should I get a second opinion???

[efuda]

I went to my doctor today because my 3 month old has been having greeny poops with mucous for almost 3 weeks and I am exclusively breastfeeding.
My doctor told me not to worry that mucous is a natural lubracant and as long as baby is gaining weight everything is fine.
I have been researching and I have found websites that say its normal, or a stomach virus, or hindmilk imbalance, or an allergy to milk........not sure what to believe.
Has anyone had this problem? and how did you correct it? Should I go and see another doctor?
Thanks for all the advice. :>)

[Amy_G_]

well do you drink a lot of milk? cow's milk protein piggybacks onto human breastmilk protein and can cause issues for baby.
do you switch back and forth from one breast to the other a lot? that can cause baby to take in too much foremilk, not enough hindmilk and cause green poopies.
a sick baby often nurses more often, so it could be too much foremilk due to an illness, or could be a tummy bug.

does baby have normal yellow seedy breastfed baby poops and only occassional green ones during the day or is every poop of the day green?

[efuda]

Everyday the poop is green but the green colour does vary. Sometimes its yellow-green, sometimes its bright green and sometimes its cooked spinach green, very little seed always with mucous. He usually feeds every two to three hours and I will use the same breast twice before I switch.
I stopped drinking milk and eating cheese but I don't look at the ingredients of other products, should I start?
Could a tummy bug last a month? He is not usually fussy, only at 8/9 o'clock for about an hour and not every night. I don't know what to do?

[SingingMom]

It can take several weeks to see a difference after eliminating milk protein.

I'd guess that you have a hindmilk/foremilk imbalance, based on what you've written. I'd try block nursing- nursing on only one side for several feedings, before switching to the other side.

If your baby isn't fussy and is gaining weight well, you don't have a huge problem. Try not to make yourself crazy. You have years of motherhood ahead to bring you craziness.

Does your baby have any rashes? That's a classic allergy sign.

[efuda]

No, no rashes. Sometimes his bum gets a little red but I put a little penaten cream and it goes away.
I guess I just have to let it go. Its hard not to worry when your a first time mom. :)

[Jacksmommy]

Worry isn't a bad thing. You just don't want it to take over. You're right that 3 weeks of green poop isn't normal. It could be that your baby is still getting over something. Didn't you say that he'd had a cold a few weeks ago? If you suspect milk allergy then you want to eliminate all dairy.

[madelsmama]

I would suspect a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance with green stools or an allergy of sorts with green and mucousy stools.

If you are eliminating dairy, you have to eliminate all dairy. If he's reacting to the milk protein, you need to read your labels carefully. Try doing this, strictly, for 2 weeks and observe for improvement in his stools.

[efuda]

When I eliminate all dairy does that include eggs or is it just foods with cows milk?

[Nipple_nectar]

How long do you let baby nurse from each breast? I agree, it sounds like too much milk:breastfeeding.hypermart.net/toomuchmilk.html

I would also try the block feeding before an elimination diet.

[madelsmama]

Green stools with mucus is usually a sign of allergy.

Unless I'm mistaken, foremilk/hindmilk imbalance does usually manifest with mucousy stools, just green, frothy, explosive stools.

Eggs are not dairy (not from a cow :) ). You can eat eggs on a dairy elimination diet.

NN, she's already nursing from the same breast twice before switching. Since you're already doing block nursing, I'd go with a more strict elimination diet, starting with dairy.

[efuda]

should I continue to block nurse while I am eliminating dairy? Thanks so much for all your help everyone. Hopefully this works.
If it is dairy should I start to see results in a few days or does it take two weeks before any changes happen?

[Jacksmommy]

I would probably continue block nursing if that seems to work well with supply/demand. If supply seems short then you don't want to block nurse.

It can take a few weeks to get all dairy out of your system and really show change.

[efuda]

How much harm do you think its doing to his digestive system, should I switch to soy formula instead of waiting it out? I don't want him to end up with digestive problems because it takes to long to figure out what he is allergic to.

[madelsmama]

Honestly, the benefits of breastmilk still far outweigh those of switching to soy formula. If he's truly allergic or sensitive to something in your diet, he's going to do better on your milk.

There are several moms here who have successfully nursed through elimination diets. Hang in there!

[efuda]

Thanks so much I will try my best. I just don't want to do more harm than good. Hopefully we figure this out soon.

[ima062002]

http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/pediatricks/poop.asp

If he has stooled normally for 2.5 months plus and now for three weeks not, then I am not sure it has to do with allergy.

As you can see from the link light yellow to bright green, loose/runny, curdy, lumpy, seedy, creamy, mustard-like are normal breastfed stools.

Green, mucousy stool -
This can be a result of a virus. Often the only sign we see of a virus is in the green stool. This is evidence of malabsorption in the intestines. Watch for how many days and with what consistency it is occurring. With a virus, it will run its course over a few days and begin to improve.

Another cause of malabsorption in the intestines can be teething. The profuse saliva of a teething baby can cause irritation in the intestines interfering with proper absorption. When babies teethe, we can see lots of drooling. Large quantities of saliva is swallowed which can irritate the intestines causing runny, acidic stools. This can also cause a rash in the diaper area.

Unless you have confirmed over supply and/or forceful letdown I would not start block feeding since it can diminish supply (sorry I didn't read all the posts, just saw your question). If you have been block feeding for a while now because that is his style, then that's fine. My second son was like that. He was a one boob per feeding boy but fed frequently.

[pumpkinhead7]

I agree with Ima. If he's gone 2.5 months with no symptoms, I'd be hesitant to think intolerance/allergy at this point unless the OP has suddenly added a lot of something like dairy to her diet. It could happen, but it wouldn't be my first conclusion.

Is he fussier than usual? Does he act unsettled? Any stinky gas?

[madelsmama]

Pumpkin and Ima, DD1 first starting eczema at 12 weeks old. Just sayin'.

[pumpkinhead7]

Madels, eczema isn't always a sign of a systemic allergy though. It can be, but it can also have a genetic component and can indicate a sensitized immune system. An atopic child may have an increased tendancy to develop allergies.

Green, mucousy stools potentially indicate an irritated gut. That doesn't always mean there is a dietary sensitivity, intolerance or allergy. It can, but this is just one of the potential causes.

So basically, we don't disagree.

Both of my kids were dairy sensitive and I knew within their first 3 weeks of life. My oldest has eczema but so does his father, grandmother, grandfather, uncle and cousin.

[The_Market]

Green stools with mucus is usually a sign of allergy.

Unless I'm mistaken, foremilk/hindmilk imbalance does usually manifest with mucousy stools, just green, frothy, explosive stools.

NN, she's already nursing from the same breast twice before switching. Since you're already doing block nursing, I'd go with a more strict elimination diet, starting with dairy.
I agree with all of this. Foremilk imbalance does not usually involve mucus. In an otherwise happy baby who is gaining well, green poop alone is not so much an issue, but the mucus concerns me more.

This information (and the links within) should give you somewhere to start. It's a resource that's pretty trustworthy, IMO.
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/food-sensitivity.html

[efuda]

Thanks for all the advice. I have started a dairy elimination diet but I still do not see a difference. Its been almost a week now, still not sure what to do. Will it take more time before I see any improvement if it is a dairy sensitivity?

[trylyn5]

I believe it takes at least two weeks to see a difference. I haven't read the whole thread but there is a lot of hidden dairy that isn't really apparent even from labels that you need to be careful about to.