How Often Should Kids Poop? A Pediatrician Weighs In

Birth to Six Months

According to Dr. Jarret, babies are on a liquid diet and thus have soft stools multiple times per day. How many, though, depends on what they’re being fed. Babies who are breastfeeding typically poop four or even more times per day, while formula fed babies might only have two to three BMs a day.

Six Months to One Year

Whether your baby is formula-fed or breastfed, the introduction of solid food after the six month mark is the great equalizer when it comes to poop frequency: “By the age of six months, the number typically reduces to two or three bowel movements per day across the board,” says Dr. Jarret.

One to Three Years

Per the pediatrician, “after the age of one and up until the age of three, the number of bowel movements may reduce to one or two a day.” In other words, don’t be surprised if your child starts having more substantial, but less frequent poops once they’ve reached the toddler years. This can obviously become complicated once potty training comes into play, but usually regulates once they become more familiar with pooping on a toilet.

Three Years and Older

You’d think our age breakdown would extend beyond this, but it turns out that there’s one thing a three-year-old and a thirteen-year-old have in common, and (you guessed it) it’s poop frequency. Dr. Jarret tells us that “after three years of age, the average is about one bowel movement daily although some kids may only go every other day.” And that remains the case for the majority of kids throughout childhood (and into adulthood, too).

What Poop Colors Are Normal?

The expert says that poop color is typically not a cause for concern and is influenced by your child’s diet. Shades of yellow, green and brown are all normal colors for poop—and the first two are particularly common among breastfed babies. As children get older, you can expect mostly shades of brown but still none of the aforementioned colors should raise concern. (Particularly if you’re lucky enough to have a unicorn kid who eats their veggies.)

When Should You Be Concerned?

An occasional bout of constipation or diarrhea happens to the best of us, and kids are no exception; however, as previously mentioned, if there are changes in bowel habits that last for more than two weeks or recur very frequently, it’s wise to see a pediatrician to make sure there isn’t something else going on and/or get medical advice on how to adjust your child’s diet to address the issue.

As for color, Dr. Jarret says that if your child’s poop is a shade of red or if you see any subtle signs of blood in the stool, a visit to the doctor is warranted; also, if the stool is gray in color, you should definitely consult a physician without hesitation.

And so, now that you’re equipped with all the information you ever needed and never thought you’d want to know about poop, you’re ready to get back to butt-wiping duty stat. Godspeed.