Is a mild allergy really that bad?

[Sk8ermaiden]

I suspect that DD may have an allergy to something in my diet.

She has green poop and what I suspect is very mild Eczema on the back of her neck and the tops of her feet.

It is obviously not giving her tummyaches or inhibiting her weight gain. I can definitely cut milk products out of my diet, but I am a low-supply mama, and for her donor milk, that ship has sailed, you know? I would have to switch her supplement to soy formula (actually, most milk-sensitive babies are sensitive to soy too, so it would probably have to be something even MORE expensive). But my ped is super, super pro BFing almost to a fault, and I wonder if she will want us to to that when Elle is still doing well.

I have an appointment tomorrow and obviously am seeking medical advice on this, but I always like to get other opinions and experiences. Is it really that bad if we just keep on how we are?

ETA: I know Mothering is the land of "Never take low supply for an answer!" And I love and respect that, and got a lot of help here when I was attempting to up my supply. BUT I guarantee you I have done EVERYTHING you have ever heard of to up supply and some things you haven't. I have tried every supplement, every "method" and even illegally imported prescription drugs. I have the help/support of two AWESOME IBCLCs and a midwife. It took me three months to come to terms with low supply, so please let sleeping dogs lie.

[paulamc]

I don't consider myself particularly knowledgeable about allergy issues, but it sounds like you're wondering if she might have an allergy to something in the donor milk you are supplementing with. Do I understand correctly? I'm not sure what you meant by "that ship has sailed" regarding the donor milk.

I know it's not your question, but I'm just wondering if you have tried domperidone/ motilium for your supply issue. I've found it to be very effective in increasing my own milk supply. It's tricky to get a prescription here, but you can get it online at inhousepharmacy.

http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/general/motilium.html

Not cheap, but perhaps cheaper than donor milk (or is that free?) and you are able to control your own diet. Jack Newman as information on it at his website.

http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Dom...%20Started.asp
http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Dom...20Stopping.asp

Good luck - I'm sure other mamas more experienced with the allergy issues will have more advice.

[Sk8ermaiden]

Originally Posted by paulamc

I don't consider myself particularly knowledgeable about allergy issues, but it sounds like you're wondering if she might have an allergy to something in the donor milk you are supplementing with. Do I understand correctly? I'm not sure what you meant by "that ship has sailed" regarding the donor milk.

I suspect she has an allergy to my milk and/or the donor milk. While I can modify my diet to exclude the allergen, the donor milk already has whatever it has in it. That's what I meant by the ship sailing. I can't go back and change it. I'd say she gets roughly 25 oz. a day from me and 8-10 of supplement.

I know it's not your question, but I'm just wondering if you have tried domperidone/ motilium for your supply issue. I've found it to be very effective in increasing my own milk supply. It's tricky to get a prescription here, but you can get it online at inhousepharmacy.

http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/general/motilium.html

Not cheap, but perhaps cheaper than donor milk (or is that free?) and you are able to control your own diet. Jack Newman as information on it at his website.

http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Dom...%20Started.asp
http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Dom...20Stopping.asp

Good luck - I'm sure other mamas more experienced with the allergy issues will have more advice.

Yes, the donor milk is free, or some moms want storage bags to replace the ones they use.

Ah, I see I forgot to add my friendly Mothering low supply disclaimer. I'll have to go back and rectify that Thank you, and yes, I was on the Domperidone at over the max dosage for over 2 months with zero result. I strongly suspect insufficient glandular tissue.

[Sk8ermaiden]

Saw the ped today and she saw no reason to worry. Told me there is no scientific evidence that the elimination diet does anything.

She didn't seem to understand why I thought the baby eczema and green poop might be related. I was like, because they are both potential symptoms of an allergic reaction according to what I've read? She basically told me to do nothing.

Any other opinions? MDC seems to have so many kids with sensitivities I thought there might be some insight. I am REALLY liking not having to cut milk out of my diet, but not if it's going to stunt her growth or anything.

[PatioGardener]

IMO baby with mild reaction to something in breastmilk but still exclusively breastfed is preferable to formula feeding. Soy and dairy cross react more than 1/2 of the time, so soy formula could be just as bad for the eczema and add in all the risks of not exclusively breastfeeeding until 6 months.

[paulamc]

Originally Posted by Sk8ermaiden

Ah, I see I forgot to add my friendly Mothering low supply disclaimer. I'll have to go back and rectify that Thank you, and yes, I was on the Domperidone at over the max dosage for over 2 months with zero result. I strongly suspect insufficient glandular tissue.

Sorry about that - just thought I'd bring it up, in case!

[Sk8ermaiden]

No problem, I appreciate you taking the time to reply!

[earthmama4]

Originally Posted by Sk8ermaiden

Saw the ped today and she saw no reason to worry. Told me there is no scientific evidence that the elimination diet does anything.

Baloney. There is evidence that allergens pass through breastmilk. What she may be referring to is that elimination diets don't necessarily prevent allergies, but they certainly can help treat allergies that are already established.

I would say a little less allergen is healthier than changing nothing. Kind of like keeping a cat out of her bedroom, but it still lives in the house. Most of her milk comes from you, why not have most of her milk be hypoallergenic for her? The other idea is that she might not even have trouble with the donor milk. Our bodies are supposed to break down the proteins in digestion and whole allergenic proteins shouldn't be getting in breastmilk. Some moms have "leaky guts" and let the big allergenic proteins (like dairy) through and it causes problems. If you are "leaky" and the donor milk mama is not, then a dairy elim on your part may take care of it. I say its worth a try!

[haydn'smommy]

I probably wouldn't change anything. Green poop can happen for reasons other than allergy. Did the doctor confirm eczema? Eczema happens for a variety of reasons as well. If the baby is gaining well and otherwise doing well, I wouldn't go crazy eliminating things. Just my 2 cents.

[Sk8ermaiden]

No, the doctor did not confirm eczema, but since it felt like she kind of blew me off, I didn't know what to think.

I know allergy, sickness, and foremilk/hindmilk can cause green poop. What else? I've been looking for this information without much luck and would love any alternate explanations.

[Blessed_Mom]

Originally Posted by Sk8ermaiden

No, the doctor did not confirm eczema, but since it felt like she kind of blew me off, I didn't know what to think.

I know allergy, sickness, and foremilk/hindmilk can cause green poop. What else? I've been looking for this information without much luck and would love any alternate explanations.

How many poops are green and how green is the poop?

Sometimes , no matter what you do, green poop just happens :twocents

[Sk8ermaiden]

All of them. When it was pumped milk and formula supplement she had very clear BF golden and formula green poops.

Then a while after switching to BFing and donor milk (my diet started to change a little around this time as well) they turned green. ALL of them. I haven't seen a yellow poop in a month. They are sometimes quite dark green, but usually a light or yellowy green. Sometimes they are seedy and sometimes mucusy.

I know this is the grossest paranoid new-mom thing ever, but if a visual will help: Poo.

[Tjej]

Are you doing breast compressions? That can help your baby get more fatty milk out. Also, I would venture to guess that the donated milk you are getting may not be as fatty as yours (the baby might be older and/or the mom is pumping first thing in the morning all the time...). So lower fat content could be part of the green thing.

I tried to see your poop pic, but my computer just wouldn't load it. ***of course right after I wrote that it did work!*** Those do look very green. They're always that green? Could be foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. Could it possibly be a need for some probiotics to balance out gut flora?

My DS does have dairy issues, but he had true blood in his stool as well, so that was easy to see and guess at.

HTH

Tjej

[Sk8ermaiden]

Thank you so much for your reply! No, I can't do breast compressions as it takes two hands to nurse her.

This was my EXACT line of thought as well, when I got concerned by the green poo. Though after considering it every way from Sunday I just don't understand how it could be so.

1) When I was pumping, she NEVER had green poop. And she has been weighed before and after feeds, and I know that she gets a good 1/2 -1 oz. more than the pump does, which would equal MORE hindmilk. Plus I have put the pump on after she nurses with compressions and everything and gotten maybe one or three drops. She is extremely efficient at emptying the breast.

2) The donor milk has a significantly thicker layer of fat on top than my pumped milk does. When she was getting my pumped milk she did not have green poop. I am just assuming that the layer of fat on top corresponds to the amount of hindmilk.

Yes, they are always that green.

[haydn'smommy]

Time in the gut and the gut flora can make poop green. The longer the poop is in the intestines, the less yellow it will be. My LC (and even in my training as a LC I learned this) says that I shouldn't worry about the color of the poop as long as baby is happy, healthy and growing well.

ETA: that's exactly what my baby's poop looks like the vast majority of the time, and i am not worried about it. he's a happy baby, not excessively gassy or fussy, he's gaining 1-2oz per day. in my opinion people get way too obsessed over how babies poop and what it looks like.

[Sk8ermaiden]

Thank you very much! I really am not an overly-worried mommy, but when everything you read tells you green poop is the sign of a problem, you tend to wonder what the problem is!

We will just keep on keepin' on.

[lil_miss_understood]

FWIW, that's exactly what ds2's poop looked like after i ate nuts, peanuts, coconut or strawberries.
personally, i would do a 2 week dairy and gluten free trial just to see if there's improvement... that's my opinion.