Any poo experts out there? DS (11.5 months) with very runny poo...

[MuffinMclay]

It isn't diarrhoea, as such, in that he isn't pooing all day long (twice a day, same time of day as normal), but when he does poo it is really liquid stuff. He had a tiny drink of cow's milk on Thursday, and I put it down to that, but 3 days later things are still the same. I can't think of anything different that he's eaten. Possibly more tomato sauce-based meals than normal.

He's having a tomato free day today to see if that helps, but I don't really know what else to try eliminating.

Are there foods that can make poo runny and should be avoided? What could he eat that might firm things up a bit? I am very inexperienced in poo matters.

IME (4 children) runny poo isn't really anything unusual at that age, especially if it is not offensive smelling (well you know what I mean, worse than usual!) and it is not more frequent that usual.

I think bananas are meant to be good for binding things up a bit.

I'm just baffled as to why it has suddenly gone so runny. He's absolutely fine in himself, not at all unwell. Thought I'd better check that it wasn't a big deal and i was being a bit blase about it all.

I'll give him some extra banana to see if that helps. He's already on one a day! HV told me (when he was about 8 months old) not to give him too much banana because it would make him constipated, but that advice washed over me really.

Oh dear - hopefully it won't turn out to be the same, but there is a bug going round locally at the moment - dd has been ill with it over the last week - started with sickness, then progressed to diarrhoea.

Or is he teething again? dd seems to be better now, but still has liquid poo, and we're putting it down to a combination of teething and the fact that she hasn't had solids for nearly a week!

Was it the first time he's had any cows milk btw? It will stay in the system for a few days.

CSWS - Poor dd - hope she is back to full health soon. Yes, there are a few children in my village with D&V too.

I hadn't thought of teething. It could be that, although he hasn't got the usual red cheeks or dribbling.

He's had cow's milk cooked in things before now (sauces, custard etc), but this was the first time just drinking it as it is. I didn't realise it stayed in them for so long.

Ah don't be fooled by the dribbling and red cheeks - dd never gets either! Teething poo does normally have a rather distinct smell to it though, which can be a good clue.

Now, in my position as expert on milk intolerance (!!), I can tell you that cooking milk makes the proteins in it easier to digest (as does turning it into formula, which is obviously also made from cows milk), so it is possible that it could be the milk, if he has just a very mild intolerance.

When you've been used to consuming dairy regularly, you're advised that it takes around 10 days for it all to leave your system, but I don't know figures for a one off consumption - more than a day but less than a week would be my guess .

I'd lay off the cm, see if it improves or any teeth appear, and if necessary, give cm again once it has settled down to see if the same thing happens.

Thanks CSWS - fab advice! I'll do that. Have a good Easter.

Back to the decorating for me....