green frothy bloody poo - what to do?

[LittleKind]

My 4 month old has been having green, frothy, poo that sometimes has mucusy red blood streaks running through it since he was 2 months old. We have:

seen the pediatrician. No help.

Gone to ER (stupidly) at pediatrician's suggestion. They said see an allergist.

Allergist skin tested my baby at 3 months and found almond allergy.

Called hosptial and LLL consultants and did not get a solid suggestion

My natural birth class instructor advises elimination diet. 2 weeks of only turkey, pears, potatoes, rice, and squash eliminates blood but not frothy green look.

Now adding in new foods every week, seems acidic (tomatoes, vinegar, orange juice) plays a role here. Still avoiding ALL the major allergens and have had no soy, dairy, wheat, corn, etc.

I was told this could simply be because he is not getting enough fat and the milk is passing through too quickly. Perhaps this is from over supply. I pump during the work day and he drinks about 10 oz a day plus we bedshare and he eats every 2-3 hours at night. How can I adjust the level of fat he is getting to see if this helps?

I read in Dr. Sears' baby book that some babies react negatively to stress in the breastfeeding mother. Could that cause this kind of reaction? I work full time as a teacher and the demands and time away from my son are taking a toll on me, for sure.

My diet has been extremely limited for 2 months. I'm losing 2-3 pounds a week and feeling "off." I have weight to spare after the pregnancy but I don't think it's best to lose it so quickly and  I don't know how long I can maintain such a limited diet to prevent bloody stool. I am never going to feel prepared to switch to formula. Both the allergist and pediatrician said that would be the next move if this doesn't clear up, so I am not going to see them anymore.

If you have been in this situation or have any suggestions, please help me out! If you have no ideas, I will accept encouragement. :)

[PatioGardener]

now the blood has gone, how is baby doing? Fussy? Weight gain? Tummy pain? I ask because if baby is growing well and not in any discomfort, I tend to ignore poop colour, except for red (blood) or black (old blood).

my baby had green poop (still does) and he's growing really well.

take a look at this: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html If things seem to fit then managing letdown and over supply may help.

It sounds like you are working really really hard to breastfeed your baby, with no support from the doctors. Well, we support you! Way to go, Mama - you are doing great things for your little one!

[motherhendoula]

The green frothy poo is hallmark of of a 'hind milk / foremilk' issue.  the foremilk contains lots of lactose, is thin and sweet and is meant to entice a young baby to eat, next comes 'hindmilk' which is high in fat and is richer, creamier thicker than hindmilk.  some Moms are producing too much foremilk, it goes through the babies quickly, they are typically fussy, gassy and have that green frothy poo. 

The best way to regulate the supply issue is to 'block feed' which is to feed / pump on only one breast for a block of time - like 4 hours - this works to totally drain the breast - getting to the hindmilk  - 

You mention youre a teacher - im not certain how often you are pumping - but i know your time is limited!  Maybe try nursing in blocks over the weekend. 

[LittleKind]

Thank you so much! The information about fast let down seems to really fit. I have always been sad that he is not much of a comfort nurser and pulls off frequently while nursing. Now I know that might be why. I wonder if part of the over-supply problem might be due to pumping during the day while I am at work. He drinks every drop I pump, though, so I don't think I can slow down on pumping. 

He is gaining plenty of weight-he's really chubby-and is generally a happy baby. When he does have fussy spells, we know we can expect a bloody diaper to follow. We are not seeing bloody diapers regularly now, but they do still occur even though I am being extremely careful to avoid foods that seem irritating. I'm going to try those tips for adjusting supply and see if that might be part of the solution.

Thanks again!

[LittleKind]

concerning block pumping - I pump twice a day at work for 20 minutes. The sessions are 3 hours apart. Would it help to pump one completely and the other just a little, and then do the opposite the next time?

I have heard of pouring out the first ounce pumped so that the bottle will have higher fat content. I am concerned about pumping less milk for him, but if it is higher in fat, perhaps it will keep him fuller anyway? Thank you both for helping me sort this all out.

[motherhendoula]

http://www.llli.org/FAQ/oversupply.html

http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVSepOct95p69.html

[motherhendoula]

Im sorry - im not really knowledgeable about how to handle this while pumping.  I wouldnt want to waste one precious drop either !  pumping is such hard work!  I would try to block feed during the weekends /evenings, but im just not sure about the pumping.  Maybe try to call local LLL leader and ask about the best way to handle the pump - you may even be able to get some info from an IBCLC.  Lets hope there are some other Mommies on this board who have more info!

oh - one trick to 'slow the flow' when nursing the baby is to lean back a little - like in a recliner -  it allows gravity to to help so you the let down isnt quite as forceful.  Good luck!

[Jewels*]

My DD had yellow green frothy diapers for a little while when she was about 6 weeks old too. Based on the reading I did on Kelly Mom (another poster has already posted the over supply link but here it is again http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html) I figured I would try some of the solutions she suggested.  Esp the leaning back; my letdown was so forceful that i would spray my DH sitting on the couch across the room.  This helped me - no frothy green diapers again and my DD is a happy healthy baby. 

I hope this helps! You CAN keep nursing your LO!!! 

[LittleKind]

Just to update:

Did block nursing all weekend after getting this advice and baby seemingly stopped pooping! Went from 4-6 a day to not a single one in 36 hours. When he did poop is was yellow, seedy, and smaller. We were so happy!!

I find that my supply goes up and up through the week. Probably my pumping schedule is causing this but I pump during my students' recess breaks so I can't really adjust that schedule. I am trying to pump only twice a day instead of three times and encourage baby to get his fill at night. He has always been happy but he's even happier now. I can't believe it was such a simple fix and the 4 (four!!!) doctors I saw knew nothing about it.

THANK YOU MOMS!!

[motherhendoula]

Awesome news!  YEA for yellow and seedy poop!