Green Potty Causes in Breastfed & Formula Fed Babies & Coping Strategies

During the first twelve months, the baby goes through significant changes which helps them to attain the developmental milestones right on time. For parents, especially for new mothers, it is a year which brings several wonders. While some of the surprises are pleasant, some of them can make the mother anxious. Baby poop comes under the first list of matters that worries the mothers, especially the new mothers. Your child's doctor may often ask you to watch the frequency and appearance of the baby's poop and wee-wee. This is because your baby's poop can convey a lot about his or her digestion and further.

It's quite natural the child's poop changes its color occasionally. Still, seeing the baby passing dark green spinach-like poop can alarm the mother. Continue reading to understand more about this phenomenon.

What Causes Green Poop In Babies?

Occasional green colored poop in babies generally is quite natural and is not a reason to worry. However, if the baby is consistently passing greenish stools, there's must be a reason for it-

• Foremilk -hindmilk imbalance: Foremilk, the milk that first comes from the breast during every feeding is lower fat and higher in lactose. It is followed by hindmilk the ticker, creamier milk that carries fat and many other nutrients. However, if the mother has too fast a let-down, or oversupply of breast milk or even if the baby has a bad latch, the baby drinks watery foremilk than the rich creamy hindmilk. This often results in green poop. Also, when the baby feeds more on foremilk, she may not gain enough weight
• Gulping plenty of milk at once: Due to an inappropriate feeding position, the baby may gulp more milk at once than normal. Breast milk hitting the tummy fast can trigger green poop in babies as their tummy is still sensitive as the digestive system is still on developing stage. To deal with this, try a breastfeeding position that is laid back, and never watch the clock while feeding – let the baby feed for how long she wants to
• Tummy bug: When your baby is ill (gastrointestinal illness), this can cause a change in poop color that may keep going for quite a long time until the issue is solved. Diarrhea can be a major reason for green poop in infants
• Sensitivity to a food or drug taken by the mother: Whatever the mother drinks or eat has an influence on the breast milk she produced. Therefore, the medicines such as antibiotics, vitamins and iron supplements that are taken by the mother can get into the breast milk and set off allergic reactions in the baby. Even some food you consume may trigger digestive issues in a breastfed baby. These all can result in green poop in babies

Is Green Poop In Newborns Normal?

Occasional green poop in a newborn is normal, but frequent and persisting green poop needs the attention of the child's doctor. Also, a newborn less than a couple of days old pass meconium, which is quite normal and the poop will turn yellow in one or two days as the intestine of the baby starts to digest the breast milk properly.

What Does Green Poop In Breastfed Babies Indicate?

Breastfed babies poop varies in color and also depends on the intake of food by mothers. Green poop in breast feed babies generally indicate one of the following-

1. Reaction to iron supplements: The bacteria in the baby's stomach react with the iron the poop color to green. If the intake of the iron supplement by the mother is increased it can influence the iron content of breast milk. Again, if the baby is having iron oral drops.
2. Reaction to vaccination: Some babies pass green poop after getting vaccinated, and the poop color is back to normal after 2-3 days
3. Poor latching: If the baby is not latching properly, he or she ends up in getting more foremilk than hindmilk. This can cause green poop in babies

What Does Green Poop In Formula Fed Babies Indicate?

Green poop in formula fed babies can be due to:

• The formula that is fortified with iron can cause green poop in babies
• Babies can develop allergies to certain brands of formula milk resulting in green poop. Changing the brand often can trigger green poop in babies
• In a bottle-fed baby, the green poop could also be a sign that they are not tolerating the formula well or maybe are lactose intolerance

Can Solid Foods Cause Green Poop In Babies?

If you have just introduced solid food to your baby or have changed the food patterns of your baby the poop of the baby can turn green. Once the baby starts to digest new food properly, the poop gets back to its natural color. Also, the color of food baby had can influence the color of baby's poop. If you give your baby spinach, his or her stool turns green. Just like a carrot puree can make the baby's stool colored with a tinge of red or orange.

What Can Be The Other Causes Of Green Poop In Infants?

Your baby's poop may be green in color due to the following additional reasons:

• When the baby is under medication: Babies pass green poop if they are having any medicines or had any shots or vaccination
• During teething: During teething, the quantity of saliva produced by the baby increases. Likewise, the baby swallows more saliva during this time that can turn the poop greenish and looser. Green poop is often associated as a sign of teething
• Insufficient intake of milk: Green poop in small quantity signals the baby is not getting sufficient milk. Let the baby breastfeed for as long as she wants and ignore the clock
• Mucus: If the poop in breastfed babies is green and sticky, it signals the presence of mucus in the stool. This can be due to infections like cold or drooling due to teething
• Infection: If the green poop in babies is coupled with foul smell, it can be due to some kind of infections

What Does Lime Green Poop In Babies Indicate?

Lime green poop that is frothy as well indicates the imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk in the babies' diet. Sometimes, lime green poop in infants may also signal digestive distress. It can also be a sign of stomach bug.

Baby poop is often considered an important indicator of the baby's health, and even though it is not the nicest sight to look at or study, it is your best bet to understand how the little systems are working. Watching your baby's poop closely can help you ascertain her health. And when in doubt, never hesitate to call the paediatrician.

So while I have changed many surprised, with and without the 'ewwww' effect, tell us if you were ever shocked when you saw your baby's 'surprise' in the diaper. What color was it??