What does BF Poo look like - HV says DD might have threadworm?!?

[Cazwa]

My BF DD is 14 weeks and has had a poo "issue" for a while (or not an issue depending on your viewpoint). At 6 weeks she went 2 weeks without doing a poo, then 13 days, and has since gone 8-9 days without poos. Shes been completely fine, very content, lots of wet nappies and putting on weight, so I haven't worried too much and neither has my GP or HV.

The last week shes pooed every day (hurrah, but also boo as Im hating the pooey nappies now!) but Ive noticed that there are white stringy and lumpy bits amongst the orange/brown in her nappy that she didnt used to have (they used to be more like blancmange). Sort of like cottage cheese bleurgh. I mentioned it to HV today and unfortunately DD didnt do one to show her. She reckons that it might be threadworm by the sound of it.

However, Ive googled around and looked at various images (gross...) and Im 99% sure its not worms, so I was wondering if anyone can tell me if what Im seeing in her nappy sounds normal? I realise that anything written here is no substitute for taking her to the docs BTW which I will do.

The other thing is that her weight gain has tailed off, she started born on the 91st, and is now just below 50. HV said the threadworm might explain this, but Ive read in other discussions that as long as she is fine in every other way, feeding well etc. then not to worry about the charts. Now I have the thought it might be worms Im freaking out a bit.

God, never thought Id be so obsessed by poo....

Thanks in advance, even just for reading this drivel!

Is there any chance anyone else in your household has threadworm? (Big obvious symptom - really itchy anus, particularly at night.)

If not, there's no way your DD has threadworm.

Your DD's nappy sounds fine, anyway. Is she exclusively bf?

Threadworms tend to be still moving when they come out, too, which I think would be something you'd have mentioned if you'd seen it ...

like runny scrambled eggs?

Neither me or my hubbie have got worms. We have a cat though, HV said this could be the cause?

Shes exclusively BF, and yes, very like runny scrambled eggs. Ive got some sitting in a sample pot to take along to the docs and nothing is moving in it.

Cazzwa, the description you give sounds exactly like both my DS's (BF) poos, I could never understand why an exclusively breastfed baby's poo could have "bits" in it....

its just poo then.

i wouldnt worry tbh.

Sounds exactly like my kids poos were when they were breastfed.

I am not sure threadworms can be passed from cat to human - I think they are just a human version. But thye can be passsed easily - ie if anyone else has been hanvling your baby etc.

Thanks for the replies everyone, Im reassured!

Agree, sounds normal to me.

Is this the same HV who said you should be giving her water, by the way?

Sounds perfectly normal.

Ha, yes, thats the one. I tried a couple of times and then didn't bother, it didn't feel right. Lo and behold she is pooing regularly now without any intervention.

Humans can't catch worms from pets.

And they're not that easy to catch - you'd need someone who was handling the baby to put their fingers in her mouth, or somehow get things from their hands to your baby's mouth. (And even that would only make your baby infected for 6 weeks or so, as it's be hard for her to reinfect herself).

the poo does sound perfectly normal....my kids were all bf and it sometimes looked like the milk had curdled in some way.
If they had had a cold...it went very stringy and muckusy...they obviously swallow a lot of flem and stuff which just comes out the other end...
Has she had a cold at all?

Hi Cazwa

I remember my DD having poos like you describe. The BF group had told me that it might look like pips and strings so when these white coloured bits were present I didn't even give it a second thought.

How long will it take for the results of the sample to come back?

Lucy

I had completely forgotten about cottage cheese in mustard nappies. Happy days.

I havent given the sample in as Im now convinced its totally not worms. Also, HV said Im on holiday for 2 weeks so bring the sample back in then. As if Im going to wait 2 weeks if I think she really did have worms!

She also reckoned my DD had a flea bite on her nipple, which has turned out to be nothing, just a little bit of a red raised lump which has now disappeared as quickly as it came.

Dont think she likes my cat!

lol CF
Was it you who was doing weaning with make believe veg week by week??

Good grief! Another nutter HV!
Threadworms would be unlikely to cause weight loss - even a tape worm won't do that (unfortunately, or I'd go out and buy one!)
Your baby will not have caught worms from the cat.
Your baby HAS NOT GOT WORMS if no one else in the family has them.
Apart from the itchy bum you can sneak a torch under the covers and see them - they come out at night and look like threads of white cotton - hence the name.
Cat fleas do bite humans, but how on earth would your dd have got a flea bite on her nipple unless you make her sleep naked with the cat?
And watch out when you start weaning - you'll have black threads in the nappies then... it's banana.

Oh dear god, your health visitor is a nutter.
Ban her from your house.
Just think what she could be telling other woman who dont have as much cop on.

Lou

This HV obviously not every seen cheese being made then - it's just curds .

This HV really takes the biscuit, doesn't she?

I mean, in her defence, she has probably not been trained properly.

If the HV thinks a baby has worms that are so bad the baby is actually losing weight, then would this not be something of an emergency? In fact, threadworms would not cause weight loss, but she clearly doesn't know this.

Maybe you could go to your doc and say you need to be reassured, as a way of letting the doc know what a blinkin amateur the HV is.....