Question
My newborn is 20 days old and is breastfed. The mother is a vegetarian. The baby breastfeeds directly during the day and is fed breast milk from a bottle at night. For the past three days, the baby has been crying at around 5-6 am, feeling like it can’t defecate. It will defecate a bit later. Today, the stool has a slightly sour taste. Why? Also, what does a healthy newborn stool look like? Thank you!
Answer
Breastfed babies are stimulated by the rich oligosaccharides in breast milk, which can fully stimulate gastrointestinal motility, so most babies will never have hard stools or have an obvious smell. The stool is golden yellow, occasionally slightly green and thin; or it may be soft and creamy, uniform, with a slight sour taste and no foam. Therefore, if breastfed infants experience looser stools or more frequent bowel movements, as long as the baby is in good spirits and eating well, with normal weight gain and no difficulty defecating, abdominal pain, or bloating, it is all normal. There is no need for parents to worry.