Only after ingesting milk does the new infant have the normal bacterial flora of the human alimentary canal. The stool of the breast-fed infant is naturally softer than that of the infant fed cow's milk. From about the 4th to the 6th day of life, the stools go through a transitional stage in which they are rather loose and greenish yellow and contain mucus. Although the stools of artificially fed infants tend to be firmer than those of breast-fed infants, loose stools may result from artificial feeding. In the first two week or so of life, overfeeding is likely to cause loose, frequent stools.
Constipation is practically unknown in breast-fed infants receiving an adequate amount of milk.
Warmth and sleep When putting the baby to sleep, the natural way to mother is to use the healing power of touch or massage, make skin to skin contact. Let the baby feel your heartbeat as you make sure that the baby is positioned comfortably. Sleeping with the baby during the early months of life outside the womb attunes mom to the baby's needs. Newborns need to be fed and changed constantly. They sleep well when the mom attends to baby's needs at every moment.