I'm breastfeeding and a few times my newborn has had foamy poop. The stuff I'm reading about says green foamy poop may mean forceful letdown or alleries but it seems yellow to me. I do feel I have forceful letdown and possibly an oversupply of milk which I read may have smething to do with it. Has anyone else had this? Any advice on how to handle it?
I appreciate any help.
Thanks,
TRish
Thank you everyone! I'm in northwest Indiana and trying to get a hold of a local LLL group. I'm thinking this is either forceful letdown, hindmilk/foremilk imbalance, reflux or lactose intolerance. It's so soon to tell with these little babies but he's so uncomfortable and I'm terribly sleep deprived at this point. Thanks again for your support and feedback.
I know someone already wrote this, but I just wanted to second that it sounds like a foremilk/hindmilk inbalance. Nursing longer on only one side will make sure Baby gets lots of that good creamy fat at the end of a feeding. That's what will keep the poop liquidy and yellow.
I don't know the answer, but I would call a lactation consultant and/or your pediatrician's office. As far as I know, any sort of poop while you are nursing is just fine.
It's normal. Do not worry.
I would try feeding from just one breast per feeding and doing breast compressions to help get you LO more hindmilk towards the end of a feed to see if that stops the green poops. If you LO doesn't have a bright red ring around his anus and there isn't a history of allergies in the family I wouldn't bother with trying an elimination diet at this point.
If you still have green poops after 3-4 days, try block feeding offering only one breast for two hours then offering only the other for the next two hours.
As for forceful letdowns they tend to work themselves out as the baby gets older. Try a cross-cradle hold or a football hold while reclining back and that will help your baby slow the flow. However by 3-4 months the baby might get fussy because the milk doesn't come fast for the entire feed.
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/15breast_compression.html
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/foremilk-hindmilk.html
there are usually more symptoms than that like low weight gain and more. I wouldnt worry if he is happy baby...if you want to be sure make an appointment with a Lactation Consultant or go to ao La leche League meeting. If you are close to Hoffman Estates there is a great breastfeeding group at St. Alexius on Monday mornings at 10
Hi P. Check with your newborn peditrican to see if this is normal.
