Meconium is the name of the stuff your baby will poop out shortly after birth. Rarely, some babies have their first poop during birth and when this happens your baby will be closely monitored to make sure it doesn’t present any problems. Most of the time, though, your baby will begin pooping out meconium within a few hours of birth.
It is a colour green so deep it appears black. It is glossy like solid green car oil. It is so sticky that wiping it off is a real pain, especially for new parents who are trying to be gentle with their newborn.
Here are a couple tips for making cleaning up meconium a breeze:
Lubricate Baby’s Bum
Shortly after birth, rub some oil on your baby’s bottom and the meconium will wipe off quickly and easily. That means less less wipes used, less rubbing and fewer chances to irritate your new baby’s sensitive bottom. Good oils to use:
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Grape Seed oil
- Petroleum jelly
Protecting Cloth Diapers
Cloth diapers are growing in popularity: they are economical, earth friendly and a lot easier than they used to be. People like to keep their diapers looking as nice as possible for many reasons and meconium can ruin a snow white diaper forever. To save your cloth diapers, use a liner. You can buy liners at ReDiaper on Ottawa St in Hamilton and even most large retailers with baby departments. Liners are disposable and come on roll like toilet paper. If you don’t have any liners with you at home or the hospital when your baby is born, you can use toilet paper.
Sun For Stains
If you get meconium on any clothes or cloth diapers, wash normally (never bleach diapers or wash/dry them using fabric softeners) and hang to dry outside in the sun. The sun is a great bleacher! This is the secret weapon of cloth diapering moms who want to keep their diapers nice and white.
Meconium will be fully passed when breastfeeding is well established and your milk is fully in. Colostrum has a laxitive effect on babies, amongst it’s other great tricks, and frequent nursing will make sure baby is getting rid of the meconium well. The glossy black looking poops will begin to look more minty green and softer as your milk comes in on days 3, 4 and 5 after birth. The poop will become progressively yellower and have what we call seeds in it: small solid white lumps.
Eventually your baby’s poop will look like mustard with white seeds throughout.
