Need help for a fellow mama - BF related.

[picksthemusic]

Calling jennlin and spunbutterfly over, since you probably know the answer. My friend is currently BFing her baby, and her baby has green, mucousy, frothy poop. She doesn't projectile vomit, only occasionally. I was thinking oversupply, but she said she thinks her supply is low. Her pedi thinks it's a milk allergy.

What say you, BF mamas?

[catbus]

Jun 3, 2014 13:12:37 GMT -5 spunbutterfly said:

Why does she think her supply is low?

I had oversupply, over active let down, and milk allergy. Frothy usually meant oversupply and the baby is not getting the hindmilk only watery milk.

catbus also had over supply and over active let down.

I would also need to know why she thinks her supply is low, and what her definition of "low" is. It is actually possible to have a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance without oversupply (overactive letdown is also possible no matter supply level, but that wouldn't be a cause of these symptoms). 

How old is the baby? Especially in newborns, EBF poop can be all sorts of colors. If the baby is gaining well and doesn't seem bothered by the poop, it could be totally normal. Milk and/or soy protein intolerance could be the cause, but as someone who suspected that for a time and ultimately determined our issue was oversupply and fore/hindmilk imbalance, I'm loathe to jump to that as the first suspect unless there's some obvious discomfort from the baby. And of course, newborns always seem gassy and kind of angry, LOL, so I'm sure it's hard to tell. 

[picksthemusic]

Jun 3, 2014 13:12:37 GMT -5 spunbutterfly said:

Why does she think her supply is low?

I had oversupply, over active let down, and milk allergy. Frothy usually meant oversupply and the baby is not getting the hindmilk only watery milk.

catbus also had over supply and over active let down.

Well, I asked if baby was gaining well, and she said she is, so I doubt low supply is her issue. She said baby's poop is mainly mucous, but lots of green and frothy... all of which to me say oversupply or overactive letdown like you said. So... do you think she should see an LC or what? She's trying the no dairy thing for two weeks, but she thinks she can't do it, so not sure how committed she is about the whole thing...

ETA: She said baby is acting fussy and 'not satisfied', so it's totally possible that it's a fore/hind milk imbalance. How is that corrected?

[jennlin]

sounds like foremilk/hindmilk..make sure she's starting with the correct side. left, then right...next feeding, right, then left. wait till baby is done-done before switching sides.

[picksthemusic]

Baby is <6 weeks old or just 6 weeks.

[jennlin]

Jun 3, 2014 13:50:28 GMT -5 picksthemusic said:

Baby is <6 weeks old or just 6 weeks.

6 week growth spurt = cluster feeding.

[catbus]

Jun 3, 2014 13:27:04 GMT -5 spunbutterfly said:

Jun 3, 2014 13:21:15 GMT -5 picksthemusic said:

Well, I asked if baby was gaining well, and she said she is, so I doubt low supply is her issue. She said baby's poop is mainly mucous, but lots of green and frothy... all of which to me say oversupply or overactive letdown like you said. So... do you think she should see an LC or what? She's trying the no dairy thing for two weeks, but she thinks she can't do it, so not sure how committed she is about the whole thing...

ETA: She said baby is acting fussy and 'not satisfied', so it's totally possible that it's a fore/hind milk imbalance. How is that corrected?

Before eliminating things from her diet unnecessarily, she should put her child on one breast for 4 hour periods, if her child is eating every 2 hours at this point. So for two feedings in a row, have her nurse from only one breast. And then switch. She can ease engorgement in the other breast (if she gets that) by massaging a little bit out, just enough to take the edge off.

This is called block feeding and it generally manages oversupply, BUT it also helps make sure the baby gets enough of the fatty hind milk. If she were truly in an oversupply situation, I'd recommend 6 hour block feedings rather than 4, only cause that will help reduce supply in breasts to a manageable level, rather than just making sure the baby is draining the best fatty bits of her boobs.

If at any point she's worried, she should see an LC rather than ask the internet (but even among LLCs, there is always conflicting advice).

This was mine that I am putting out there cause she does quick phone and Skype consultations, as well as in home: www.second9months.com/services/

Yes, block feeding is what helped me. 

[stretchad]

Also had oversupply and strong letdown. Block feeding helped me as well.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using proboards

[picksthemusic]

Thanks everyone! I had her look up block feeding and oversupply and fore/hindmilk imbalance. I think she was just relying on her pedi to know what it was and then if it didn't work, she'd give up. I also told her about kellymom.com so she would have a better BF resource.