Caring for Your Newborn - Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

If your baby is crying for over an hour and none of these things seem to comfort him, call
your doctor. Your baby may need to come into the office for a visit.
If your baby is crying a lot and you feel like you cannot cope with the crying anymore,
get help. Never, ever shake your baby.
Wet Diapers and Bowel Movements
Babies should have 6-8 wet diapers a day. This shows that your baby is getting enough to
drink. Call your baby’s doctor if you notice a decrease in wet diapers
HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY BABY HAVE A BOWEL MOVEMENT?
How often a baby has a bowel movement is
different for each baby.
• Some babies have several bowel
movements a day.
• Older babies might have one bowel
movement every other day or every couple
of days. As long as your baby’s bowel
movements are soft, you don’t need to
worry.
WHAT SHOULD MY BABY’S BOWEL MOVEMENTS LOOK LIKE?
Bowel movements look different for each baby.
• Bowel movements should be soft. Sometimes they might even be seedy or liquid.
• It is normal for a baby’s bowel movements to be brown, yellow or green
• It is normal for some baby’s bowel movements to smell bad
• Let your doctor know if your baby’s bowel movements are:
– Hard
– Black, red, pink or white in color
– Blood tinged or if you see any blood in them
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