Green poop for over a week

mountainspring wrote:
My 4.5 month old suddenly started having green stools over a week ago.
Generally, they are dark green in color (the color of overcooked
sprinach), fairly watery and soak into the diaper, but there is still
some solids in it, that are sort of stringy. I haven't noticed any kind
of foul odor associated with them. Although he has been a bit fussier
than usual in the past couple of days, he seems fine otherwise, no signs
of discomfort or fever.

Judging from this and the rest of your story, it seems there is little
reason for worries. I have found DS's stool to change with my diet, from
yellow-brownish foamy stuff to what you describe and back. As long as he
had enough wet diapers (no dehydration) and was not complaining otherwise,
I ignored it. If anything, I would think it was a stomach bug, but that
would be rare in a BF baby, and wouldn't last for more than a day. Also the
baby would be feverish and very fuzzy, which apparently is not the case.

When DS started teething his stool changed quite significantly. 4.5m is a
bit early to start, but not unheard off, so perhaps you could check the
gums for any suspicious bumps that announce the arrival of teeth. It can
still be a while before they actually break, but somehow it can affect
the digestive system, since the saliva contents change while teething.

HTH!

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD

mountainspring wrote:

I know this sort of question comes up here on a regular basis, but I
haven't been able to find a satisfactory answer in Google so I'm
bringing my questions here.

My 4.5 month old suddenly started having green stools over a week ago.
Generally, they are dark green in color (the color of overcooked
sprinach), fairly watery and soak into the diaper, but there is still
some solids in it, that are sort of stringy. I haven't noticed any kind
of foul odor associated with them. Although he has been a bit fussier
than usual in the past couple of days, he seems fine otherwise, no signs
of discomfort or fever.

So far, no one has mentioned what seems to me to be a pretty common cause.
Lots of the first watery milk, and not much of the fatty milk that is
produced when you nurse.
You could try using one breast for 2 feedings, and/or not changing over if
he wants to snack within two hours of the first breast. (someone correct me
if that isn't right) That way the milk that remains in your breast after a
feeding won't sit there long enough for the fat to be resorbed by your body,
and will have more fat in it.
How do you normally nurse thru the day? Is he a snacker, or a baby that
gets down to a full meal ;-) ?
How often do you nurse, and for how long? Do you offer both sides or swap
sides for alternate feedings?

Dawn

G'day

mountainspring wrote:

If it is due to
mucous, would the mucous show up in his stools? I've heard people
mention "mucousy stools" but I haven't noticed that about my son's.

I had often read of mucousy stools and wondered what exactly that looked
like. Trust me, you'll know one when you see it. "Oh that's what they
mean by ...."

DrRuth