Myth #1: Baby excrement does not smell
I'm sure that somewhere down the line, you have heard or will hear somebody say that baby poo doesn't smell. You may even hear some sick individuals say that it smells sweet, or even that they like the smell of infant poo. Don't fall for this one, as it is a dirty lie. Generally, this is propagated by an older generation of parents and grandparents, likely because they are far enough removed from baby dookie to have forgotten its characteristics. Yes, I am sure that in the grand scheme of poo ratings, baby doodoo doesn't stack up to toddler or adult crap, but that should not take anything away from the FACT that baby poo smells bad...sometimes very bad. Certain foods and supplements eaten by mom can make baby smell worse, too, but every baby will react differently to different foods that mom eats.
Myth #2: ...
Please insert hilarious and juvenile joke about number 2 and poo here :)
Myth #3: Baby poo follows a predictable cycle
All the books and pamphlets from the hospital and from pre-baby classes you may have taken give you a schedule of what sort of poo/how frequent/what size your baby's poo should follow. This schedule should be viewed as a "best guess" scenario. The first poo is meconium. This tarry substance is present in most first poos, it is true. Very few places will tell you that this black and dark green tarry substance may occur for several days - it is not just a first poo. Nothing is wrong with you baby when they have 3 or 4 days of meconium. That just means that they had a lot to move through. After that, some books and pamphlets say to expect poo every feeding at first, but that it will decrease to 3-4 "palm-sized stools" a day. Whose palm? Sam was going every feed in varying amounts for the first 5 weeks of his life. There was no slow down until suddenly there was. Luckily, my friend Brian warned me about this happening and told me it was normal before I ran into it. There is a time in breastfed babies when their digestion can become very efficient, leading to long gaps between dumps. Sam hit one. After 82 hours, he finally pooped again! Now he goes once or twice a day or every other day. There is no normal, just what is normal for your baby, and even that cannot be counted on.
Myth #4: Guests don't mind changing the baby
Um...mostly false. They are happy to hold the baby until is cries or smells bad usually, and then they do the old hand off, for the most part.
Myth#5: Baby's happiness is based largely on the happiness of his bowel
Nope. While this is certainly one of the reasons why babies can be grumpy, not all babies' emotions are controlled by their bowels. All babies poop. All babies have gas. All babies will spit up, fart, eat too much, have explosive diapers, and grunt occasionally. However, some babies take it in stride, while others seem like the world is coming to an end before they pass gas. Know your baby. You will quickly learn if poo is making them cry, or if they have a wet diaper, are bored, are hungry, or are crying because they can.
Finally, just a word to the wise. Don't check your baby's diaper by smelling it. Babies are sneaky and can have lingering gas that could be confused as a dirty diaper. Also, if they have filled it, you don't want your nose anywhere near there.
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