Is this consistency normal ?!

[DJs mummy]

My DD is 4 months old and formula fed.  Her stools are like water though    Is that normal.  They look like a breastfed baby's nappies to me.  Mustardy in colour and very loose.  She only goes once a day (at most) but it is always VERY messy.

I just spoke to my Health Visitor this afternoon - mainly about Hannah still being very sicky, but then she asked about her bowel movements and that got me thinking that they are very different to what Daniel's were like when he was little. She said to make an appointment with her doctor as she said it could be due to lactose intolerance. 

I actually think her problem is more to do with reflux (so I'm not sure why her poo would be so runny) but I'm going to take a stool sample anyway to get it checked.  Just wondering what you lovely ladies think.

[em_here]

My DD was the same, she has cows milk intolerance and lactose intolerance.  She is now on Neocate.  She also has reflux but I don't think reflux is connected the runny poo.  You said she is sick a lot so maybe reflux.  My lo has silent reflux and is on meds.

Does your lo cry a lot, my babes milk allergy made her cry for hours and hours.  She also had blood in her poo a lot, ever seen that?

[DJs mummy]

She has always been a sicky baby but instead of 'growing out of it' as everyone said would happen she actually seems to have got worse.  And whereas before she didn't really seem in discomfort with it now she certainly is.  Sometimes it's a real struggle to feed her as she pulls away from the bottle, arches her back and cries.  She is a really difficult baby to feed now. She also is still being sick (not massive amounts but enough to be a pain) right through to her next feed (3.5 hours usually).

The HV said the doctor will prob prescribe Gaviscon and that would (and I quote) 'completely stop her being sick'     Hmm, is that true.  She makes it sound so easy!  Thing is I've been on at her about this since Hannah was a few weeks old.  Why does she only decide to take me seriously now 

I've never seen blood in her stools.  Sometimes they're very 'bitty'.  Kind of like mustard coloured water with lots of bits in     And to be honest she doesn't really cry a lot.  She's actually a very placid and happy baby which I think is what is confusing us all.  There's definitely something not quite right, but she's gaining weight and is happy and healthy.

[em_here]

hmmmm, you maybe need to show doc a nappy so he can see (sounds gross but I did!  ).

My babe was gaining weight too, so took them three months and 5 hosp admissions to do anything bout it.

Yeah Gaviscon may stop the sick, but probably not the acid which may or may not be coming up.  Maybe you should try the gaviscon first then at least if it does not sort things you can say that you tried it.  Arching and screaming during feeds is a key sign of silent reflux (acid backing up and burning the throat).

Don't let them fob you off, and keep trying if you are not happy. As I know now, mummy definately knows best 

[londongirl]

hi
 my 10 week old has always had very loose stools and lately they have been watery. the doc said that unless they have mucus or blood, or the frequency increases, i dont need to worry.  I also spoke to the health visitor, who reiterated this and added the colour should not be green. Lucky i was at home the other day when she did the most watery poo and it ended up all over my lap. Luverly 

[oilerbaby]

Hi there - all three of mine have been bottle fed right from the start and I have never seen watery stools... I would probably take a "sample" to the doc as well!

[nomadwoman]

The backing away from feeding, arching back and a lot of crying- also sudden crying when she was asleep (as if someone hit her and the suddenly back asleep like nothing happened) were sings of silent reflux in my daughter which was not diagnosed until she was 3 1/2 months.  She was prescribed an anti-acid and it worked.  I slept my first full night after she took it the first day!  She was also very gassy so they gave us anti-gas at first, but it didn't work because it seemed that it wasn't her tummy but her intestines that had trapped gas, so the anti-gas didn't do much.  If she's also spitting up a lot then I would say she's got the classic symptoms of acid reflux (as described to me).  When I fed my daughter and she got fussy I'd put her on her tummy and she would stop almost right away... being on the tummy really helped.

The runny poo- mustardy also sounds like my little girl.  I gave her fomula and breastfed her as well.  I worried about the consistency, etc.. since she was born premature and her intestines had not developed well when she was born, but at around 6 months and when she started eating solids, she just started to get firmer and firmer stools- and a more normal colour (green, bright yellow, and looking runny with rabbit droppings things...in different colours!). 

[Chix0r]

My DD's stool seems to change on a daily basis.  One day it's seedy, green and wet, the next day it's yellow clay.  She's on formula, so it's the same thing every day.  My dr said not to worry about it unless it's white, red, or looks like rabbit pellets.