Meconium is the baby's first poop, it is something normal and natural so we should not worry even if we see it in an unusual color for poop.
If there can be a some risk with meconium if the baby does not pass it after birth but before, during pregnancy, or during childbirth.
What is meconium?
Meconium is the first bowel movement of a baby. Its composition is amniotic fluid, mucus, a fine hair called lanugo, bile and different cells that have been shed from the skin and intestinal tract. It throws all this out on the first day of life but it can also be eliminated inside the mother's uterus in the amniotic fluid and entails certain risks as we will see below.
As it should be?
The meconium must be thick, sticky and greenish black. It must be eliminated during the first day of the baby's life. The following days the poop will be greenish because it is a transition to the normal poop.
After The baby's bowel movements will depend on whether he is exclusively breastfed or formula-fed. In the case of breast milk, the poops will be harder, like paste, and less frequent than babies fed formula milk, which will be brown, green or yellow poops.
What happens if there is meconium during pregnancy?
In some cases the baby does not eliminate the meconium when it is born but inside the womb. This happens when there are stressful situations and can mean a problem in the placenta or umbilical cord. Also during the birth process itself, the baby may eliminate the effort of birth itself.
When meconium is found in the amniotic fluid, the baby can aspirate it into the lungs. In these cases the meconium can block the baby's airways and cause breathing problems due to inflammation of the lungs at birth.
The symptoms of having aspirated meconium are bluish color, difficulty breathing, apneas and/or sagging in the baby at birth.