"grassy" newborn nappys - midwife says sign of underfeeding?

fairy1984 · Apr 11th, 2012, 14:30 PM

hi,

I read that the grassy looking nappies my newborn is having were down to too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk. she also has the mustard ones but every few look green and like theres bits of grass in it.

midwife says its a sign of underfeeding?! anyone know the truth?

this obviously worried me but then she said its fine because shes almost back up to her birth weight at 10 days old (started at 7lb 9, went down to 7lb 2 and day 10 back up to 7lb 6)

i'm panicing a bit because I dont think i'm a natural breastfeeder (i'm a worrier and dont like that i cant see the amount shes drinking to be able to measure how well shes feeding) and shes on the boob LOADS (as you'd expect from a 10 day old) so i'm not sure how I can get her to more foremilk when i feed until she's rolling off drunk on booby juice

could it be a sign of illness?

summer rain · Apr 11th, 2012, 14:37 PM

It's possibly a sign of under feeding in FF babies but even then it's not the primary cause, what a cow of a midwife! In BF babies green poo is rarely if ever a sign of under feeding, please don't doubt yourself Hun, being almost up to birthweight at 10 days means yes your baby is getting plenty. I did know one lady where green poo was a symptom of underfeeding but her baby took many weeks to regain his birthweight and then started to lose weight again, also he never had any mustardy yellow poo and when he did poo very infrequently it was a small amount of greyish green sludge not what you describe at all xx

CandyDay · Apr 11th, 2012, 14:44 PM

I would suggest that you start by just offering one breast per feeding session. don't switch when she stops to burp use the same side.

http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvsepoct95p69a.html

If you don't see a difference after a few days or a week of that then you could try block feeding.

The suggestion would be to the mother to use one breast per session, and to keep baby to one side for a "block" of time. In mild cases of oversupply, that may be a 2 hr block, in more severe cases, it may be 3 hr block, or in cases where mom has a monster supply, and has gotten no results from the shorter blocks of time, then a longer block of time may be recommended

some of the green not sure about the grassy but the green could be because of something you are eating. In which case keeping a food diary may help with that. Usually the first thing to try eleminating is dairy.

fairy1984 · Apr 11th, 2012, 14:49 PM

thanks, i have been using one boob per feed and keep checking by hand to see that theres milk there (which there always is) and put her back on.

also, as i've had a urine infection, i've been off dairy for the last 5 days or so in order to help with that.

i'll look into the block feeding but not sure its feasible for us as I have a toddler aswell so it depends how many times i'd need to block feed in order to solve it (would be possibble but needs some arranging!)

CandyDay · Apr 11th, 2012, 14:53 PM

and yeah forgot to add,
yeah wieght gain is good so I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep an eye on the weight and the wet diapers as signs of getting enough milk.
Babies should gain birth weight back between 10-14 days after birth, so I would say yours is right on track

CandyDay · Apr 11th, 2012, 15:00 PM

blockfeeding for a 2 hr block would be.......any feeds she has between 8am and 10am would all be on right side only......and any feeds between 10am and 12 would be on left side only etc.....

CandyDay · Apr 11th, 2012, 15:03 PM

and also for seeing a dairy difference can take up to 2 weeks to notice a change in stools

MissJ77 · Apr 12th, 2012, 09:39 AM

My LO had green poo for ages but was regularly gaining weight. Only now has it settled at 17weeks. It's not much in the way of advice but just know someone one was going through the same thing.

lynnikins · Apr 12th, 2012, 09:43 AM

hun were you on antibiotics for your UTI caus that can trigger green poo in BF babies if the mum is taking antibiotics

Ozzieshunni · Apr 12th, 2012, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lynnikins

hun were you on antibiotics for your UTI caus that can trigger green poo in BF babies if the mum is taking antibiotics

This.

Apr 11th, 2012, 14:30 PM	#1
fairy1984 Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: UK Posts: 1,678	"grassy" newborn nappys - midwife says sign of underfeeding? hi, I read that the grassy looking nappies my newborn is having were down to too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk. she also has the mustard ones but every few look green and like theres bits of grass in it. midwife says its a sign of underfeeding?! anyone know the truth? this obviously worried me but then she said its fine because shes almost back up to her birth weight at 10 days old (started at 7lb 9, went down to 7lb 2 and day 10 back up to 7lb 6) i'm panicing a bit because I dont think i'm a natural breastfeeder (i'm a worrier and dont like that i cant see the amount shes drinking to be able to measure how well shes feeding) and shes on the boob LOADS (as you'd expect from a 10 day old) so i'm not sure how I can get her to more foremilk when i feed until she's rolling off drunk on booby juice could it be a sign of illness?

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Apr 11th, 2012, 14:37 PM	#2
summer rain Mum (Mom) BnB Elite Join Date: May 2010 Location: South East England Posts: 16,369	It's possibly a sign of under feeding in FF babies but even then it's not the primary cause, what a cow of a midwife! In BF babies green poo is rarely if ever a sign of under feeding, please don't doubt yourself Hun, being almost up to birthweight at 10 days means yes your baby is getting plenty. I did know one lady where green poo was a symptom of underfeeding but her baby took many weeks to regain his birthweight and then started to lose weight again, also he never had any mustardy yellow poo and when he did poo very infrequently it was a small amount of greyish green sludge not what you describe at all xx

Status: Online

Apr 11th, 2012, 14:44 PM	#3
CandyDay Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Ontario,Canada Posts: 566	I would suggest that you start by just offering one breast per feeding session. don't switch when she stops to burp use the same side. http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvsepoct95p69a.html If you don't see a difference after a few days or a week of that then you could try block feeding. The suggestion would be to the mother to use one breast per session, and to keep baby to one side for a "block" of time. In mild cases of oversupply, that may be a 2 hr block, in more severe cases, it may be 3 hr block, or in cases where mom has a monster supply, and has gotten no results from the shorter blocks of time, then a longer block of time may be recommended some of the green not sure about the grassy but the green could be because of something you are eating. In which case keeping a food diary may help with that. Usually the first thing to try eleminating is dairy.

Status: Offline

Apr 11th, 2012, 14:49 PM	#4
fairy1984 Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: UK Posts: 1,678	thanks, i have been using one boob per feed and keep checking by hand to see that theres milk there (which there always is) and put her back on. also, as i've had a urine infection, i've been off dairy for the last 5 days or so in order to help with that. i'll look into the block feeding but not sure its feasible for us as I have a toddler aswell so it depends how many times i'd need to block feed in order to solve it (would be possibble but needs some arranging!)

Status: Offline

Apr 11th, 2012, 14:53 PM	#5
CandyDay Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Ontario,Canada Posts: 566	and yeah forgot to add, yeah wieght gain is good so I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep an eye on the weight and the wet diapers as signs of getting enough milk. Babies should gain birth weight back between 10-14 days after birth, so I would say yours is right on track

Status: Offline

Apr 11th, 2012, 15:00 PM	#6
CandyDay Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Ontario,Canada Posts: 566	blockfeeding for a 2 hr block would be.......any feeds she has between 8am and 10am would all be on right side only......and any feeds between 10am and 12 would be on left side only etc.....

Status: Offline

Apr 11th, 2012, 15:03 PM	#7
CandyDay Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Ontario,Canada Posts: 566	and also for seeing a dairy difference can take up to 2 weeks to notice a change in stools

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Apr 12th, 2012, 09:39 AM	#8
MissJ77 Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: I am an American living in England. Winscombe to be exact :) Posts: 529	My LO had green poo for ages but was regularly gaining weight. Only now has it settled at 17weeks. It's not much in the way of advice but just know someone one was going through the same thing.

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Apr 12th, 2012, 09:43 AM	#9
lynnikins Pregnant (Expecting) BnB Elite Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: East Midlands Posts: 15,450	hun were you on antibiotics for your UTI caus that can trigger green poo in BF babies if the mum is taking antibiotics

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