How Many Diapers a Day Your Newborn Should Have?

One moment you’re fun and carefree, and the next, you’re counting your newborn’s wet and dirty diapers. It may sound gross, but the number of diapers you change each day as well as the colors of your baby’s poop are helpful to know.

How Many Diapers a Day?

Babies will usually have at least one wet diaper and one dirty diaper for each day of life for the first four to five days after birth.

“After a week of age, you should generally expect over six wet diapers a day,” says Catherine Pourdavoud, M.D., a pediatrician with Sutter. “If your baby has four or fewer wet diapers in 24 hours after they are at least 4 days old, they could be dehydrated and it is important to call your pediatrician’s office.”

Following the initial newborn period, poopy diapers are more variable. It’s normal for your baby to have several bowel movements a day — or as few as one every two to three days.

Understanding Baby Poop Colors

A newborn’s stool will change colors over the first several days. That’s normal. And as your newborn grows, the bowel movements may change in amount and frequency. Here’s what you can expect.

• Green: Sometimes an iron supplement or iron-fortified formula can cause dark green poop. Meanwhile, breastfed babies can have bright green poop if they switch breasts so often that they miss out on the higher-fat milk (which is usually not a concern as long as baby is acting normally and gaining weight appropriately) or if mom has a robust milk supply. But if your newborn doesn’t seem well and has bright green poop, contact your pediatrician. A virus is another possible cause.
• Greenish-black tarry newborn stool: Your baby’s first bowel movements are made of a sticky, greenish-black material called meconium, which was in your baby’s intestines during pregnancy. If you breastfeed, the colostrum in your breast milk acts as a laxative and helps your baby move their bowels. Meconium stools are present for a few days following birth. Applying a petroleum-jelly-based diaper ointment makes cleaning this stool off your baby’s bottom muck easier. If you see black poop after the first few days, tell your pediatrician.
• Yellow-green or slightly brown-yellow stools: The number of stools per day and their texture varies from baby to baby. It also depends on whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding. A breastfed baby will usually have yellow, seedy stools. A formula-fed baby will have stools with a more tan, pasty appearance.

Baby Poop Colors: When to Call a Doctor

Newborn poop can indicate when something isn’t right. For example, your baby may be constipated if the stool is hard and dry. If a baby has diarrhea, the stool is usually mucousy, thin and very watery, and may have a foul smell.

“However, newborn baby poop is normally more on the looser, watery side. If you are unsure whether it’s not normal and could actually be diarrhea, be sure to check with your pediatrician,” Pourdavoud says.

These issues may go away on their own. But if you notice other concerns, such as blood in the stool, your baby appears to be in pain or is vomiting, or signs of dehydration (see below), contact your pediatrician for guidance.

Some baby poop colors can also be a reason to check with your doctor.

• Black. If your baby is more than three days old, black stool is not normal and could be a sign that there is blood in the baby’s gastrointestinal tract. Call your pediatrician right away.
• Red. Consuming beets, food coloring or certain medications can cause a baby’s poop to be red. But if you see red, it could also be a sign of blood, constipation or a bigger health concern. If your baby’s poop is red, call your pediatrician.
• White. White poop can indicate a liver or gallbladder problem. If your baby’s stool appears colorless, grey, white or chalky, call your child’s doctor immediately.

Signs of Dehydration in Newborns

Dehydration happens when there is too little fluid in the body. In the first weeks of life, babies can suffer from dehydration due to prematurity or breastfeeding problems. One important sign of dehydration is a lack of wet or dirty diapers (four or fewer in a 24-hour period after baby is 4 days old).

Other signs of dehydration in infants include:

• Difficulty waking for feedings
• Dry tongue and mouth
• Less frequent feedings (fewer than 8 times in 24 hours)
• Losing more than 10% of their body weight
• No tears when crying
• Poor sucking and/or trouble latching on to your breast
• Still hungry after most feedings
• Sunken fontanel (soft spot)

If you suspect your baby could be dehydrated:

• Call your baby’s doctor.
• Breastfeed more often. Wake your baby for feedings at least 8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period.
• If needed, increase your milk supply by pumping.
• Talk to a lactation (breastfeeding) specialist. In some cases, you may need to supplement (add to) breastfeeding with bottle feeding, using either breast milk or formula. Supplementation is usually short term. To protect your milk supply, it's important to nurse and/or pump your breasts 8 to 12 times in 24 hours.

As a parent, you’ll change a lot of diapers. Most will be perfectly routine. But knowing how many dirty and wet diapers your newborn should have, the signs of dehydration and the meaning of various baby poop colors, you can help make sure your baby is healthy.