A healthy newborn usually has around 1–4 dirty nappies a day in the early weeks, but anywhere from “every feed” to “once every few days” can still be normal if baby is otherwise well.

Quick Scoop: Typical dirty nappies

  • First couple of days:
    1 or more dirty nappies a day of thick, black meconium.
  • After milk is in (days 3–5):
    Often 2 or more dirty nappies per day as stools turn green, then yellow and looser.
  • First weeks (breastfed):
    Commonly 3–5 poos a day, sometimes a dirty nappy at almost every feed.
  • First weeks (formula-fed):
    Often fewer poos than breastfed babies, for example 1–3 dirty nappies per day.
  • Some perfectly normal babies:
    May poo once a day or even once every few days, especially as they get a bit older, as long as the poo is soft and baby is comfortable, feeding well, and gaining weight.

Think of it this way: you’ll likely be changing nappies 10–12 times a day in the early weeks, but only a few of those will be dirty; the rest will be wet.

When to get checked

Contact your midwife, health visitor, GP, or maternity triage urgently if:

  • Very few or no dirty nappies after day 3.
  • Baby’s poo is hard, pellet‑like, whitish, very pale, or blood‑streaked.
  • Fewer wet nappies than expected (less than about 4–6 per day after day 4) or signs of dehydration like dry mouth, no tears, or very sleepy baby.
  • Baby seems in pain, has a swollen tummy, is vomiting a lot, or is very floppy.

TL;DR: In the early weeks, many newborns have around 2–4 dirty nappies per day, but “normal” is quite wide – watch baby’s overall feeding, alertness, and weight gain more than a specific number.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.