Yesterday my daughter had a big bm of yellow poop! But that was all every
poop before then and after was green. The same thing today it is nothing but
green. It is not frothy, just green. It is the same as the yellow poop just green. Anything I can do to make it go back to yellow? She just turned 6 weeks old
today. I do not want to have to stop breastfeeding if it is something that I
can correct. Thank you
My baby is 4 months old and very frequently has green poop and has since she was a few weeks old, sometimes for long stretches of time. I called the nurse at her pedi's office, asked her pedi at her 2 month well child visit, asked a different doc at her 4 month visit, asked the IBCLC who taught our breastfeeding class (and who, I might add, showed us the pictures of the 'normal' seedy yellow poops). All have said it is nothing to worry about. None have even suggested trying to do anything about it. It is definitely not something to think about stopping breastfeeding over.
Okay, that makes me feel so much better. Nothing seems to be wrong with her at all she is eating like normal and not fussy as much. I figure I will stop eating dairy products and see if that will maybe help out a bit too. Thank you again.
Wait, before you eliminate dairy, do you happen to have an overabundant milk supply? The most common cause of green poop is oversupply. Unnecessary dietary eliminations are one reason why many moms stop nursing- because they eliminate food after food trying to "solve" the green poops, and soon they're reduced to living on nothing but rice and chicken breast!
Some signs of oversupply:
- frequent feelings of fullness or engorgement
- milk may stream or spray from the breast if baby pulls off during a letdown
- baby gains weight relatively rapidly
- baby may choke, cough, gag, splutter, or click when nursing
- baby may feed fairly quickly, sometimes in as little as 5-10 minutes
- mom may leak a lot
- mom may be able to pump multiple oz of milk with ease if she is pumping
As the PP said, green poops are almost always nothing to worry about. As long as baby seems happy and healthy and is growing at a normal rate, it doesn't really matter whether the poops are yellow or green.
I don't think I have an overabundant milk supply. My breasts do not feel full, unless it is close to her to eat and she has not woken up yet. Then I can start to feel them fill up.
Sometimes my milk with spray when she pulls off. (I didn't know that was when the letdown was happening) Thank you for telling me that.
Not sure on the weight gain only because she doesn't go back for her 2 month appt. until the 31st.
She sometimes choke's and coughs, not all the time but sometimes.
I no longer leak.
When I have pumped my left side I can pump close to 3 to 4 oz. while on my right side I can pump 2 oz.
She feeds like my son did, would only eat for 5 minutes and be full until it was time to eat again. At least once through-out the day she will eat for up to 15 minutes.
She seems very happy, she doesn't cry unless she wants to be held, or she is hungry. She doesn't even cry when she is dirty.
Thank you for your advice.
Sounds like you might have some mild oversupply. 5-7 oz from a single pumping session is definitely in excess of a 6 week-old baby's needs; most 6 week-old's are taking maybe 2-4 oz at a feeding. The fact that baby is sometimes choking and coughing at the breast, that she's feeding in just 5 minutes, and that you're sometimes seeing milk spray indicates that you may have a rapid letdown, which is usually caused by higher than average supply.
So what do you do about this situation? I personally wouldn't do anything except try using more reclined nursing positions. Enlisting gravity to slow the flow of milk can make nursing more comfortable for the baby and reduce the choking and coughing. Green poops in a healthy, extremely happy, mellow (!) baby are not a health issue. They're just a variation on normal. And time should eventually take care of the oversupply- most moms find that their supply ultimately adjusts to meet demand very precisely, at which point green poops usually diminish or vanish.
I am also enjoying nursing my first newborn after 6 years! Congratulations!
from what you describe it sounds like you may have a little forceful letdown, where the milk comes “fast” from the breast. I was going to say faster than average, but I am not even sure that is true. Lots of moms have forceful letdown especially in the early weeks. So I don’t know what average is. Anyway, that could cause green poops, and may or may not mean overabundant milk production. For example, at 9 weeks, I still have some forceful letdown, even though my milk production has regulated nicely and I no longer have any engorgement etc.
The good news is, it appears to not worry your baby a bit, in which case there is absolutely no need to worry or do a thing about it! I would note that ffld (and overproduction) are worsened if mom schedules (delays feedings) rather than cue feeds/lets baby nurse frequently, and also worsened if baby is encouraged to nurse on 'both sides' every nursing session, rather than being allowed to "finish" on the side they start on each nursing session before switching to the other (or not switching) as they choose. So no need to do those things (which are unfortunately often recommended) if you are. Just relax and enjoy your baby.
Getting Comfortable Here
Green Poop at every diaper change?
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