Newborn Stooling Patterns

During the first few days after birth, there is no pattern to the frequency of how much a baby will or will not have bowel movements. The bowel movements may be a sticky consistency and either yellow, green or even black.
After a few days, babies will usually have at least four bowel movements per day. Less than this, even if there is good urine output, can be a sign that a baby is not getting enough nutrition, and therefore a physician should see the baby as soon as possible.

After one month, babies that nurse may have a bowel movement after every feed, or as infrequently as once per week. Babies that are formula fed may have a bowel movement after every feed, or as infrequently as every 2-3 days. If the bowel movement is soft, there is no crying and no blood in the stool, there should be no concern for constipation or other problems. It is normal for babies to have a lot of gas with feeding and with bowel movements.