EBF Baby Poop

clw617 · July 2013

Just when I thought I was feeling confident about breastfeeding...

Today I've noticed some reddish-brown flecks of blood in LO's stool. He's 10 weeks. After Googling, I see that it's most likely either a dairy allergy or a lack of good hindmilk. Sometimes his poop is more green than yellow and I'm reading that could be a hindmilk issue too.

He was born 7lbs 10 oz. and at his 2 month appt, weighed 10lbs 5 oz. which worried me as he is only in the 10th percentile, but the pedi didn't seem concerned since he's steadily gaining, slowly but surely.We EBF and he eats about every two hours during the day, about 10-15 min each breast. Sometimes longer.

On top of this, just yesterday I made the comment to the daycare teacher that all the other babies in DS's class were HUGE! And she said, "Yeah, you can tell which babies are breastfed -- they're chunks!" When I told her DS is breastfed, she said he might not be getting good fatty milk from me (not that she claims to be an expert, it was just her experience with her own child).

So now I just wonder if the milk I'm producing is good enough. Breastfeeding is so time consuming and my days basically revolve around it, I'd hate to spend so much energy making sure he's breastfed only to find out it lacks good fat or it's irritating his bowels. Ugh. Sorry, it's just frustrating.

I'll work on eliminating dairy, but my question is what can I do to ensure my breastmilk is good and fatty? Does it have to do with what I eat, or how long he nurses?

ETA: I should probably post this on the breastfeeding board too.

gnatters · July 2013

I was worried about my LO because she had a couple of days of green poo (she's EBF) with little red flecks in it. When I brought this up to the Pedi at her 8 week appointment, he said that the blood would be mixed in with the poo for a dairy allergy, not in flecks. The flecks could be caused by a fissure in the tissue in the rectum or anus, causing the little bits of blood (which resolves on its own).

My issue was a foremilk/hindmilk issue too. I have LO feed off one breast at a time, and I strive to have her eat for about 15 min on that breast. Since doing that, I've noticed more "mustard" poo (and we haven't had a green poo in days), as well as a decrease in the blood flecks.

Good luck!

jedimindtrick · July 2013

I don't know if I believe the "breast fed" babies are chunks. I've seen plenty of chubby FF babies. And my pedi said a BF baby can't really be overfed so not sure why they'd be chunkier.
Not sure what to do about trying to increase hind milk. Maybe try pumping a bit before a feeding.
Do you change breasts? Make sure you let baby finish a whole breast. I don't ever switch. He gets one breast per feeding.

Joelandmissy · July 2013

Always finish the first breast first. Don't switch to the second breast until the first is empty. If needed, pump off the 2nd breast until it's empty if the babe doesn't finish it. That's the advice I received when trying to access more of the hind milk.