Green poop causes?

[kim&savannah]

OK, I know that too much foremilk can cause green poops, but is there something else that could be going on here? 

Abe has had really bright green (like, grass colored) poops most of the time for several days now.  I have a hard time beleiving that he is never getting the hindmilk, unless I'm just not making much because at some of the feeds, he does feed for a long time, and even though most are now only a few minutes on each breast, he seems satisfied afterwards and is at the point where he isn't swallowing much when he quits. 

I just figured by 3 months, he's eating much more efficiently, so I haven't pushed it too much--and when I do try to get him to go back on, he usually bobs on and off and gets really fussy, so either he's still hungry and there isn't any milk coming out so he's frustrated (I don't think this is it because if I give him a paci, he usually calms down within a couple min. and is fine until the next feed--about 3 hours later), or he isn't hungry anymore and doesn't want me shoving my breast in his mouth (seems more likely

So, why have the poops been so green?  He used to have really nice yellow ones (never thought I'd be describing poop as really nice ).  Is it possible that when he stopped eating for as long, my breasts stopped making as much hindmilk?  Or could it be related to the food I'm eating?  DD was MSPI, but I haven't seen the same signs in Abe yet--no rash, runny nose, or dark circles under the eyes.  And I don't remember her poops regularly being green like this--just sometimes.

TIA!

~Kim

[RachelC]

I'm going to give you some websites to look through... so I don't have a good answer for you 

http://www.mother-2-mother.com/cc-baby-A.htm#GreenStools

http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/pediatricks/poop.asp

HTH

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

My only experience with green poo was the foremilk/hindmilk imbalance.  I keep getting it with dd1 and had to work to make sure it didn't creep up again.  Her poo would go from guacamole to parsely. 

I tried doubling up the feeds for a few days and that helped.  I'd feed from one breast, then feed that same breast at the next feed time (pumping the other).  Then do 2 feeds from the same breast on the other side for the next one.  Breast compression also helped, and I would also try pumping off a bit of the foremilk before I fed her so she'd stimulate more of the hindmilk with her nursing.

My suspicion is that's the problem, even if he's going 3 hours between feeds.  And yes, it only takes a few days when he doesn't get the hindmilk for your breasts to start producing more fore and less hind - at least in my experience.  Pain in the butt, though... 

[kim&savannah]

Thanks ladies--so, from those websites, it looks like it could be almost anything

I'm kind of thinking maybe it is an imbalance thing--I guess I need to work at getting my breasts to make more hindmilk--should I pump after I feed him as well?  When I do pump, I don't seem to get as much of the "cream" rising to the top as I did when he was younger, but I wasn't sure if I just wasn't pumping long enough.

This is a pain 

~Kim

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

You probably could also pump after you feed to try and stimulate more hindmilk production, if you can't get him to stay on long enough - that's the idea with pumping off a bit before you feed him - he doesn't get all that foremilk, and he'll nurse longer to stimulate production of more hindmilk.  Really use breast compression too - helps a lot.  And honestly, doing that plus about 2 days of the double up feeding and my imbalance was fixed.  You do need to stay on top of it though - always make sure to use the compression to keep him on long enough.  Do you have a strong letdown?  I think it's more common with that because the baby gets bored when things slow down... 

[daisymelan]

Kim, I am goign through something similar and this always seems to improve his poops.

I do the suggested recline while nursing and make sure Lorne's head is above his torso.  I told dp I was going to work on Lorne's poops starting to be yellow and not green and dp came back from changing los diaper and dp asked how I magically changed the colour of his poops.  LOL

And you're right, it is a pain.

[kim&savannah]

OK--I'll try the recline and I will pump after I feed him--I've been doing breast compressions this weekend, but so far, no real help.  I think I must have a pretty strong letdown because he just gulps down the milk for the first couple min. and then totally slows down and within a few min, doesn't want anything to do with my breast.  And he'll get kind of fussy, but as soon as I sit him up, he burps a HUGE burp, spits up a TON and then is totally happy, so he's definately getting enough milk, I would think.  Maybe I really should pump first and see if he'll still nurse the same amount of time but would get the fattier milk. 

Thanks again everyone.  I love being able to come here and think through these things and get feedback from everyone.

~kim

[Luisasmum]

I had a lengthy conversation with my LC about this. I finally decided to try the following method which she suggested, purely just to prove her wrong but it ended up working. Took three days though.

Firstly, she told me to stop pumping so much. 30mls (I think that's about 1oz?) off the first breast to stop the forceful letdown was ample. She said to feed off the first breast until it was soft (but DEFINITELY do not let baby empty it), burp, then finish the feed on the second breast. She also said to take my bra off and let the second breast drip into a towel while baby starts on the first breast.

It really doesn't make sense in terms of reducing the foremilk consumption but I think the idea behind it is to get your milk production in sync with your baby and the hindmilk/foremilk imbalance ends up sorting itself out.

I know it sounds completely wrong but do give it a try.

[kim&savannah]

Interesting that that worked because it does sound a bit different--so is the baby emptying the second breast?  This would definately be the easier method since Abe isn't too interested in staying on my breast once everything slows down so its a challenge to get him to really empty them, I think (I can't tell for sure exactly how empty he is getting them.)

I'll see what this other stuff does and if it doesn't fix it, I'll give that solution a try.

~Kim

[meltown]

so I am having the same battle but I only single side feed.  I hve been pumping off some of the formilk but his poops are still green.  were you double side feeding from the beginning??  I also was wondering how you know it evens out?  do you do it for a while and then try to not do it?  I have been hand expressing the begining formilk for a couple weeks then I tried to not do it and it seemed the same.  any Idea's?  should I try the double side thing?

[Luisasmum]

I was single side feeding from the beginning because I had so much milk that ds was getting enough without even coming close to emptying the breast. He was pretty much getting mostly foremilk though. I tried feeding from the same breast for two feeds in a row which helped a bit but not enough to convince me to continue down that path. But after three days on the weird method, ds's poos were coming out much less forcefully and were that normal mustard colour. Soon ds began coming off the first breast himself when the flow started slowing down, instead of me having to take him off. My breasts weren't as full and I wasn't leaking anymore so I knew my supply had regulated itself.

The first couple of days, ds wasn't emptying the second breast. In fact, I think he was just getting a second dose of foremilk because he actually became much worse and I nearly gave up. But as my supply began to slow down according to his demand, he began taking more and more from the second breast and it got to the stage where he was almost emptying both breasts.

The LC never actually told me the theory behind her apparent madness but from what I have read on the subject, in most cases, the hm/fm imbalance is actually the result of an over supply issue. ie. if you have too much milk, your lo may get something like 80% foremilk and 20% hindmilk just from the one breast, but if you are producing just enough milk, your lo will be able to finish both breasts, which should give him the perfect balance of fore and hind milk. Does that make sense?

[binxyboo]

Dr. Jack Newman (bf guru) believes green poops can be a sign of hindmilk/foremilk imbalance, but also just thinks in some cases it is normal and nothing to worry about if the baby is generally content and gaining weight okay.

[daisymelan]

So Luciasmum, how do you feed now?  Both breasts?  Did you just keep up the routine with offering both breasts?  I'm very intrigued.

[Luisasmum]

I just do whatever the boy wants now. He usually gets sick of one breast after a while so I put him on the other side to finish. I don't do any expressing and I no longer have to let the second breast drip while we start on the first. I haven't seen a green poo since I got my supply under control. Plus ds is almost four months now so he can handle lactose a bit better.

[meltown]

so is it to late for me to worry about it.  his poops have geen greener for a long itme.  but it has just gotten worse and worse, not better.  I was thinking that it may just be him but now I am wondering if it is me. but he has great weight gain and wet diapers so I was never really worried.  is it bad for them to have green poop?  or is it just a bothersome thing for mom?  plus, I don't spray with my let down or drip much eiher.  I used to a lot but I guess it is under control now so maybe I just have to stimulate more hindmilk??  right?