Green Stool

I had that issue as well before. I was told by the doctors and a certified lactation consultant that "Who cares what color the poop is as long as there is poop and its not black" I also decreased the amount of iron I took in. I watched the vitamins I was taking, etc. That all seemed to help.

Before you start eliminating things in your diet, you need to know more. For example, does he have excessive gas? Reflux? Is the poop really, truly GREEN or just a greenish yellow?
Are you exclusively breast feeding? Green poop can be a sign he isn't getting enough hindmilk but it can also be a symptom of reflux and/or could be diarrhea from some kind of virus. Newborn diarrhea is often green. Ask your pediatrician AND a lactation consultant before you do anything with your diet.

I have a 4 month old and a 4 year old. Both were/are breastfed and both have produced a remarkable varitety of poop shades and both have been and are perfectly healthy. My older son once did some that were almost blue and freaked my parents out who called their pediatrician friend. He said that he constantly gets questions about odd poop colors and they are pretty much never anything to worry about. I also just read that the American Academy of Pediatrics has finally dropped their recommendations to nursing mothers to do the elimination thing when trying to figure out if their child has allergies. http://children.webmd.com/news/20080107/breastfeeding-may... It is my understanding that mother's diet only affects a nursing child in a few very rare cases, but is really not an issue at all for most healthy, normally developing children. For some great information on this read some of Jack Newman's web pages. http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml Dr. Newman is a Canadian pediatrician who does a lot of work related to breast feeding. I hope this helps.

Hi there :)

I have three breastfed babies. Green poop can usually mean a couple of things.

A. Normal. Babies' poo can be funny colors. It'll be green for a while, and then it will be bright yellow, and then brown...meh, you get the picture

B. Hindmilk/foremilk imbalance: You can correct this by nursing exclusively on one side for four or five hours, then switching

C. VITAMINS: If you are giving the baby vitamins, then stop. A breastfed baby does NOT need them (no matter what the formula-prone pediatrician says!) and they will do awful things to his poor digestive system

The stool will change color with time, I am assuming it's a pea soup sort of color? IF so that's normal. Each of my kids' had days when it was sort of an orangey yellow (mustard color) to a range of greens. They are all normal.
Once solid foods have been introduced you can also get changes- with immature digestion systems it sort of comes out the same color it went in! (Case in point, food coloring from their birthday cake! Lol)
If you are still unsure - a quick call to the pediatrician or mention at the next check up will put your mind at ease.
And congratulations! ;)

I am a mom of three and have experienced what you are going through. In my experience the green stool has been normal for the first month and then it turns to a yellow mustard color. I wouldn't be alarmed if the baby seems healthy and is eating well!! Good luck!

green means too much iron, but I wouldn't worry about it just yet.. poop, as you will soon find out, changes color a lot. depending on what the child is eating.. or you if you are bf. relax and as long as he's pooping, he's fine.. it's always a surprise when changing a diaper, like opening a gift! You never know what is waiting for you! LOL

Hi Joel, both of my daughters, who are now 2 and 5, had times of having green stools while breastfeeding and we never knew exactly why. We called them "pesto poops" and didn't worry about it since they would eventually become yellowish in color again. If you are very concerned, I recommend calling your pediatrician. Congratulations and enjoy learning and growing with your son! A.

Everything you need to know about green poop!

Green Poop
Every now and then the notorious green poop may show up in your baby’s diaper. You may take a look at it and ask yourself “how’d that get there?” There are many different causes for green poop. More than likely, if your baby has green poop, it’s nothing to worry about, but here are a few possibilities.

Iron-fortified formula - Some formula-fed babies will develop a case of green poop from the iron in the formula they are taking. As long as your baby is happy and not having any problems with constipation, there is nothing to worry about.

Jaundice - A baby that has jaundice may have dark or greenish colored stools. This normally goes away once baby is off of the bilirubin lights.

Dairy Sensitivity - Some breastfed babies are very sensitive to certain foods in their mom’s diet. If your baby is having problems with green mucousy stools, blood in his stools, spitting up a lot, or a skin rash, he may be sensitive to something in your diet. Dairy products are one of the most common causes of food allergies in babies. If you think this might be the problem, try eliminating milk and dairy products from your diet. It may take a couple weeks to see results from a dairy elimination diet. You should see improvement in a week or two. If you’re not sure, you can always try it out for a few weeks and then try having a cup of milk to see what happens. If the symptoms come back, then milk is probably the culprit and you will want to avoid it.

Foremilk/Hindmilk imbalance - If your baby is breastfeeding and has green frothy-looking poops, this may be a result of a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. To put this simply, when a mom breastfeeds the first milk that comes out (foremilk) is thinner and lower in fat. After you have nursed for a bit, you will start to produce richer, fattier milk called hindmilk. Babies that receive too much of the thin foremilk and not enough of the richer hindmilk sometimes have problems with green stools and tummy aches. If you have been switching breasts a lot instead of letting baby get a good feed on one breast, you may have problems with this.

Other reasons - Sometimes babies just have greenish colored poop. The range of color in baby’s poops can vary. Any range of yellow, mustard to yellow/green is pretty normal for a baby. If baby is gaining well and happy then there is nothing to worry about.

:)

Hey, I had a child with allergies and many other nursing issues- One of the things I was always told was to keep an eye out for neon green BM's. This could mean the baby has C-dif. An imbalance in bacteria in digestive system. Darker green could just be a reflection on what you are eating. If you are still concerned always contact your doctor or your nursing support system. La Leche is a great group. God Bless

Hi,

I know he's really young but does he have a cold perchance? I have a 4 yo daughter and a 5 mo son. My 5 mo old has had a cold for most of his young life due to older sibling. He is exclusively breastfed and has had some green poop as well but it's from all the phlegm and mucus he has been swallowing if it hasn't been coming out of his nose. You'll also find that breastmilk poop comes in all sorts of colors and it's all normal. If he's nursing well I wouldn't worry about it.

Green poops happens! I have nursed 2 girls and have seen every shade of poo. You may have eaten grapes/ grape juice,or who knows. Unless its incredibly watery or he seems in pain etc, hes probably ok. Good luck!

Hi Joel,
you know what? I wouldnt worry if your son is eating good, sleeping and not collic, i really wouldnt worry, I raised three kids and I am about to be a grandmother my daughter is having a little girl, your son will let you know if anything is wrong dont worry. best of luck with your blessed baby.

Did you call the pediatrition? It may be normal. Babies' stool changes as they get older.