Hind/Foremilk, green stools & confusion!!

[Snowgirl83]

BF ds who is 8 days old now and have had no problems with feeding (touch wood every second for this!) - has generally been feeding from one side for about 15mins every 2 hours during the day & 20 mins every 4 hours at night.

Anyway, had appt with HV today who said latch is fine and watched me bf&said all seemed well.. BUT! have noticed in the last day that ds has green stools, is getting terrible wind during feeding and pulls away (can hear him glugging way too much at the beginning of a feed and then pulls off & is difficult to get back on). Definitely more of an issue with a fast let down on the left hand side than the right.

I'm just finishing a course of antibiotics for a chest infection I picked up in hosp, but I don't know whether this has had an impact as his stools were yellow even on the ABs up until today..

HELP! Have read about the fore/hind milk thing and confused myself utterly!

I'd be more inclined to point at the antibiotics or a mild bug which he'll throw off. As long as he's still weeing lots and not throwing up, it's nothing to worry about.

I think Tiktok, our resident guru, has said the foremilk/hind milk theory is bunkum.

Yes- I saw that when I was searching it on here earlier but then switched back to google (doh) & that's where the confusion came in.

Now you mention it, he was a bit sick after a feed this afternoon, but I assumed was just posseting/ due to wind . And I assumed the bit of wind was due to the fast let down!

Is it just a question of seeing how he is then & assessing? Am also freaking out as first day by myself tomorrow (oh back to work/ family gone back home far away!) so tying myself up in knots a bit..

Number of wet nappies is the main thing to watch to make sure he's not getting dehydrated. One small vomit after a feed is not something to worry about, I don't think. Also, because you're BFing, I don't think there's a huge amount they'd do since you're giving him all the antibodies he needs.

However, I think a call to your HV is the main thing you need to do to set your mind at rest. x

No, I have not said, ever, foremilk/hindmilk is bunkum - and I don't believe it is!

I'm not a resident guru, either, come to that :)

Foremilk/hindmilk needs to be explained, and this link does so:

www.nancymohrbacher.com/blog/2010/6/27/worries-about-foremilk-and-hindmilk.html

OP - you don't need to worry about fore/hindmilk from what I see in your post. It's good your HV is aware of your concern and thinks all is well.

I am never sure how mothers can diagnose wind - there are all sorts of reasons why a baby might pull away, and your suggestion he is overwhelmed by let down is one of them.

Maybe call one of the bf helplines and go through it?

Green poo could be the antibiotics - I am not sure how quick acting they might be. But green poo can be normal.

Am assuming his weight shows all is well in that department.

It's a good idea to offer the other side, BTW - deliberately not offering the other side is not a good idea, usually, in the first days and weeks.

Another v good article here

The reason there is so much conflicting info about is (IIRC) because the foremilk/hindmilk theory was until fairly recently thought to be true, and it was only recent research that has disproved (or explained?) this. Outdated info can hang around for ages because people tend to stick to what they were taught and not everyone follows the latest research and developments. And of course older articles hang around on the net for ages too.

The foremilk/hindmilk theory is correct - the only reason for confusion in my experience is that some writers and some HCPs never understood it (or it was explained wrongly to them).

Just so people know : it's 'theory' in the sense of 'coherent scientific explanation' not 'theory' in the sense of 'some idea someone has thought up' :) :)

I used to worry about this all the time but it sorted itself out on its own within a few weeks

Tiktok I meant 'foremilk/hindmilk imbalance' causing green poo being bunkum, not foremilk/hindmilk as a general concept altogether. And I don't think I'm the only one who thinks you're the resident guru.

Sorry tiktok, I too am pointing the finger at you and saying GURU.

In a month's time, DD will have been EBF for a year and it will very much be in part due to your sterling advice.

....I ain't no guru, honestly, and really don't want to be, I'm serious. Though it's lovely to hear that something I said helped, thank you, showtunes.

I still have never said that 'foremilk/hindmilk' anything being bunkum, truly, elphaba. Most women really don't need to be concerned about it, but it is also true that in a small no. of cases a baby (for various reasons - mainly over-supply, poor positioning and attachment, deliberate removal of baby from breast, deliberate spacing out of feeds) may end up not removing milk effectively or as much as he might otherwise need, and may get more foremilk than he might otherwise need....and green poo can sometimes be the result. I don't like to call it 'imbalance' as I don't think it's helpful or accurate, really, but I have never totally dissed it in general as far as I know :)

OK, I must have misread something. Master.

:)