I, personally, was surprised when I first saw baby poop. I thought it would come out like my poop. It turns out it doesn’t. Babies make poop that tends to be on the liquidy side of things.
Sometimes, it can look like a puddle of gross goo in there. Yuck.
Anyway, babies in the newborn stage may poop 10 to 15 times a day, which is considered normal. But if your baby starts going more than usual, that’s diarrhea. You’ll want to keep up her hydration by nursing her often, so she doesn’t become dehydrated.
How do you know if your baby is dehydrated?
She won’t feed well, her mouth and eyes will be dry, and you won’t see any diapers with pee in them. If you suspect diarrhea, please call your pediatrician!
Now, just because you have a diaper blowout, it’s not right to assume it’s diarrhea. The diet of your baby, which you provide, plays a role. So pay attention to what you eat. Some foods can irritate your baby. For my eldest, whenever I ate broccoli, she became far gassier. Avoiding that particular item made things more pleasant in our home until she got bigger.
Another thing that can lead to diaper blowouts is how your diapers fit and the quality of them. In China, they make some terrible diapers; they really do. They would tie with strings on the side and leave wide, gaping holes in the legs. Needless to say, we’d spend more to get the imported ones from the US or Australia.
I know in the beginning, it’s hard to determine the right size for your child (I’ve listed those here). Going by weight limit is best as is choosing diapers that feature elastic around the legs for a more secure fit. There should be elastic in the back too. If either of those elastic points are too loose, you may have a diaper that is too big or, if it’s the right size, a brand that isn’t a good match for you.
Something to keep in mind that..
Diapers can cost a bundle, and that all adds up, I know. So it is tempting to buy cheaper ones to keep from going over budget. But again, I’ll tell you, cheaper is not always better. If you find something affordable that works, then that’s great! If not, you’ll only wind up spending more on diapers because you’ll be changing them more often, plus the cleanup from washing poopy onesies and all the fun that comes with blowout diapers.
Diaper blowouts are a fairly normal occurrence and part of being a parent. However, this shouldn’t be happening to you daily. If so, and you’ve determined it isn’t diarrhea, you may be using a diaper that is too small (more on that shortly). You may also want to log what you’re eating and see if it’s potentially causing your baby’s stools to run a little looser than usual.
Speaking of what you’re eating, breastfed babies have a looser stool, a normal thing here. So, if you breastfeed, do expect to have more of those messy moments. It’s never a bad idea to pack extra supplies in your diaper bag and be prepared for any occasion.
It’s not to say babies that are fed formula don’t have diaper blowouts. However, the formula can cause them to back up more. If you’re feeding your baby formula and she has loose stools regularly, she may have a virus or diarrhea, so get her checked out!
Leslie Berry lives with her husband and two young daughters in Los Altos, California, where she loves helping other moms get comfortable with motherhood and embracing the insanity with facts peppered with laughs.
She loves eating too much sushi, exercising, and jamming out on her Fender. Read more about Leslie here.
