirty nappies
Your baby’s first poo, called meconium, is almost black in colour and very sticky. It can take 1-2 days for these meconium poos to start changing colour.
By day 3-4, you should be getting gradually lightening green poos, and by day 6, baby’s poos should be a yellowy-mustard colour, and they may look ‘seedy’ or have small lumps. If you are formula feeding, then the poo may be a bit firmer and more tan-coloured.
If your baby has a green poo after they have has mustardy poos for a while, this can be normal, but if your baby is unsettled or has a temperature or is not feeding well or just doesn’t seem to be their normal self as well, let your midwife know.
If there is blood in baby’s nappy, please call your midwife or doctor immediately. A trace of blood may be normal, especially in girl babies in the first few days of life, but it should always be checked out.