My 9 wk old, who is strictly breastfed, has been having very watery & mucousy stools since she was 4 wks old.?

Question

She has had no fever or rash, but she has been especially cranky. Her stomach rumbles so loud and it vibrates your hands when you are holding her. Any suggestions to what could be going on?

Answer 1

Congratulations on your new baby! Your baby's stools and gassiness might be perfectly normal. Does she seem unhappy? Is the gassiness making her uncomfortable? New babies have immature digestive systems, so some unusual looking stools and digestive rumblings are to be expected.

If your baby seems uncomfortable, and especially if you're noticing other signs such as rashes, frequent spitting up, green stools, colic, sleep disturbances, then it's possible there's something else going on. Although most breastfeeding mothers can eat a normal diet without noticing any difficulties in their babies, some breastfed babies do react to foods in Mom's diet. You might try keeping a fussiness and food diary - noting down when your baby's stools are especially mucosy, when she's expecially gassy, and what you eat each day. Remember that most foods will take several hours to get into your milk, and if you eat certain foods several times a day, then your baby might always show signs. Babies usually react to proteins in Mom's diet, and dairy proteins are the most likely culprits.

Another possibility is oversupply. Some mothers make more milk than baby really needs. This can cause colic-like symptoms in baby and mucosy (often green) stools. Baby may also be fussy at the breast; gulp, choke, or cough when your milk lets down; refuse to comfort nurse; and may gain weight much more rapidly than expected (often 2 or more pounds a month). If you suspect oversupply, most mothers find that block nursing works well. Instead of offering both breasts at each feeding, offer only one side for 2-3 hours (even if baby wants to nurse more than once during that period). After 2-3 hours, switch to the other side. This helps signal your body to slow milk production.

Answer 2

She could be reacting to something in your diet. Dairy is often a common culprit for tummy upset.

I would talk to your pediatrician about this since it's been going on for so long. I'm sure it's probably nothing but it's a good idea to address any of your concerns to put your mind at ease.

My son would often get watery stools when he was teething. He was an early teether (3 months old when his first tooth broke through) ... this might or might not be the case with your little girl.

Couldn't hurt to address it with the ped.

Kudos to you for breastfeeding!

Answer 3

Are you sure those are not hunger rumbles? Have you checked to see how much milk she's getting from you and is she otherwise healthy and gaining weight?

If you have a health visitor, get her to come and weigh your baby before and after a feed, to see how much she is actually getting. I would be tempted to introduce mixed-feeding to see if she wants it or see if you have enough to express some and top her up with that if she wants it, after she's fed from you.

She will be cranky if its hunger, its obviously some digestive disturbance and watery, mucousy thin stools are not right. Her stomach should NOT rumble like that.

Answer 4

Well, my son had the same thing. The mucous was like a snot substance. My son gets 100% breast milk.

Keep track of how often that happens. Not to scare you, but since my son had that (and poor weight gain) the ped. advised us to go get tested for cystic fibrosis. I guess the "snotty poop" type thing is indicating that something isn't right in the tummy.

But... keep track... and ask your doctor. Sometimes it means they have a tummy bug... but if it happens day in and day out, you need to get your baby checked.

Answer 5

she may be sensitive to something in your diet. Try keeping a food diary and see if her digestive issues correspond to anything you eat