How often should a 3-day-old baby have a bowel movement to be considered normal?

Patient's question:

Born on the 23rd day
How many times does a 23-day-old baby have a bowel movement considered normal?
What kind of assistance is needed: How many times does a 23-day-old baby have a bowel movement considered normal...

Doctor's answer:

Infant fed by hand, the stool is yellow or golden yellow, with a uniform consistency like cream or paste, occasionally slightly green and watery, with an acidic odor but no strong smell, and is excreted 2 to 4 times a day. Artificially fed infants, the stool is pale yellow or clay-colored, drier and harder, in strips, often containing curds, with a distinct odor, and is excreted 1 to 2 times a day. If the child normally has only 1 to 2 bowel movements per day but suddenly reduces to 5 to 6, it should be considered whether they are ill. If the bowel movements are usually frequent but the child is generally in good health and not losing weight, it is not necessarily a sign of illness.
First, you need to see if the stool is soft or hard. My baby was around 50 days old and had started having bowel movements every few days, with the longest interval being 4 days, but the stool was still soft and creamy, so I knew he wasn’t constipated. Constipation refers to hard, ribbon-like or pellet-like stool. You don’t need to worry—babies this small are like this. They haven’t yet developed the habit of having bowel movements at fixed times, meaning they simply don’t have the urge to defecate. In this case, you should avoid using glycerin suppositories, as overuse will only make them more resistant, dull their awareness of the urge to defecate, and make them even less aware of when they need to go.
First, you should massage the baby’s abdomen daily. Use your middle three fingers to massage in a clockwise direction around the navel, for 5 minutes each time, once in the morning and once in the evening. This can help slow down intestinal movement and stimulate the baby’s urge to defecate. Additionally, from the age of two months, you should start training good bowel habits to encourage regular defecation. The best time to defecate is in the morning or just before bedtime, as morning defecation is ideal, and evening defecation can help the child sleep more soundly at night. Bowel movements before meals are better, but not after meals.
First, observe the child’s bowel movement habits carefully, then consciously establish a regular schedule for defecation. During defecation, the mother should make a sound of "HmmHmmHmm" with the child. At two months, you can start holding the baby upright, but not too early, as it’s not advisable. It’s recommended to wait until the baby is three months old before holding them upright, as their neck is still very soft, and holding them upright too early could cause injury. However, most babies prefer to be held upright after their first time and no longer want to be held horizontally.
Pediatricians have taught us how to hold the baby upright: turn the baby to their side, leaning against the mother’s chest at an angle, rather than facing the mother directly. The mother holds the baby’s body with one arm while supporting their buttocks with the other. This way, the baby’s neck and spine are well-supported and protected, and it also allows the baby to see the outside world more clearly. When the baby is napping, it’s still best to hold them horizontally.