How long does it take for LO to digest breastmilk?

[@llli*sch.mommy]

I'm trying to observe my eating patterns with LO's poo . . . to see what's causing the gas, different coloured poo, etc.

so . . . I'm wondering . . .

A - how long before the average meal I eat enters my breastmilk?

B - how long before kiddo poo's out the breastmilk? (ie, is the poo that I change from the previous feed? or 3 feeds prior?)

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[@llli*djs.mom]

Those specific questions I can't answer...but breastmilk generally takes 1-3 hours to be absorbed.

[@llli*swanny]

I believe that if depends on the age of the child. As they age their bowl movements change. Also, if they are going through a growth spurt they may not go as often as well. I really dont have a good answer for you.

If you are keeping a log though, maybe you will start to see a patten emerge.

[@llli*sch.mommy]

Originally Posted by swanny

I believe that if depends on the age of the child. As they age their bowl movements change. Also, if they are going through a growth spurt they may not go as often as well. I really dont have a good answer for you.

If you are keeping a log though, maybe you will start to see a patten emerge.

thanks maybe I'll try that! My LO is only 3 1/2 weeks, so he is still constantly pooping, lol.

[@llli*djs.mom]

Bowel movement have to do with the maturation of the digestive tract. That can not be used to track how quickly breast milk absorbed as older breastfed children very regularly don't have a bowel movement for a week or longer. That doesn't mean it's taking that long for the food to be digested.

It you are going to tract anything in regards to that, it should be how often your child is eating. For a breastfed child who is fed on demand will self regulate perfectly.

[@llli*LLLJessica]

Like PP's have said, there's no one answer really. Different foods take different amounts of time to appear in milk, and babies digest things at different rates as well. A log of what you are eating can help to determine sensitivities, but sometimes you really have to start cutting things out to see a clear picture.

Can you tell us more about what you are concerned with? The amount of diapers, consistency, color - you know good ol' poo talk

Is your baby fussy with the gas, or just passing it frequently? What seems to cause you the most concern?

[@llli*sch.mommy]

Originally Posted by LLLJessica

Like PP's have said, there's no one answer really. Different foods take different amounts of time to appear in milk, and babies digest things at different rates as well. A log of what you are eating can help to determine sensitivities, but sometimes you really have to start cutting things out to see a clear picture.

Can you tell us more about what you are concerned with? The amount of diapers, consistency, color - you know good ol' poo talk

Is your baby fussy with the gas, or just passing it frequently? What seems to cause you the most concern?

My biggest concern is green poo.

Every time I change my LO (which is at every feeding, 2-3 hours apart) there is poo in the diaper. Most of the time it is a small amount, with a couple of larger amounts throughout the day. Lately, his poo has had a green tinge to it. I assumed that it was a fore/hindmilk imbalance, so I started block feeding. Poo turned more yellowish . . . then back to green again, lol. I recently learned that greenish poo could be connected with caffeine. I was hoping that there was a quick method to "time" the poo to see how the caffeine was affecting him, but I guess I'll have to buck up and just skip the caffeine for a couple of days and see if there is an improvement. I'm still block feeding, so maybe I just haven't given the block feeding enough time. I've read that I should begin to see an improvement within 4 to 7 days and I've only been doing it for 5 days so far . . . it's just so disheartening to see green poo - I want to fix it as fast as I can. Patience isn't one of my best virtues (although I have a great amount for my children, lol) and I guess I was looking for a quick fix and easy answer. I'd like to snap my fingers and turn is poo yellow, and stop the crampiness . . .

[Give Peas A Chance]

Green is also w/in the range of normal. In the absence of of other symptoms, green is just another wonderful shade of poo!
http://www.drjaygordon.com/developme...ricks/poop.asp

[@llli*LLLJessica]

From The Breastfeeding Answer Book (3rd Edition)

If baby is receiving only mother's milk, his stool will be loose and unformed, often of a pea-soup consistency, and may be yellow to yellow-green to tan in color. An occasional green stool is also normal. The odor should be mild and not unpleasant.

If your baby has mostly green and foamy stools, is crying a lot, has painful gas - these things are usually more to do with too much milk, like you suspected the problem might be.
It may be that it's normal for your baby, but I would give the block feeding some more time to work. Some babies can have a reaction to caffeine, but reactions to proteins (dairy, egg, soy) are more common when it's allergy or food sensitivity related.
Your doing a good job mama