You had a great question. You want to know what is actually the definition of diarrhea for a three week old who is breastfed. Because you're right, breastfed babies usually have loose stools and they poop all the time. They may poop after every single feeding so that can be up to 8-12 times a day. The color is normally like a yellowish color and they have little seeds in it. It's usually loose and it's usually a minimum of six a day. It's not much help. You can't really tell if your baby has diarrhea from that. But if your baby has a dramatic increase in the number of stools and they seem extra runny to you, if they have any blood or mucus in them, or any change in color or odor there might be another issue going on and you should get your baby checked out. Especially if there are have been three or more consecutive changes in bowel behavior. The best thing you can do is check your baby for signs of dehydration, that's the biggest concern. If your baby is developing diarrhea then, especially a small baby, we worry about them having more out than what is going in and staying hydrated. A few signs of dehydration include having less than six wet diapers a day. That means you have to pay attention to the urination which is hard if they're pooping all the time. If you feel like they're urinating less get them check out immediately. If you notice that your baby's soft spots on his head are sunken or if he cries and doesn't have tears where he previously has, if he has a really dry mouth or the corners of his lips are cracked, that's another sign of dehydration. Basically what it all boils down to, there really is no way to tell for sure unless you have a doctor or a provider look at your baby's stool if you're concerned and have him checked out if there is a problem. Good luck with everything and if you have any other questions for me feel free to ask them on our Facebook page and recommend us to your friends and family too.
