9-Month-Old Baby’s Poop: What Can It Tell You?

What does a healthy 9-month-old baby's poop look like?

By the time your baby is 9 months old, you’ve probably started to wean them. Weaning is the process of stopping breastfeeding, and it involves giving your baby solid foods appropriate for their age. By 9 months old, your baby is probably eating a wide range of different foods. 

The consistency of your baby’s poop will vary greatly depending on what they eat. Introducing solid foods to your baby’s diet will create a dramatic change in their poop’s appearance, consistency, and odor.

Babies who only drink breast milk typically have yellow or slightly green poop. It usually has a creamy consistency, and the smell isn’t too awful. Babies who drink formula have poop that is more similar to peanut butter, with a brownish color. It is also smellier than breast milk poop, but still not too bad.

Once your baby starts to eat solid food, their poop will change a lot. Babies eating solid food usually have dark brown poop with a thick consistency. It will also have a much stronger smell than when they were drinking only milk. 

You might sometimes be able to see some partially digested food in your 9-month-old baby’s poop; for example, raisins, beans, and pieces of fruit skin.

Your 9-month-old baby’s poop could be tinged with different colors. This is usually related to what they’ve been eating. Beets can cause a reddish color, orange can be due to carrots, and blue or purple can be caused by berries. 

These unusual colors can show up when food isn’t digested completely or when your baby eats a lot of a particular food and doesn’t chew it properly. As long as this doesn’t become a recurring situation, there’s nothing to worry about.

How many times a day should a 9-month-old baby poop?

Every baby is different, and that also applies to their poop. Younger babies poop fairly frequently. Many newborns poop up to 7 or 8 times a day. But once your baby starts to eat solid foods, it’s normal for them to poop less frequently.

Milk is mostly made up of water, whereas solid foods don’t contain as much liquid. The switch from milk to solid foods will naturally make your baby’s poop more solid. As a result, they’ll probably poop less often. However, the exact frequency will depend on each individual baby.

Nine-month-old babies might poop once a day, a couple of times a day, or once every other day. As long as your baby follows a consistent pattern and doesn’t have any symptoms of illness, this is normal.

What to do if your 9-month-old baby's poop is very soft

Diarrhea is watery, runny stool that comes more frequently than your baby’s usual poops. Diarrhea tends to seep out of babies’ diapers, and it can be smellier than usual.

Diarrhea can be a sign of many conditions, and it can cause dehydration quickly. If your baby has only had one bout of diarrhea after trying a new food for the first time, there’s probably nothing to worry about. If your baby has had diarrhea for a couple of days or is pooping much more frequently than normal, it’s time to go to the health care provider.

Teething can also cause very soft poop in 9-month-old babies. This occurs as a result of your baby’s increased drooling when they’re teething. They swallow a lot of saliva, which isn’t properly digested and results in looser bowel movements.

A 9-month-old baby’s poop: when to call the health care provider

If your baby’s poop contains blood or becomes red, white, or black, call your pediatrician. Variations in color don’t necessarily mean that something is wrong, but it’s always good to make sure that everything is okay.

The smell of your baby’s poop is also important. Poop never smells particularly great, but if your baby’s stools have a stronger, smellier odor after they’ve started to eat a new food, this could be a sign of food intolerance.

Сall your baby’s health care provider if their poop contains a lot of mucus. Some mucus in your baby’s poop can be normal when they’re teething or very drooly. But if you’ve noticed that your baby’s poop has had a lot of mucus for several days, your health care provider will probably want to rule out a digestive infection.

Constipation is also a cause for concern for many parents. When your baby is constipated, their poop will be hard and resemble small pebbles. You’ll also see them struggle to poop, and they might go for several days without pooping. In these cases, try giving them more water, fruits, vegetables, and fiber.

There are many things that can cause parents to worry after having a baby, and bowel movements are no exception. It’s normal to be concerned about your baby being healthy and thriving. It’s helpful to know what to look for in your 9-month-old baby’s poop so that you know what’s normal and when to call the health care provider.