Most Popular Baby Names - Names and their Meanings

In the first week of life, your baby will receive colostrum before your milk comes in. Not only is this rich in antibodies and helps your baby’s immune system develop, but it helps him pass his first stool—meconium. This is a black, tarry substance and will be in the first diaper or two after birth. He will transition to a brown substance and then as your milk comes in, to a mustard yellow stool that is watery or loose. A bottle-fed baby will pass stools that are firmer and more clay-coloured than a breastfed baby.

Within 24-48 hours, your baby should start having wet diapers, increasing to two or three per day.

As your baby works at sucking colostrum and then milk, you should hear a pattern of “suck, suck, suck, swallow.” This will be rhythmic and there will be no “clicking” noises—clicking indicates that your baby is improperly latched and potentially isn’t getting a good amount of milk from you. If you hear this, unlatch him from your breast and re-attach him. If it continues, talk to your pediatrician.

In the second and subsequent weeks of life, you should also notice 6-8 wet diapers a day in addition to at least 3 stools per day. His urine should be clear (not yellow), and he should be gaining alertness as each day passes. He should also be growing and gaining weight—weight gain is the surest sign of healthy growth. Any two days in a row of deviation from the growth indicators listed should be reported to your pediatrician immediately.