Meconium is the very first stool that your baby passes. Knowing more about babies’ first poop saves you from getting any of those surprises. After this read you’ll have all your questions answered.
Genevieve Howland shares that there are a lot of things new parents are surprised by in the first days and weeks of parenthood. Baby’s first poo, called meconium, is one of them. Meconium is unlike any poo you’ve ever seen, and can be quite a surprise if you’re not prepared for it.
Your questions answered by Genevieve:
What causes meconium?
For the past few months, your baby has been swallowing amniotic fluid in preparation for breastfeeding. The by-product of this is an intestinal secretion we call meconium. Meconium is made up of bile salts, bile acids, lanugo, and other debris, and starts forming at 16 weeks gestation.
Do all babies have meconium?
Yep, all babies have it. Meconium is a normal part of pregnancy. It doesn’t matter if you have a healthy pregnancy, or if there are any other issues with the baby.
So what causes this color change?
Once air enters the GI tract, the bacteria E.coli colonises the bowel, making stool become brownish yellow and smelly.
You may see some variations in color, but as long as baby’s poop is an “earth tone” like green, yellow, or brown, then there’s no need to worry. If, however, baby’s poop is white or red, then it could be an indication that there’s a problem.
When does meconium pass?
Black meconium passes within the first 24 hours after birth for 99% of healthy full-term babies.
Sometimes passage of meconium takes up to 48–72 hours before it changes to dark green, and then yellow as mentioned above.
What causes meconium not to pass?
If it’s been 48 hours and meconium hasn’t passed, call your pediatrician. It could mean that baby is suffering from a bowel obstruction, Hirschsprung’s disease, Meconium plug syndrome, Meconium ileus, Anorectal malformation, or one of the much more rare conditions.
How to deal with Meconium poops?
Many midwives swear by olive oil for easy meconium clean up. If meconium is stuck to baby’s skin, use olive oil to wipe it off.
Many new parents decide to skip the cloth diapers for the first few days to avoid dealing with trying to wash away sticky meconium.
Natural diapers are a good alternative during this time. If you want to stick with cloth from the get-go, some natural stain removers can help get the meconium stains out of diapers and clothing, for example, use Biokleen Bac-Out when washing, it’s a mixture of peroxide and baking soda. Dry cloth diapers in the sun.
Compiled by Phalimo Moeketsi Source: Mama natural/Genevieve Howland
