How many bowel movements are normal in a newborn?

A newborn can have as many as eight bowel movements in a day. As he/she grows, the frequency decreases. By three to six weeks, a baby will likely have one bowel movement a day, or may even skip a day. As long as the infant's stools are soft, he/she is not constipated. Signs to watch out are when: - breastfed babies did not have any bowel movements for more than three days; five days for formula-fed babies - Stools are hard and pebbly, or much thicker than peanut butter - Stools are thin, watery (could be diarrhea) - Stool is red or black (could indicate bleeding) - Stool is white (could indicate that baby is not properly absorbing nutrients) You should contact your doctor when you observe any of these signs.