One week old and green poo

[JuniDD]

hi, my baby is one week old and EBF is going really well.

We are getting the occasional (twice or so a day) green poo and I'm wondering if it's a problem. I always feed from one side until she sleeps for a long time so feel I am fully emptying the breast and she gets all the hindmilk she can. I asked the midwife today and she didn't seem bothered (kept asking if I eat spicy food - no!)

We've had a tough start and she was on IV antibiotics for five days. I still am on medication and hers finished yesterday. Could it just be the medication in both our systems clearing? Any other advice?

Many thanks

Green poo isn't a problem in itself.

You don't have to keep the baby on one side to ensure they get all the hind milk - it's fine to follow the baby's lead and swap sides when they come off the first. It's a good idea to always offer both sides.

The antibiotics in either of you give green poo, can be very normal anyway and you can eat a bucket load of spice and it won't colour your poo.

Usually you offer both sides per feed, babies take more milk and gain quicker that way. Long feeds, close together feeds all help babies take more fatty milk - we don't have to keep them on one side to achieve this.

Yeah wet nappies and mostly yellow poo now. How do you know when to offer the other side? I have started doing this when she's fed for ages on one side and clearly needed a drink but I never know how much longer she wants on the original side etc to know she's had enough hindmilk.

Offer if she comes off by herself, offer if your other breast feels full. It really won't matter. There is no hind milk as such, it just gets fattier the more that is taken. If you swop her before she is ready she will just get stuck into the next side:)

You don't need to worry about getting to hindmilk. Most of what is written on the topic is abject rubbish. Just feed until she loses interest in one side. Offer the other. Start on the opposite side next time. Simple.

Thanks all, I think I've got it figured out. Just very paranoid about not emptying but I'm looking at her and working out what she needs. Feel bad as she was previously clearly quite tired from working so hard at one breast when she actually needed a drink. I feel like my breasts are working together now instead of separately.

Had a lovely peanut butter poo today so pleased with that.

Sounds like you are both doing brilliantly:)

Thanks yellow. Can't believe how many times a day I need to hear that. Unofficial weigh in today and she's at birth weight so something going right!

Very right:)

Hope things are stil going well JuniDD

Iron tablets also make baby's poo green ( I found that out as was taking iron supplements after birth) so I wouldn't worry too much about green poo. The amount of times I've googled poo is unreal ! Amazing what is on the internet these days

Aw thanks olivia. I am on iron so will note that. It's been yellow today and yesterday so feeling a lot better. The next problem is fast let down! But that's a lot less worrying re weight.

Juni I found that my DS had green poo after having a lot of wind. And this was due to a poor latch. At 8 weeks we are latching much better now and are having fewer green nappies :)

Also, it's been pretty warm the last couple of days. When I'm warm my breast milk is much more watery (breast milk is very clever!) for hydration purposes and that can result in greener poos. If she's happy then green poo is not an issue in itself.