How often does a normal newborn have a bowel movement?
Newborns may have a bowel movement with each feeding or one every five to six days. The breast-fed baby’s stool is usually golden orange in color and has the consistency of thick gravy; however, the color and consistency may change on a daily basis depending on mother’s diet. The stool of a formula-fed newborn is either yellow with seeds or a firmer green in color. It is very common for infants to strain, grunt and turn red in the face with each bowel movement. This is normal as long as the stool is not dry and hard with the consistency of a pellet.
