Newborn nappies in the first weeks
Changes you might notice in wet and dirty nappies in the first weeks, and when to get advice.
This guide describes breastfed babies. If your baby has any formula, ask your midwife or child health nurse what applies to your baby.
Worried about your baby right now? Go straight to When to get advice
Why nappies come up so often
Midwives and child health nurses often ask about wet and dirty nappies in the early weeks. Jotting them down as you go means you don't have to remember them in the middle of the night.
Every baby is different. These are general patterns, not rules your baby has to match. Your midwife, child health nurse, GP or lactation consultant is the right person to ask about your baby.
Wet nappies
In the first few days, wet nappies usually go up by about one a day: around 1 on day 1, building to around 4 by day 4.
By the end of the first week, most babies have built up to 6 or more wet nappies a day, and the wee is pale.
Poo
Poo usually starts black and sticky (this is called meconium), then changes through dark green and greenish-brown to yellow by about day 5.
After about six weeks, many breastfed babies poo less often.
Weight
Babies often lose a little weight just after birth. This usually levels off within the first few days, and then they start to gain again.
A loss of around 10% of birth weight or more usually prompts a closer check by a midwife, child health nurse or doctor.
Most babies are back to their birth weight by about two weeks, and some take a little longer. Your midwife or child health nurse will weigh your baby and tell you how they're going.
When to get advice
Contact your midwife, child health nurse or GP if:
- after the first week, there are fewer than 6 wet nappies in a day
- after the first few days, the wee looks dark yellow, or you see orange or reddish 'brick dust' marks in the nappy (these are called urates)
- poo is still black or dark green at around day 5.
If you're worried about your baby at any time, don't wait for a pattern. Contact your midwife, child health nurse or GP, or call a health line.
- Emergency: 000 (Australia) · 911 (US) · 999 (UK) · 112 (EU)
- Health advice any time: 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) in Queensland · healthdirect 1800 022 222 elsewhere in Australia · call 111 in England, Scotland or Wales when it's urgent but not an emergency (in Northern Ireland, contact your GP or GP out-of-hours service)
Keeping a record in Milkstop
You can log wet and dirty nappies in a tap or two, add a note about colour or texture, and see how many you've logged in the last 24 hours as a plain number. Milkstop doesn't compare your baby's records with these patterns, and it won't send alerts about them. It's simply a record you can look back on, share with your household, or export to bring along to check-ups.
Common questions
Does Milkstop compare my baby's nappies with this guide?
No. Milkstop shows what you've logged, as plain numbers. This guide is general information about breastfed newborns, not about any one baby, and your midwife, child health nurse or GP is the person to ask about yours.
Why doesn't this page give a number of dirty nappies per day?
Published guidance doesn't agree on a single number of poos per day, so we've left it out. The colour change over the first days is described more consistently, so that's what we include.
Why doesn't this page say how heavy a wet nappy is?
We couldn't find consistent published figures, so we've left it out. If you're unsure whether a nappy is wet, your midwife or child health nurse can show you what to look for.
What about weight gain after the first few weeks?
Your midwife or child health nurse will weigh your baby and tell you how they're going. Milkstop records weights you enter but doesn't work anything out from them.
Sources consulted
- 1. Children's Health Queensland. Is my baby getting enough breast milk? Fact sheet FS268 (reviewed June 2021).https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/health-a-to-z/breastfeeding/is-my-baby-getting-enough-breast-milk
- 2. World Health Organization. Infant and young child feeding: model chapter for textbooks for medical students and allied health professionals, 2nd edition (2025).https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240113732
- 3. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. How to tell if your breastfed baby is getting enough milk (updated 2025).https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/How-to-Tell-if-Baby-is-Getting-Enough-Milk.aspx
- 4. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Warning signs of breastfeeding problems (updated 2024).https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Warning-Signs-of-Breastfeeding-Problems.aspx
- 5. La Leche League International. Is my baby getting enough milk?https://llli.org/breastfeeding-info/is-baby-getting-enough/
- 6. Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Clinical Protocol #2: Guidelines for birth hospitalization discharge of breastfeeding dyads, revised 2022. Breastfeeding Medicine 2022;17(3).https://www.bfmed.org/assets/DOCUMENTS/PROTOCOLS/ABM%20Protocol%20%232bfm.2022.29203.aeh.pdf
- 7. Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Clinical Protocol #3: Supplementary feedings in the healthy term breastfed neonate, revised 2017. Breastfeeding Medicine 2017;12(3).https://www.bfmed.org/assets/DOCUMENTS/PROTOCOLS/3-supplementation-protocol-english.pdf
- 8. Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Clinical Protocol #7: Model maternity policy supportive of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Medicine 2025;20(11).https://www.bfmed.org/assets/DOCUMENTS/PROTOCOLS/ModelMaternityPolicyFinal25.pdf
- 9. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Faltering growth: recognition and management of faltering growth in children (NG75), 2017.https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng75/chapter/Recommendations
- 10. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Postnatal care (NG194), 2021, updated 2026.https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng194/chapter/Recommendations
Milkstop is independent and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any of the organisations listed.
Page last reviewed: 6 October 2026. Sources checked: 6 October 2026.
About this page
General information only. Milkstop is not intended to be a medical device and doesn't replace advice from your midwife, child health nurse, lactation consultant or doctor. If you're worried about your baby, contact a health professional. In an emergency call 000 (AU), 911 (US), 999 (UK) or 112 (EU).
Milkstop is a personal record-keeping app. It lets parents and carers write down feeds, nappies and sleep, and keep a log they can look back on or share. It also contains general educational information from publicly available sources. Milkstop does not assess, monitor, diagnose or predict anything about your baby's health or feeding, and it does not give medical advice.
Need somewhere to jot down nappies?
Log wet and dirty nappies in a tap or two, with optional colour or texture notes. Share the log with a partner or carer, or export it to bring along to check-ups.
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