Newborns who are breastfed have frequent bowel movements

We all know that newborns cannot speak right after they are born, so they will cry to tell their parents all their needs, just like they cry when they are hungry, when their diapers are wet, and when they have a bowel movement. Newborns have more bowel movements than adults, especially for those who are breastfed. So is it normal for newborns to have frequent bowel movements when they are breastfed?

Baby bowel movement frequency

The baby begins to excrete meconium within 10 hours after birth. It is black-green or dark green, sticky, odorless, and a bit like asphalt used for paving roads. Meconium is composed of bile, intestinal secretions, desquamated epithelial cells, amniotic fluid and fetal hair swallowed by the baby in the womb. It usually takes 2-3 days to discharge, about 3-5 times a day. If no meconium is seen within 24 hours after birth, one should suspect congenital malformation of the digestive tract causing fecal obstruction, which requires prompt diagnosis and treatment.

3-4 days after birth, meconium gradually transitions to normal baby feces. For babies under four months old whose main food is milk, their normal stools are mostly paste-like with uniform consistency, quite similar to the paste made of fine sand and water, and may contain a small amount of granular matter the size of pepper seeds.

The stools of breastfed babies are mostly golden yellow, occasionally thin like water or thick soup, slightly green, sour and odorless, and they defecate 2-4 times a day. The baby may defecate more frequently when it is newborn, 4-5 times a day, or even after each feeding. This is because breast milk is easy to digest, easy to excrete, and because of the reflex peristalsis of the intestines after food is input.

If the child has 4-5 bowel movements or more per day, or conversely only once every 2-3 days, but the stool characteristics are normal, the child has gained weight and is in good spirits, then filtering is not necessary.

Breastfed baby stool

After the baby is born, it will excrete meconium, which is green-black, smooth and sticky. Later, the baby will pass yellowish stool, which is normal breastfeeding stool. The number of bowel movements a child has every day is not important. It can be more or less, several times a day or once every few days.

Baby poop is usually mushy or thicker than ice cream and has no odor. Babies who are breastfed rarely suffer from constipation. They absorb almost everything and produce very little waste. This also explains why babies sometimes only defecate once every three days. Please remember that the food the mother eats greatly affects the baby, and spicy food can cause indigestion in children.

Milk-fed baby stool

After the child's digestive function stabilizes, children who eat formula milk have more frequent bowel movements, and the stool is harder, yellower, and has a peculiar smell than that of breastfed children.

Sometimes parents will find that their child's stool is soft, like soft-shelled eggs, but a normal child's stool should be hard. The solution to the problem is to give the child more water: that is, add more water to the usual formula milk. You can also give your child more cold boiled water while feeding him. After the child reaches a few months old, you can add some dried plum juice or filtered fruit juice to the drinking water to prevent dry stools.

It is not necessary to add sugar to the milk that children drink. If sugar is added, or if the milk contains a high sugar content, the child's stool will definitely become loose, green or curd-like. At this time, you should stop adding sugar to the milk. If there is no improvement over the long term, please contact your doctor.

Newborn baby bowel movement frequency

How many times does a newborn baby normally defecate? It depends on the time and feeding situation:

1. Frequency of meconium: Newborn babies have irregular bowel movements every day. At first, the baby will expel the meconium that has accumulated for 9 months, but it must be cleared out through frequent bowel movements, so the number of bowel movements will increase. It usually takes 2-3 days, 3-5 times a day, for the dark green color to disappear. If the baby has no meconium within 24 hours after birth, parents should pay attention and suspect that congenital malformation of the digestive tract has caused fecal obstruction. The baby needs to go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time.

2. Number of bowel movements during breastfeeding: For breastfed babies, the frequency of bowel movements is very flexible. Usually, the frequency is higher in the neonatal period, 2-5 times a day, or even after each feeding. This is because breast milk is easy to digest, easy to excrete, and because of the reflex peristalsis of the intestines after food is input. Therefore, if a breastfed baby has loose stools or has more frequent bowel movements, it is normal as long as he is in good spirits and feeding, is gaining weight normally, and does not have difficulty defecating, abdominal pain, or bloating, and parents do not need to worry.

Breastfed newborns may even defecate 7-8 times a day. Parents do not need to worry. This is called physiological diarrhea, which is a normal phenomenon. When the baby grows to a certain age, this diarrhea will disappear automatically. In addition, if the baby's stool is dark green and mucous, it means that there is insufficient breast milk and the baby is in a semi-starved state, and the amount of breast milk needs to be increased. If the mother's breast milk is indeed insufficient, the baby can be given fresh milk, milk powder, etc.

3. Frequency of bowel movements during artificial feeding: Artificially fed newborn babies will have less bowel movements, which are usually drier, rougher, and slightly harder like paste. However, as long as they are not difficult to defecate and are not like sheep feces, it is fine. If there is no problem with digestion, it will usually be earthy yellow or golden yellow with a slightly sour smell, about 1-2 times a day.