As a parent your whole life gets turned upside down, your priorities change. You now find that it is normal practice to talk about sleep patterns, feeding routines, cute milestones that your little one has reached, and even the subject of poop.
As a mom, I found no matter where you are or what you are doing the subject of diaper contents usually comes up. It can be as normal as asking someone “how are you?”
So, what do you do when you find something black strings or threads in baby’s poop? Do you call a doctor? Are you overreacting? Are you not concerned enough?
All these questions enter a mom’s mind when their baby is young and this article is going to shed some light on what you could expect to see when changing your little one’s bum.
In this article
I Have Found Black Strings In My Babies Poop!?
If you are amongst the many moms who get concerned over this stuff then, Welcome to the world of being a parent! The time for us to start worrying over the small things starts now.
If you find any stringy bits in your baby’s diaper then fear not, there could be many reasons this has happened. Here are a few of the most common reasons:
- Undigested food,
- Meconium,
- Hair/string,
- Hormonal blood from mom,
- Mucus.
Before doing anything else let’s discuss poop in general.
What Should My Babies Poop Look Like?
Your baby’s poop can appear in many different forms especially when they are newborns. Getting to know what is expected may take the shock out of what surprise your beautiful bundle may be planning for you.
As you may be aware a baby’s digestive system can only fully develop once they have been born. Their tiny bodies start building up for their first poop whilst you are still carrying them but they don’t expel their first one until after their birth.
View in gallery
With this in mind, we need to be aware that their diapers are very much a sign of their health and overall digestive development. So it’s no wonder we worry!
A baby’s first poop is made up of a black sticky tar-like substance otherwise known as Meconium.
As a baby develops so does the contents of their diaper. You may witness many colors of the rainbow in those first months.
Breastfed babies tend to have a more yellowish color, whereas formula-fed babies tend to hit the darker tones and it can also be thicker inconsistency.
When the fun process of weaning beings it is only normal for their diapers to change too!
As we introduce foods you may find that their poops mimic what colors they have eaten, the one color I was most shocked with was bright green and stringy!
Let’s look at the most likely cause of strings in poop!
What Could It Be?
Undigested food
This is the most common reason why your baby’s poop has a weird texture. Undigested fruits are known to have a high content of fiber and this can bypass the digestive process and come out nearly the same way they went in.
If you are on the finger food stage be wary of how much fruit you offer. We know that they are packed with goodness but sometimes it tends to be a little too much for your little one to digest.
Let us not forget, our baby’s bowels are still developing every day so we shouldn’t expect too much of them straight away.
Meconium
As previously mentioned this is the tar-like substance that makes up the first poop. It is what your baby has ingested for the past nine months so expect it to look a little off. It Is a build-up of cells, lanugo, amniotic fluid, bile, and mucus, so there is no wonder it can look like an alien murder scene.
Hair/string
Ever heard of the saying:
The fastest land mammal is a toddler who has been asked ‘What’s in your mouth?
This statement cannot be more truthful. As your baby grows they will start to crawl and toddle around investigating their home and new surroundings exercising their newfound independence.
As many of us know our little ones have a habit of exploring things with their mouths. Yup, you got it! Everything your baby picks up will head to their mouth, brushes, blankets, toys if it is in reach.
View in gallery
It is inevitable that threads and string may get accidentally swallowed and as the body cannot digest these fibers it will just appear in their diaper.
Hormonal blood from mom
This tends to appear mostly in little girls, sometimes it can take a while for your hormones to leave their system and therefore the body expels it in the diaper. Please try not to panic but if you are concerned at all speak to your doctor for advice.
Another common form of finding blood in the diaper is when it is in a string-like form. This tends to be most common from breastfed babies and can occur if the mom’s nipples are sore and cracked then the baby can digest small traces of blood.
It won’t harm your baby but please mom get some help and advice, breastfeeding should be an enjoyable experience of bonding time with your baby, not a painful time that you dread.
Mucus
If your baby is still small then this is nothing to be concerned about. As we discussed with the meconium poop your baby digests a lot when they are developing inside the womb. Sometimes mucus can take a while to make its exit.
If your baby is older then keep an eye on your little one it could be the onset of a cold and as with a runny nose, they may get mucus coming out of their butts.
Do I Need a Doctor?
In general terms, the answer would be no. Pooping in an infant’s life can prove to be colorful and vary in texture from day to day but if you are uncertain and have any worries then always check with your healthcare professional.
There could be times when you may feel concerned and this could be when your little one seems under the weather or if the amount of stringy poop seems to be continuous.
Another time to be wary is when there are Parasites present. These stringy worms are harmless but need to be treated as they can transmit from child to child very quickly.
Many babies can have parasites in their poop but in the newborn phase, it is only heard of if the baby is left in unsanitary conditions.
If you notice something not right in your infant’s diaper then it could be wormed through dirty hands traveling and carrying the infection. Please don’t forget that good hygiene will help keep the parasites at bay.
Aside from parasites, another thing to be on the lookout for is any indication of food allergies. Our toddler’s diaper can tell us an awful lot about what is going on inside their gut so if there is an intolerance then your first indication could be in their diaper.
FAQs
View in gallery
Why does my baby have green mucus in her stool?
Sometimes changes in the way a baby breastfeeds can alter its digestion. For example, a baby that feeds for shorter periods of time before changing breasts could end up with green frothy stools. Mucus is also common in breastfed babies.
What causes a baby to have a green stool?
Babies with infections may have green stools. Some blood may even be present in cases of extreme irritation. With a bacterial infection, there is often blood in the stool along with the mucus.
Food allergies can cause inflammation and inflammation causes increased mucus secretion, which leads to more mucus in a baby’s stool.
What are the different types of baby poop?
- Diarrhea (typically a sign of an allergy if ongoing.)
- Blood in babies stool
- Mucus in stools
- Stringy poop
- Frothy poop
- Pebble like stool (indication of constipation)
The Final Thought
Finding stringy poop in our little one’s diaper can be worrying and you may feel concerned if it is ongoing. Hopefully, this article has helped eradicate any fears or worries.
Just be aware that if the amount of stringy poop is too much for your liking it could mean a simple diet change is on the cards. As previously mentioned bananas are the perfect finger food but maybe offering a whole one a day could be just a little too much for your baby’s system to handle straight away.
If you suspect there may be an allergy then always contact your doctor for advice and further testing.
