questions about green poo, thrush and speedy letdown

[MrsHappy]

My 6 week old DD has thrush (as do I) which is hopefully on the way out. But she produces the most smelly bright green poos and has done for the past 4 or 5 days. I am trying to feed her repeatedly on the same side (while expressing the other side and then offering the second breast if she is still hungry) to increase the amount of hindmilk she is getting but it seems to make no difference.

Could thrush cause green poo? Should I worry about the green poo in itself (she appears happy and fusses only when hungry, tired or about to poo, and I am pretty sure she is growing fine)? If it is a problem what can I do to sort it out?

I'm worried as well that maybe my letdown is a bit forceful. DD1 used to manage just fine, but gulped a whole feed down inside 10 minutes. This baby comes on and off the breast with a clicking noise (making me sore). At first I thought this was the thrush but I have notice that the clicking happens at the start of a feed more than at the end. Other than the expressing is there anything I can do to help this or should I just hope that as she grows she will get better at dealing with this, and that my flow might settle down?

Thanks. I've so far not really enjoyed feeding this baby - it has been painful and difficult. After having had the easiest time in the world with DD1 it is really quite irksome...

Wow a lot of this post applies to me!! ds2 is 7 weeks tomorrow.

Can I ask you what you are doing to treat your and your babies thrush? We have the daktarin gel and the nystatin, not sure which is the best, both are a pain to use imo.

I think ds2 has had green poos due to a cold and therefore wasn't feeding as well and maybe not getting as much hind milk...since he's had some good feeds we've had some yellower ones.

I too have a fast let down, I have found feeding lying down and tilted back helps. If I were you I'd stop the expressing as you'll make more milk and maybe have an even faster flow???

We're on nystatin for her and canasten cream for me - the GP suggested changing to this after the daktarin cream made no inroads, and in fact my nipples got more sore if anything. One friend of mine knocked her thrush on the head by covering her nipples with Daktarin oral gel - maybe that is the way to go if the GP has prescribed it to you?

I agree that the nystatin is a pain to use. Ours came with a ridiculous little spoon so I am putting it on my finger and sweeping it around DD's mouth. At least that way it gets to the right place and some of it is swallowed.

The expressing is just a little bit to take some of the force away. We'll have to see if it helps.

I'm taking acidophilus as well - hopefully the bacteria will beat up the yeast or something...

Glad your DD's poos are returning to yellow... mine is a greedy guts but nothing seems to help, although I am not sure whether green poos are much of a worry IYSWIM.

I took DS to the Drs when he was little as I was concerned about his lovely grassy-green poos (he'd been doing them for 6 weeks or so). They said to come back with a day's worth of nappies, which of course were then yellow-er than they had been for ages, then that afternoon he did a very green one, so I rushed it back in (neurotic? Moi?) - I was told that they were normal BF nappies. He didn't have thrush though and I would take a green nappy to the drs if you're worried.

I also have a very fast let down (DS used to cough or have milk dripping from his nose when I fed lying down). Luckily I met a girl with an older baby, who also had a fast let-down when DS was 2 weeks, as I'd been told by NCT to prepare for hour-long feeds so couldn't work out what was going on when DS only ever fed for 5-15 mins! Babies do get better at coping with the speed and your let down does calm down a bit over time.

I found expressing made my let down worse, but by letting him latch then de-latching him and letting the milk spray into a handy cup (so not expressing but letting it come out IYSWIM) really helped and he could then feed in peace. From recollection I only needed to do that for a week or so though.

Oh and I was told that the foremilk/hindmilk thing is not really something to worry about, so maybe stop expressing and just relax and switch boobs each feed like normal and see what happens.

Some good info here
www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html
I wouldnt worry about the formilk/hindmilk thing, not sure there is anything in it.

Feeding with your baby is a more upright postion helps with fast let down.
I had fast let down and babies do get used to it but adjusting the position and letting some milk flow into a cup or muslin at the start of a feed did help.

Thank you. Her poos are starting to become a bit more yellow, so I think that making her stay on the same side for an age and expressing off the first ounce are helping a bit.
I keep waiting for her to get to grips with the fast letdown but just this morning she came off the breast and got sprayed all over her face and head, poor wee girl.

Now I just need the miserable thrush to clear up. No luck as yet, her tongue is still white at the back and my nipples hurt.

Does anyone know whether a baby of this age ought to have a tongue which is a bit white? I'm not sure how I will know when the thrush has gone.

Hello again.
TBH I think the white tongue thing is a bit of a red herring (I got worked up about it with DS2 but am now sure it wasnt thrush).
I think most babies have white tongues, its just milk residue.
The fact your nipples are sore is prob more to do with latch than anything else.

Again have a look on kellymom and try and get some RL help if you can, ie someome experienced to check your latch.

Thanks Pannacotta. I've got the number of someone who I will call tomorrow.
Just had the shock of my life: DD's poos which are green and have some mucus in now have blood in them too. Poor baby - she seems fine but it is just not quite right... I'm going from mildly bothered about the green poo to very very anxious about the blood.

Hmm the blood does sound worrying, I know it is possible for newborn girls to have mini-periods, caused by your hormones. I can only suggest you consult the doctor.

However the clicking and possible bad latch can be indicative of tongue-tie, has your DD been checked for that (and it can be mis-diagnosed)

Yes, definitely time to call in the experts. I don't think it is hormonal, since IME that business happens earlier, in the first few days or so after birth.

A week or so ago I was worried my supply was waning because she seemed constantly hungry and I could not pump so I took some fenugreek. I've had a look and it seems that it causes green poos, so hopefully avoiding it and block feeding etc will sort this out.

Really really hope the BFC has time to speak to me tomorrow- I feel like a total novice.