Life
7 Gross Things About A Newborn's First Poop
Poop happens. And even when it happens from a cute newborn baby, it can still make you gag. The gross things about the first time a newborn poops may not be the memories you jot down in a baby book, but they certainly can make a lasting impression. Ask any parent and they can probably tell you with great detail what they thought the first time they opened a diaper to find a hot and steamy waiting for them. It may not be the precious moments you dreamed of sharing with your little one, but in hindsight, it sure can make some funny memories.
Known as meconium, baby's first poop is a sterile and odorless substance that is thick and black in color, as Healthy Children, a website from the American Academy of Pediatrics explained. Although it happens to every baby, you never know where or when it's going to strike. Newborns can pass the first meconium anywhere between delivery and 24 hours of being born, so it's best to be prepared. Just so you're not caught off guard, this list of gross things that happen the first time your baby poops will set you up to handle anything.
1It Can Be Hairy
It's unlikely your baby will poop out a hairball like the kind your cat coughs up, there will still be some hair mixed in. Since all your baby has ingested is what's in the womb, the fine soft hair (lanugo) that covers the baby ends up in the meconium, as Parents magazine explained.
2It Can Happen Inside Of You
It's seems humanly impossible to have another human's poo inside you, but file this one under "things only a mother and child can do." According to Fit Pregnancy magazine, baby's first poop can happen inside the womb, and although it sounds bad, it typically doesn't cause problems.
3It Might Be Swallowed
If meconium is present when the baby is delivered, doctors and nurses will assess the baby for potential threats from inhaling the substance. As Kids Health, a website from Nemours, pointed out, if a newborn has inhaled meconium but is active, looks well, and has a strong heartbeat, they only may not have any issues. However, the delivery team will be on the watch for other signs of Meconium Aspiration Syndrome which can cause breathing and respiratory problems.
4It Can Be A Rainbow Of Colors
There's no predicting what you'll find when you open up that first dirty diaper. Baby's first poo can be black, green, yellow, or a mixture of all, as Healthy Children, a website from the American Academy of Pediatric explained.
5It Keeps Coming
I never expected so much poop to come out of my tiny baby, but that first diaper was a doozy. As I was cleaning him up, more and more started to come out, like a Play-Doh Fun Factory. Just when I thought it was over, there was a round two.
6It Likes To Stick Around
Even a smooth baby behind isn't immune to the clinging power of meconium. As Parents explained, that first poo sticks to your baby's buns because of the high level of viscosity, which can make clean up quite a chore.
7It's Not Always In A Daiper
Newborns are on no timeline but their own, which means there's no predicting when that first poo will happen. In fact, it may be before you or the nurse has time to strap a diaper around that fresh born booty. Be prepared for the unexpected when it comes to babies and poop.
