When you have a baby, you suddenly have a ton of new things to worry about. You want to make sure the baby is healthy, you want him to be fed, you want him to get his rest and you want to make sure everyone gets a chance to see him. However, there are many concerns that don't immediately get resolved. One such concern is the bowel movements of your child, which are bound to have you wondering if he's going normally.
Newborn Babies
Whether you're having your first or your 10th baby, a newborn baby guarantees a crazy first few days. When you first have a baby, the hospital is able to assist you as much or as little as necessary. Her sleeping schedule will be all over the place, so her naps will be frequent and relatively short. If you're breastfeeding her, she'll have to adjust to drinking from your breast, which doesn't necessarily happen right away. In fact, it's this adjustment that may have you wondering if your baby's bowel movements are normal.
Frequency of Bowel Movements
According to pediatrician David Geller of BabyCenter, even one bowel movement per day from your baby is a telltale sign that he's doing okay. It's a sign that he's taking in and digesting the nutrients he needs to function normally. Some babies can make as many as 10 bowel movements per day, but the actual number will vary from child to child. A more telltale sign of his nutritional needs being met is the number of wet diapers he has in a day. As long as he needs to be changed five or more times per day, he's fine.
Meconium
Your baby's first bowel movements will be black and thick, and if you're not ready for them, they might freak you out a little bit. The color and texture of these bowel movements are actually completely normal. These bowel movements consist of meconium, which is the material that's in your baby's intestines before she's born. According to Nickelodeon Parents Connect, most babies pass all of their meconium in their first 24 hours after birth. Once your baby's meconium passes, her bowel movements will become a greenish color before giving way to more normal bowel movements around the time she's a month old.
Breastfed Babies
The bowel movements of a breastfed baby are different from those of a bottle-fed baby. They also tend to come much less frequently than in formula-fed babies, with some breastfed babies making as few as two bowel movements a week. The bowel movements of breastfed babies are mustard yellow and may be somewhat loose, according to the website It's a Mom's World.
Formula-Fed Babies
One of the most notable differences between the bowel movements of formula-fed babies and breastfed babies is that formula-influenced bowel movements smell much worse. These bowel movements are more solid than those of breastfed babies and can take a texture not unlike that of peanut butter. Formula-fed babies may be more prone to constipation, which can be caused by mixing an incorrect amount of formula with water or vice versa, reports Nickelodeon Parents Connect.
