When you bring your newborn home for the first time and are finally left alone with them, it can feel like a majorly daunting task keeping them alive.
The imposter syndrome kicks in hard and you’re left with all of these questions about feeding, nappy-changing, sleeping, you name it.
But one question I never imagined I’d have to Google when I brought our daughter home from hospital was: why is there blood in my newborn’s nappy?
As it turns out, some baby girls can have a mini period shortly after being born – and it’s totally normal and nothing to panic about. Just another one of those things that nobody ever tells you about!
Wait, what is a mini period?
One of the most common causes of finding blood in a baby girl’s nappy is a mini period, or false menstruation.
You might spot a tiny drop of blood in the nappy or in some babies, the blood might be mixed with a bit of white discharge too. This typically happens 2-10 days after birth.
According to RCEM Learning, run by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, this occurs in about one in three female babies, so it’s pretty common and the NHS says “it’s nothing to worry about”.
It’s simply a result of your hormones passing through your baby’s system.
What else might cause bleeding?
Finding a bit more blood in a newborn’s nappy can signal other health issues, which will need to be checked out.
As a general rule of thumb, if you notice any more blood after the first drop appears, it’s advised you speak to a GP or your health visitor about it.
Blood can appear as a result of:
- a reaction to cow’s milk protein (either through breastmilk or formula),
- a fissure (aka a cut) around the anal area, usually from passing a large or hard stool,
- nappy rash which has started to bleed,
- swallowed maternal blood (for instance, from cracked nipples).
In some rare cases, the presence of blood in a baby’s nappy can be a sign of a life-threatening health issue, so RCEM warns to keep an eye out for these red flag symptoms, which would indicate seeking immediate medical attention, if you find blood in your newborn’s nappy:
- fever
- rash
- fast heart rate
- bleeding from other parts of the body,
- a swollen abdomen or tenderness (babies will cry a lot and possibly draw their knees up to their stomach if in pain),
- vomiting that is yellow or green, or worse than usual,
- a baby who is not gaining weight,
- a baby who is unresponsive.
Mostly though, if you spot a little speck of blood in your baby’s nappy in the first week after birth, don’t worry too much about it.