Breastfed children usually have yellow
stools, and tend to pass stools several times a day. Once you start babies
on solids, their stools may thicken slightly and may have a stronger odour
than they did. As you shift your baby to solids from a fully breastfed
diet, her stool colour is bound to change. At times it just darkens, in
which case there is not need to be unduly concerned. At times, the addition
of a certain food may cause her stool colour to turn green. Perhaps she
is allergic to something? Perhaps she is not yet ready to be fed a particular
food? Or perhaps she is just not ready to start solids? Try cutting out
any new item from her diet, or wait for two to three more weeks before
restarting her on solids.
My baby is exclusively
breastfed, but despite this, her stools are green. Why?
This usually happens when mothers
have an abundant breast milk supply, and when there is an imbalance in
the amount of foremilk and hindmilk a baby receives. When babies get too
much foremilk and not enough hindmilk, tend to suffer from gas, colic and
green stools.
How do you know if
your baby is getting too much foremilk?
If your baby is getting too much
foremilk and not much hindmilk, she will want to feed frequently. Such
babies feed for long periods of time. Foremilk is easily digested, which
is why your baby feels hungry more often. This naturally results in excessive
milk supply, making matters worse: it's a catch-22 situation. Essentially,
foremilk is low caloric food, and high in lactose, which is what causes
the gas, loose stools and colic.
If you are producing too much milk,
your breast may leak several times during a feed, causing your baby to
gag and choke. If you feel your breast is leaking too rapidly for your
baby, simply detach the baby for a few moments and let the milk run down,
or catch it in a cup. Lie down in a reclined position and let your baby
latch on again.
How can you avoid overfeeding
her?
Let your baby control his own feeds,
and come off the breast when he wants to. Feed him from one breast over
a three hour period. So if your child wants to nurse several times within
three to four hours, offer him the same breast You could offer him the
second breast when he has had enough and has been fed for three to four
hours, but if he doesn't want to feed any more, leave him. If you feel
your unused breast is leaking, you could express the milk from it. Express
just enough so you remain comfortable. Essentially, what is important is
to avoid going from breast to breast while feeding your baby. If you stick
to one breast for a three to four hour period, and then to the other for
the same amount of time, your baby's discomfort, gas and green stools will
be greatly reduced. All the best!
To add your views on
this article or read other comments, click
here.
