fenugreek and fussy baby?

[tequilacream]

Hi my LO id 7.5 mo and is BF and baby-led weaned. My right boob has a very small output, but it seemed the combination of both was working well for my LO until recently. He stared waking up every 3 hours at night after sleeping 4-5 hour periods for a long while. I thought I could use some supply increase so turned to fenugreek. Now, my LO is also teething and very slobbery / gripy at times. Since I started taking fenugreek he seems to come off the boobs fairly quickly and seems to be more fussy in general. Is it teething or the fenugreek? Or maybe I now have an over supply? Must add that poos have turned greenish and frothy. Will try stopping fenugreek, but wanted to see if anyone has had similar experiences?

Green poos mean a temporary lactose intolerance, so something has irritated the intestinal lining. Kellymom does mention intestinal upset as a possible side effect if fenugreek.

OTOH, maybe your lo just doesn't like the taste of fenugreek? If you're taking enough to affect milk supply, you and your milk will smell of it strongly.

Try stopping taking fenugreek for a couple days - if all the fussy behaviour keeps going, then it probably isn't the fenugreek and teething etc. is to blame.

Btw, I wouldn't worry about the fore/hind milk balance stuff unless you suddenly have massive oversupply. Babies generally work out their own proportion of milk fat just fine, even if they're fussing, over the course of the day.

Re oversupply - you'll know if you have it because of uncomfortably full boobs (have they become engorged since you started taking fenugreek?), leaking where you didn't before, and/or a forceful letdown (does your milk spray a distance if baby pulls away mid-letdown?).

If you do suddenly have oversupply taking a herbal galactagogue, you most likely didn't need to boost your supply in the first place.

Green poo doesn't always mean lactose intolerance, it can be caused by a number of things...not feeding for long enough so not obtaining the higher fat "hindmilk", antibiotics, upset tummy, teething etc.

I vouch for oats to boost supply, as well as regular feeding and suckling sessions, or expressing for a few minutes after feeds.

I tried fenugreek but stopped after a week as it really made me stinky!

Thanks all. Have now stopped fenugreek and will see what happens. Happy to go with oats as love them. I did read about the green poo side effect on kellymom thus just validating it here - just comparing notes.

Just to clarify, green poo from upset stomach, virus, too much high-lactose foremilk, etc. IS lactose intolerance (the temporary, secondary kind). It just means more lactose than the digestive tract can cope with at the moment.

An irritated small intestine has trouble producing lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose, so milk transits the system more quickly and the lactose ends up being digested by the large intestine, causing gas, cramping, and green acidic poo. But once the gut heals, it's all back to normal again.

Just wanted to clarify in case it sounded like I meant congenital, primary lactose intolerance - which is extremely rare.