Being a new parent can be incredibly scary.
With so much responsibility and such a tiny human being to look after it can seem impossible at times.
You might want to stress over every little thing your child does, and sometimes that worry might be warranted, but other times not so much.
But what if you find blood in your baby’s nappy? Surely that’s something to be concerned about?
That’s one thing parents have been asking the experts at BabyCentre all about and thankfully they have answers that may help put your mind at ease.
BabyCentre Health Visitor Jill Irving advises that a little blood in your baby’s nappy "is usually nothing to worry about", but she recommends mentioning it to your child’s doctor.
She goes on to explain: "If you’ve just had a baby girl, it’s normal for her to have a little bloody vaginal discharge in her nappy. When you were pregnant, oestrogen from your body may have stimulated her womb (uterus). Now she doesn’t have your hormones on top of her own, the fall in her oestrogen level may have triggered a mini period."
While this sounds alarming, it’s actually anything but and Jill says the bleeding will stop as soon as her hormones adjust.
Another reason for the blood could be that your baby is constipated.
"Constipation can affect any baby but is more common among those who are formula-fed, or have started solids," says Jill.
"If your baby’s constipated, she may strain when she poos. This straining can cause tiny splits in the skin around her anus, which may bleed when she does a poo."
This can be very uncomfortable for your baby, so Jill suggests giving them a warm bath once or twice a day to make her feel better, and purchasing antiseptic nappy rash cream to soothe the area.
Once the constipation is over, the tiny tears should heal within a few weeks.
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Other things that could cause blood to appear in your baby’s poo are diarrhoea, a severe nappy rash or a cow’s milk protein allergy.
While all of these are nothing to worry too much about, the blood could be a sign of infection or other health problem, so it’s important to speak to a medical professional.
Jill adds" "It’s worrying to think that your baby is unwell, but it’s likely that they’ll simply rule out anything serious and offer you some advice."
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