The normal range is enormous, and the number itself is one of the least informative things you can count.
How often, by age and feeding method
In the first six weeks a breastfed baby typically goes several times a day, often after most feeds, and at least two or three times a day is what you're looking for as a sign she's getting enough. A formula-fed baby usually goes once to four times a day, more formed and more predictable.
After about six weeks the breastfed picture changes completely, and this is the part that frightens people.
| Age | Breastfed | Formula-fed |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1-2 | 1-2 (meconium) | 1-2 (meconium) |
| Days 3-5 | At least 2, becoming yellow | At least 2 |
| Weeks 1-6 | 3 or more a day | 1-3 a day |
| 6 weeks, 6 months | 8 a day to once a week | 1-2 a day, sometimes every other day |
| After solids begin | 1-2 a day, firmer and smellier | 1-2 a day, firmer |
Why the first six weeks are different
Before six weeks, frequency is a proxy for intake. A breastfed newborn who's feeding well passes stool often, so at least two a day is one of the checks that she's getting enough milk, and fewer than that in the first weeks is a phone call. After six weeks, breast milk becomes so efficiently absorbed that there's very little residue. A breastfed baby can go a week, or occasionally longer, between stools and be entirely well, and when it arrives it'll be soft, yellow and enormous. This is normal and it isn't constipation, and almost every breastfeeding parent panics about it once. I did, with Richard, on day nine of nothing. The condition attached is that she must be otherwise fine: feeding well, gaining weight, soft abdomen, comfortable, plenty of wet diapers. A baby who's straining, distressed, off her feeds or has a hard abdomen is a different situation whatever the interval.
If feeding is the question
What to watch in place of counting
Four things, all more informative than frequency.
- Wet diapers. Six or more heavily wet a day after the first week, with pale, near-odourless urine. This is the measurement that tells you about intake.
- Weight. Back to birth weight by around two weeks, then tracking along her own line on the chart.
- Consistency. Soft when it arrives, whatever the gap. Hard pellets are the thing to react to, at any frequency.
- The baby herself. Comfortable, feeding, a soft abdomen, and periods of contentment.
If those four are right, the interval is a curiosity.
Is she constipated?
Constipation is about consistency and comfort, never about the gap between stools. This is the distinction that counts most here. I got it wrong with Richard, I think for a good six weeks.
It means hard, dry, pellet-like stools that are difficult and painful to pass, often with real straining, a firm abdomen, and sometimes streaks of blood from a small tear. A baby who goes red in the face and grunts and then produces something soft isn't constipated. She's learning to coordinate the muscles involved, which takes a few months and looks far more dramatic than it is.
True constipation is uncommon in exclusively breastfed babies and more common with formula and after solids start. Check the formula is being made up at the correct dilution, which is a surprisingly frequent cause. Offer water with meals once she's over six months. Don't give juice, sugar water, laxatives or anything suggested online to a baby without a doctor saying so.
When to ring somebody
These are the ones where the number tells you something.
- No stool at all in the first 48 hours after birth.
- Fewer than two stools a day in a breastfed baby under six weeks, particularly with poor weight gain.
- Hard, pellet-like stools at any age, or evident pain on passing.
- Blood in the stool, black stool after day three, or white, chalky or pale grey stool at any age.
- A firm, swollen or distended abdomen, or vomiting, particularly green or bile-stained vomit, which is emergency care now.
- Fewer wet diapers than usual, alongside a baby who's sleepy, floppy or feeding poorly.
- A sudden change from her established pattern that persists, which deserves mentioning even if nothing else is wrong.
Read next
Things parents ask me
How often should a newborn poop?
At least three times a day for a breastfed baby in the first six weeks, and one to three for a formula-fed one. After six weeks the normal range widens enormously.
Is it normal for a breastfed baby to go a week without pooping?
Yes, after about six weeks. Breast milk is very efficiently absorbed, so there's less waste. Provided she's comfortable, feeding well and gaining weight, it's normal.
How do I know if my baby is constipated?
Constipation is about consistency, not frequency, hard, dry, pellet-like stool that hurts to pass. A soft stool after seven days isn't constipation.
Why does my baby strain and go red but produce soft poo?
She's learning to coordinate muscles that don't yet cooperate. It's common, normal, and resolves on its own without treatment.
How many wet nappies should a newborn have?
Six or more heavy wet nappies a day after the first week. This is a more reliable intake signal than stool frequency, and it matters more in a hot climate.
Reading
- NHS: Nappies and nappy changing
- NHS: Constipation in babies
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Baby's first days: bowel movements
This guide is general information, written to help you understand a topic and ask better questions. It is not medical advice and does not replace your own doctor, midwife or paediatrician. Anything that worries you about your baby belongs with them.