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Infant feeding

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Original poster

I've heard that green poo means they're getting too much milk? Help!

18 replies

Dawnybabe · 29/08/2009 23:38

My 3mo dd is exclusively breast fed, around four or five times a day for 20 mins - half an hour each time, and she usually went about three days before having a big poo. Now she's pooing three or four times a day, it's going green and she's not settling very well. Her milk intake hasn't changed noticeably. What's going on?

OP posts:
llareggub · 29/08/2009 23:54

Teething, perhaps? Both my babies have had green poo when teething.

spookycharlotte121 · 29/08/2009 23:57

i thought it meant they had wind when their poo was green?

PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 30/08/2009 00:06

i have never heard that it means too much milk I though green poo meant an infection of some kind ie symptoms of a cold/bug?

Oh so many different things people think it means. interested to find out what it really means, but I am sure its not too much milk, I think that turns it white/paler?

llareggub · 30/08/2009 00:12

I did google it the other day. I'll see if I can find it, hang on.

llareggub · 30/08/2009 00:14

what babycentre say

llareggub · 30/08/2009 00:20

I don't know where I got the info about teething!

pania · 30/08/2009 00:54

Ds1 (exclusively breastfed) used to have mostly green poos, and often quite mucousy. I don't think it really means anything in itself - he was always very happy and healthy, and big and strong, and still is.
It started at about 3 months IIRC and I think in the end I put it down to teething.

pania · 30/08/2009 01:11

Meant to say he's now 3 and a half tears old!

pania · 30/08/2009 01:13

Bloody hell 3 1/2 YEARS old.
He's not exclusively breastfed any more though but was until he was 7 months old.

mathanxiety · 30/08/2009 02:09

Is it dark green or light green? (Sorry to ask) I notice if my DD eats licorice her poo turns dark green. I think there's a food dye issue here, but also there's iron in licorice.

Jacksmama · 30/08/2009 02:49

Green poo is usually due to a relative excess of foremilk (relative to hindmilk). Foremilk contains more sugar, hindmilk more fat. The sugars somehow can turn poo green (don't know how). However, it's only a problem if baby is fussy, windy and uncomfortable - which some babies are if they get too much foremilk. In that case, it can help to let baby nurse from one breast for the entire feeding to get more hindmilk.

But poo colour is completely immaterial if baby has no tummy distress at all and is happy and healthy. DS frequently had bright neon green poos. Didn't seem to bother him. Whenever I ate beetroot, his poo turned purple. Gorgeous colour, actually .

For more info, see www.kellymom.com and type "foremilk-hindmilk imbalance" in the search box.

Grendle · 30/08/2009 21:26

Drinking lots of OJ is another potential cause of green poo. Anything changed in your diet recently?

If your baby is well, happy, gaining some weight and there are no signs of a prob, then green poo alone isn't a big deal .

LovelyTinOfSpam · 30/08/2009 21:29

DD1 had green poo quite a lot and everything was fine - she was happy and pooed weed regularly etc and was growing so I didn't let it bother me. Man they were lurid though.

DD2 (9wo) is currently sticking to yellow

Agree with others could be teething.

pushmepullyou · 30/08/2009 21:48

Green poo just means that it has passed through the bowel quite quickly. This can be due to high 'foremilk' consumption - there is more lactose, which is a mild laxative in the foremilk, or can be due to a mild bug or teething if she is swallowing a lot of saliva.

My DD (EBF) had a few spells of green poo lasting up to a fortnight, but it never seemed to bother her. Mentioned it to my GP, who was BFing her DD and she told me that poo could vary enoromously and as long as she was OK 'in herself' it was nothing to worry about.

mathanxiety · 30/08/2009 22:08

Should that be pooed comma weed, Lovelytinofspam?

LovelyTinOfSpam · 31/08/2009 21:53

No, mathanxiety.

I stand by my post.

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We have made a fortune

Original poster
Dawnybabe · 01/09/2009 11:00

Thanks for all your help guys, nice to hear some words of reassurance. Her poo has returned to its uniform mustard and she seems a bit more settled actually, so perhaps she just had an upset tummy, I don't know.
Cheers anyway!

OP posts:
Bridie321 · 02/09/2009 16:53

Hi there

I was also told by several midwives that green poop (looks a bit like pesto) rather than yellowy poop means that the baby is getting mainly fore milk and not enough of the fatty hind milk.

I was advised to offer only one breast per feed and offer the same breast again if the baby wanted to feed again within the hour...

Anyway - glad to hear that your little one is back to normal!

xox

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