Green Poop in Breastfed Infant?

[divinedimension]

My 4 week old is suddenly pooping light green. He exclusively breastfeeds. Is this ok? I am worried!

[@llli*andrea.wolford]

green poop can be a sign of too much foremilk and no hind milk.
Mother may experience:

Strong or even painful sensation when milk ejects
Frequent spraying of milk from one or both breasts
Excessive leaking
More than one let-down per nursing session
Repeated mastitis (breast infections)
Baby may exhibit:

Fussiness and/or gassiness
Frequent stools, often green, curdy and mucusy
Gulping, gasping and choking while nursing
Excessive weight gain
Apparent lack of "comfort" nursing
Discomfort when breastfeeding, sometimes so intense that baby goes on strike
Possible early weaning (often close to the first birthday, sometimes sooner)

[Aidan's mom]

I agree with pp. I had/have fore and hind milk issues. As a result, my DS would have greeny BM.

Do you or baby exhibit any of the symptoms posted above?

[divinedimension]

I agree with pp. I had/have fore and hind milk issues. As a result, my DS would have greeny BM.

Do you or baby exhibit any of the symptoms posted above?

Definitely. I haven't had mastitis, but my son's pediatrician thinks I've had a small amount of thrush. The fussiness while eating, the excessive weight gain, the leaking, the spraying of milk, the gasping/choking while nursing, and painful letdown are all problems I'm dealing with.

How do I correct the problem?

[@llli*brooklynmama]

Take a look at this link http://www.llli.org/FAQ/oversupply.html It should help you determine if you have an oversupply problem.

[Mommie of 2]

Do check out the link...I haven't read it, but make sure you look into "block feeding" if it doesn't mention it.

My oldest ds had alot of problems due to Overactive Letdown(OALD) and Oversupply. He actually had pretty explosive watery green poops. It was kind of scary sometimes, you'd get the diaper off while changing it, and out would come another bunch of yucky green. My oldest was also in daycare from 7 weeks until 4.5 mos. I had been block feeding, but it didn't completely clear it up. What was going wrong for me, was that since I was making so much milk...too much...LO would only drink from one breast at a session...so when I pumped at work twice a day and nursed him directly for lunch, I was pumping both breasts...so, by pumping, I was telling my body to make twice as much milk as LO actually drank...and, I pumped so much, that most of the milk was foremilk in the container, I sometimes had to switch containers, but many times stopped pumping after 10 or 12 minutes, but my breasts weren't near being empty, but I didn't realize it, so LO was getting mostly foremilk in his bottles at daycare. That's what caused the explosive green poop and LO drowning in milk at the breast. I actually quit working when LO was 4.5 mos. old and never gave him another bottle (except for 1 I think from frozen milk when dh and I went out). The green poops left within a week, my first whole week home.

If I worked, and had to pump, I would definitely make sure that I pumped only one breast(that's how much our youngest ds eats too...I still make enough milk for a whole country) and I would make sure that I emptied the whole breast when I pumped. If it took 2 containers of milk from the one breast at a time, I'd make sure to thoroughly mix them together before making up a bottle for LO so that he got the same amount of foremilk and hindmilk each time. I think that that'd probably clear up the green poop issues. If your LO does take both breasts at a session, make sure they're both emptied when you pump.

[binxyboo]

Also google Dr Jack Newmans site. Excellent info there. Good luck!

[JustSasha]

I have an oversupply problem, and I have found that blockfeeding is helping gradually. Mostly I notice that it gets her poos back to a nice healthy yellow. Whenever they are green or mucusy, but she is producing enough wet/dirty diapers, I just try to nurse on one breast per feeding instead of both.

[@llli*bellygurl]

Thanks for posting this question. I have researched this a couple of times, and been able to rectify it. As the weeks have gone on, his father and I both noticed that his poo was turning green. I couldn't say it was frothy, because I really can't tell with the diaper. But, it is mucousy.

Lately, I have been pumping a whole 5 ounces in the a.m. since dad feeds him the bottle in the middle of the night. Furthermore, when he lets go milk is pouring out everywhere.

Although, he is an overall happy and healthy baby, gaining weight (slowly), feeding every two hours at the least, and having wet and stool diapers; I get worried. I will try this block feeding and see how it works out.

[@llli*jjk]

This is helpful to me too. Thanks!
We meet all of the symptoms of oversupply and it is hard to see her so upset while nursing. She turns red from crying even though I try to help her and finally I give her a paci and she settles down. Oversupply can be tough.