Newborn guides
How many wet and dirty nappies should a newborn have?
In the first week, nappies are the clearest sign your baby is feeding well. The rough rule: one wet nappy for each day of life until about day 5 or 6, then at least 6 heavy wet nappies a day — plus regular dirty nappies that change colour as your milk comes in. Here is the day-by-day picture the NHS and NCT use.
Wet and dirty nappies, day by day
| Baby’s age | Wet nappies (24h) | Dirty nappies (24h) |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1–2 | 2 or more | 1 or more — black, tarry meconium |
| Day 3–4 | 3 or more, heavier | 2 or more — greener, at least £2-coin sized |
| Day 5–6 | 5 or more, heavy | 2 or more — soft yellow, ≥ £2 coin |
| Day 7 onwards | 6 or more, heavy | At least 2 good yellow poos, bigger than a £2 coin |
These are minimums, not targets — more dirty nappies than the minimum is completely normal, especially for breastfed babies. Disposable nappies are very absorbent, so “heavy” matters more than counting drips.
What a “wet enough” nappy feels like
Modern nappies hide wee well. A useful test: a wet nappy should feel as heavy as if you’d poured 2–3 tablespoons of water onto a dry one. If you’re not sure, pop a little cotton wool in the nappy — you’ll see it’s damp. Urine should be pale and mild-smelling. Dark, strong-smelling urine after day 3–4 is a sign to get feeding checked.
In the first day or two you may spot a patch of pinkish-orange “brick dust” in the nappy — these are urate crystals and are usually harmless early on. If they carry on past day 3, mention it to your midwife, as it can mean baby needs more milk.
What the poo should be doing
Poo tells its own story in the first week. It starts as meconium — black-green, sticky and tar-like — then turns greener and looser (“changing stools”) around day 3–4 as your milk comes in, and settles into soft yellow by day 5 or so. Breastfed babies often do a small poo at almost every feed; formula-fed babies tend to go less often and their poo is more paste-like and stronger smelling. Both are fine. For the full colour picture, see our baby poo colour chart.
After the first few weeks
Once breastfeeding is well established (usually after 6 weeks or so), some breastfed babies poo much less often — even once every few days — and that can be normal as long as the poo is still soft and your baby is comfortable, feeding well and gaining weight. Wet nappies should stay frequent throughout.
When to get help
Speak to your midwife, health visitor or GP the same day if:
- Your baby has fewer wet nappies than the day-by-day guide above, or wees become dark and strong-smelling after day 3–4.
- You still see black, tarry meconium on day 5 or later (poo should have turned yellow by then).
- There is any blood in the nappy, in either wee or poo.
- The poo is pale, white or chalky — this always needs checking.
- Your baby is very sleepy, hard to wake for feeds, or seems dry (sunken soft spot, no tears, dry mouth).
If you’re worried, contact your midwife, health visitor or GP, or call NHS 111. In an emergency call 999. Trust your instincts.
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