It is time to get gross for a minute y’all! Once you become a parent the contents of your child’s diaper because a topic of discussion way more often than you could have ever wanted. Today we are going to discuss the contents in relation to teething. The short answer here is yes, teething can cause diarrhea as well as other problems, but I’ll cover the specifics below. Let’s get on with this shit (haha see what I did there?).
Healthy Diapers
Babies should be having at least 4 dirty diapers in a 24-hour period. This could just mean wet, but some babies are super fun and poop every time they pee (lucky you). My first pooped once every 11 days his entire first year. It was glorious! My baby girl poops like 3 times a day and even more if she is sick, teething, growing, eating… awake, really she poops A LOT. All of this is normal. Both my babies are breastfed so what I eat does/did affect how they were pooping. I have heard that formula fed babies tend to be slightly more regular but keep in mind once food is introduced all bets are off. Color and consistency vary greatly in babies and between formula and breast milk, but in general a puree kind of consistency in the brownish family of colors is pretty normal for a teething aged baby (one who is both getting milk and food).
Runny Diapers
This is where it all gets a little crazy. Diarrhea is definitely a side effect of teething, especially if you have a drooler (read about all the wonderful side effects of teething here). Think about the amount of extra saliva they are swallowing, well that all has to come out somehow and since saliva isn’t really a true liquid, it is not getting peed out. Teething can also cause sinus issues including congestion or runny noses. As baby swallows snot it too will have to pass again making poop very mucousy and watery.
What you shouldn’t see with teething? Bright Greenish color, red, pale/white/light gray. This would be specific to an extended period. When baby first starts solids poop can do all sorts of weird things so make sure you count out changes is food that might cause an odd color (think green leafy vegetables, blueberries, etc.). If that is not the reason for the colorful poop then consider calling the pediatrician if it continues. Side note: A good rule of thumb is anytime you see green come out of your baby for an extended period there is likely illness causing it, this goes for poop, snot, coughs, eyes, and red usually means blood so act if you are concerned when seeing those colors.
No Diapers
I’ve mentioned before that teething hurts, duh! Keeping that in mind, often times baby’s appetite can decrease significantly right before cutting a tooth since the sucking motion can be painful. This can cause a decrease in wet and dirty diapers. In addition, since baby’s latch (whether on the breast or bottle) will not be as strong they are very likely to have more gas and no one likes to eat on an upset stomach so again their food in take decreases and increases the chance of constipation.
When to call the doctor? For this one I would follow your baby’s lead. I would say it is pretty normal to skip a day for pooping here or there, even if you have a very consistent pooper. Anything more than that you may want to try some home remedies such as stimulation of the anus, prunes, applesauce or an infant laxative. Call the doctor if baby appears to be in a lot of pain or it’s been more than a day or two (and that is unusual).
Reminders
Please always remember that every baby is different. Sometimes poop is just weird, but sometimes it can be weird because of teething. Helping relieve teething symptoms will help baby eat more constantly and should help keep your little one relatively regular!
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