Green mucousy poo in 5 mo EBF baby

[Whatevertheweather]

My 5mo DD started getting green poo's about 10 days ago. Not every nappy but around half. She also went from going once every few days to going 6-8 times a day (and night!!). Nothing changed in my diet. She feeds about 6 times in 24 hours. She started waking for a feed around 1am again which she had previously stopped.

I have read that green nappies in EBF babies can be caused by fore/hind milk imbalance but she only feeds from one side per feed and there is 3-4 hours between feeds so if it is this I don't know how to correct it? She feeds for 10mins on average sometimes less. She's an average weight for 23 weeks (16lbs). She is showing signs of teething (dribbling, chewing fingers)

Do I need to worry?

Hello! I am by no means an expert on green poo but have also been ebfg for almost 10 months. Dd had it and it was due to a dairy intolerance which peaked at 6 months and disrupted her sleep for a long time, and gave her runny explosive nappies constantly. It is now thankfully gone. It started when she was around 2 weeks old and your baby is much older so not sure if its that, although an intolerance can appear at anytime so may be worth checking with a doctor but it is very difficult to spot and confirm in babies. The easiest way is to cut out dairy for just two weeks and see if this improves things,not necessary to do this though if your baby still seems happy and content with just green poo.

I have also read that various foods can make poo green at anytime when bfing, most of the time you will never even know or be able to work out why. It's probably nothing to worry about, the night waking is usually due to growth spurts and just needing to feed more for a little while, that also calms down again. After 3 babies I still have had to wing it half the time! Hope your little one is ok and his poos return to normal soon!

Thank you Bolly I did wonder about lactose intolerance which is what led me to the possible lactose overload from the milk imbalance. Could it manifest after 5 months though?

Hello! Apparently with babies and children things can just start according to my dd's paediatrician. I think although am not entirley sure, its often true allergies which dont just come and go, intolerance is different. Babies can suffer a temporary lactose intolerance after being poorly. I think she meant after tummy bugs that kind of thing but they generally get better.

She also told me there can be a lot of lactose in breast milk sometimes which doesn't always affect most babies and we came to the conclusion after I cut dairy out for a while that dd was sensitive to lactose too but probably only while I was bfing. She got better but had runny nappies without the pain and discomfort for a couple more months after the dairy thing cleared up. A true lactose intolerance is rare according to the doctor and dairy intolerance is more common.

An actual allergy to dairy is less common but temporary lactose intolerance in babies can be seen more often, so it could be that for your little one and will probably clear up. I had the fore milk problem at the beginning too and sorted that out which is how I also knew there was more going on in dd's tummy. It really is a case of trial and error! Dd is so much better now, eating huge amounts of food (ii tried to gradually give her solids but she just wants what everyone else is having! unstoppable!) and only bf's once or twice daily and once late at night with another feed around 2am. Although she slept all night last night and has been very settled tonight! I am hoping for more sleep at last!

Thanks so much Bolly I think it must be my milk. Another hideously green one this morning - like the colour of cooked broccoli with some lighter green as well. She's also started to really struggle with wind pain again which is making for very disturbed nights.

I was going to have to start weaning her on to formula in the next few weeks anyway as I've got to go back to work in March I had hoped to keep feeding her morning and night but if its causing her pain I may just have to switch completely.

Could it just be the teething or a bug Whatever? My 4 month old had two episodes like this - one at about 2 months and another at the moment (grrr, I empathise with the irritation of moving from a poo every few days to 6 times a day. He got the carpet the other day).

The first time I was pretty worried and started to look into intolerances etc, but after a week or two it resolved itself.

This time around I'm hoping it's the same thing and will go in its own time. He's had a slight cold both times and is also furiously stuffing his hands in his mouth and drooling madly. Bolly, that info from your paed about the temporary lactose intolerance is interesting and seems like it would explain things.

Hope your DD improves on her own soon OP and that it's not your milk.

Good points habitual infact I seem to remember reading something about excessive saliva also causing green poo, when teething? Is your little one teething yet OP? I too go back to work soon, my sympathies!!