Baby\’s defecation frequency comparison chart The baby\’s defecation status is one of the issues that parents are most concerned about. The frequency and quality of a baby\’s bowel movements affect the baby\’s health, growth and development. The following is a comparison table of normal bowel movements for infants for your reference. Newborn babies: In the first few days after birth, newborn babies have relatively few bowel movements because there is not much stool accumulated in the intestines. Generally, babies start defecating within 24 hours after birth, but some babies may delay defecation for 1-2 days. Number of bowel movements per day for newborn babies