Most babies at around 7 days of life tend to pass what is called as breask milk stools- frequent passage of small volume of golden yellow colored stools, with central small solid particles with watery periphery. They some times pass such stools 10-15 times in a day and in that process may get sore bottom, which can be soothed by applying coconut oil there. These frequent stools usually lost for 6-8 weeks.

On the first few days babies tend to pass blackish, brownish, greenish sticky stools called meconium. They generally pass it in the first 24 hours after the birth. Slowly over days the color of the stools change to yellowish brown and after 5th or 6th day of life they tend to pass yellow stools.

The baby may regurgitate after feeds and it may come out of the mouth or nose. It is normal, as long as the baby is gaining weight and passing adequate urine (more than 5 times in a day). Reguritation may be partially prevented by burping the baby, burping is a process of releasing the gas by mouth. Babies tend swallow air while sucking at the breast, after feed this swallowed air is pushed out through the esopahgus and the mouth, and can be encouraged by putting the baby on the mothers shoulders and gently patting his back.

The baby may get hiccoughs after feeds, it is a good sign and indicates a full stomach and assures the mother that she is having adequate feeds. There is no need to give water, as this indicates full stomach and not thirst.

For a healthy term baby you should feed the baby only on demand, as and when the baby demands it.

But if the baby is a preterm or small growth retarded baby with loose skin one should feed the baby once in 2 hours.

Breast feed only in sitting position, it may not be very safe to feed the baby lying down, eventhough we allow it for a brief period after caesarian section, as tha mother may not be in a situation to feed in sitting position.