Are green poos a problem if everything else is fine?

[AppleAndBlackberry]

My DD is 3 months old and doing fine with breastfeeding - happy, putting on weight etc. I've just started feeding on both sides because she was feeding every 1-2 hours in the day and both sides helps her go 2-3. Her poos have got greener, but I'm just wondering is this a problem in itself if she's still happy and growing and everything else is fine?

Hi there - green poo can indicate that baby is getting a lot of foremilk. It may be that once you have emptied one breast of foremilk and hindmilk (full fat and creamy) and change to the other baby is not emptying the 2nd breast and just getting foremilk from it.

I would suggest (if you're not already) at each feed starting with the breast you finished with last and then swapping to the second. When you're tired and feeding so frequently it is easy to forget which side you finished on, so a good way to remember is to attach a reminder to the the strap of the side you finished on, such as a ribbon or hairband, and swap each time you change. You can actually buy bras with a bead on the front and you slide it to the each side.

HTH x

Thanks Tallulah. I try to make sure she 'finishes' the first side before offering the second and I do start on the one I finished with last time. Also it's probably only about half the feeds that she accepts the second. So I don't think I can change the ratio of foremilk to hindmilk unless I go back to only offering one side - my main question was is it a problem?

No, green poo not normally considered a problem at all.

It really does not matter - nor can anyone tell - if a baby is getting more foremilk. There is so much anxiety over this and it is usually unnecessary

Foremilk/hindmilk ratio is fine in whatever quantities for the majority of babies. There is no need to 'engineer' the timing or technique of feeding (in a healthy, thriving, happy baby) to adjust this.

Alternating the breast started on is a matter of convenience - it equalises supply (a bit) and ensures that both breasts get sim. stimulation, which can be an issue for some women who might not produce a sufficient supply otherwise, early on in bf. I don't think it matters in a happily bf 3-mth-old, honestly

Tallulah, you and I differ on this - we surely don't need to be worried about 'emptying' a breast, or deliberately keeping a baby on for longer? The pattern you describe - more milk removed on the first side, and less on the second - is normal and does not present problems. The other pattern - less milk removed on the first side - is also normal, and also nothing to worry about

OP - green poo is on the normal spectrum for healthy babies. Sounds like your dd is healthy

Thanks tiktok - that's good to know

Sorry to OP and tiktok. I was just sharing information which my HV had shared with me when I had similar concerns. It seems I should have come on Mumsnet myself in the first place!

Feel bad - hope I didn't worry you. I am in no way qualified and just shared my experience.

Sorry again

This is super helpful for me, thanks, my DS has green poo pretty consistently, is totally breast-milk fed but gets some in an SNS as I have lowish supply, so I was fairly sure it wasn't a foremilk imbalance. Glazd to hear I can stop worrying!

If you and this poster get together you can mix it and both have brown.

Sorry, saw both in active and couldn't resist.

Trillian

That's ok Tallulah - I wasn't really worried, just wanted to double check iyswim

i have got 6 months old baby and i was going to start solid food very soon but i couldn't because of her poos which is dark green and her sleeping routine.

her poos was very yellow before than when i had mastites and using antiobaotic since than it changed Now it is dark green and very mucusy and i am really worry about it as she is only breastfeeding why it changed? also she suddenly start to crying in the midnight and it takes a few hours to back to the sleep. just couple of weeks ago everything was completely diffrent she was very happy and sleep easily good enough milk but now she is crying a lot and keep wake us up most night.

i thought she has tummy ache that she has green poo but now i read Tallulah message and it is about foremilk i am totaly confusing.

Please help me...

Hi Berfin - it seems my information may not have been totally correct, as per tiktok's message, so please don't let my ramblings worry you.

Mustardy/yellow poo is good also. I have also had mastitis and took antibiotics and both of these things can affect the colour and texture of baby's poo- in fact, everything does! I have also found every shade of green and mucusy poo. Could she be teething - this can also be a factor of affecting sleep patterns and bowel movements. Is she othrwise happy, healthy, alert and gaining weight?

If you are worried I would suggest you speak to a qualified person, such as Breastfeeding Counsellor from your local NCT, for example.

HTH x