Parents should carefully observe your baby's excretion and record the frequency and characteristics (color/texture). The frequency characteristics not only indicate if the baby is well fed but also indicates if your baby has gastrointestinal discomfort.


There are nine colors in total (color 1 to 6 is abnormal, and color 7 to 9 is normal). If stools are yellow or green color, it is normal. If you notice your baby's stool color is abnormal, please bring your baby to the doctor as soon as possible to get a proper diagnosis of his/her health condition.

The number of times your newborn has bowel movements is not necessary the same every day. It varies by the individual physique, rate of digestion, and the amount of milk that baby drinks. As breastmilk is very easily digest by baby, a breastfed baby will usually have three to eight times of bowel movements a day. It is more frequent than a formula-fed baby. However, when your baby is about one month old, there will be a period of time that the number of the bowel movements of a breastfed baby reduces significantly, it is possible to have a reduction of bowel movement to only once in a few days. If the stool color is normal, texture is soft, no vomiting or bloated stomach issues, etc., and he or she is active and drinks breastmilk as per normal, you should not worry so much.

If your baby's stool texture hardens, turns solid, the number of bowel movements reduce, or even no bowel movements for a few days, gently massage your baby's abdomen clockwise to sooth your baby's digestive system . Alternatively, lift your baby's legs up, insert a thermometer (coated with lubricant such as Vaseline or glycerin) into your baby's anus 1 to 2 cm, rotate gently to stimulate your baby's digestive system to help bowel movements. Consult your healthcare professional if this does not work.

If there are some white particles in your baby's stool, it is mostly because your young baby's digestive system is still developing, results in some substances in the milk that cannot be absorbed and discharged. This will usually improve after six months.

Every baby's stools smell different. After you start weaning your baby, the stools will smell like the food he or she has taken. The smell of his or her stools will be different from babies who are fed on a full-milk diet period. If your the baby’s stools smell significantly different from usual, especially stools with a foul odour, you need to pay extra attention to his or her stool patterns and check if there are any other conditions. Do seek medical attention when necessary.