For a few months my 4 month old has had mucousy stools. The doctor originally told me not to breastfeed him. The formula did not change it. I stopped all dairy products and no change. I stopped all wheat and no change. I have hear that reflux could cause this. If anyone has experience please let me know. I have an appointment with the doc on the 16th but that is so far away. I need advice please.
edit::I am still breastfeeding. The first time I did stop breastfeeding and pumped the milk. Nothing changed so I went back to totally breastfeeding. He has to have only 2 oz. of formula a day right now before bed. The stools went back to normal for about a week when I went back to totally breastfeeding and then right back to mucousy. I'm not sure why or if I need to worry. He is very happy and never fussy. it does not seem to hurt him in any way so I'm not sure if I need to worry or not.
Thank you all for your responses. I will let you know more when I know more.
Hi C.-
Why did the Dr. tell you not to breastfeed? That is usually the best thing for your child. Since I don't know, I am not going to say any more, except that you might wish to get a second opinion from an integrative medicine peson. S.
hi C.,
My daughter had the same problems and the doctor put her on medication she had the acid reflex and she was on the medication from 3 months old tell she was 8 months old. It had me scared. I dont know if you have the same problem but with the acid reflex they spit up alot and it smells acidy. The first doctor told me it was collic but I knew it wasn't because my cousin had the same problem with his daughter and they had her tested and finally figured it out. They will have to do an upper GI to test for it. But it is safe and it helped my daughter so much. My daughters doctor also had me try the different formulas and they didnt help at all. I did have her on soy milk and that and the medication helped her.
I have a friend who is going through something similar. Hang in there - it certainly sounds frustrating!! :(
Doris might be able to give you some advice. She runs a breastfeeding support group every week. There is one today in Chandler at 10:30 and there is also one in Mesa on Thurdsays. If you can find someone to watch your older child, I would recommend coming by! Otherwise, you might want to call Doris and see what she says.
http://www.pump-n-go.com/moms%20group.htm
Good luck!!
C.,
I am going through the exact same thing. I tried the switching to formula and still no change. I'm still breastfeeding and have had no luck with the doctors. It has been a month now and my diet is super bland and still no change. It started when the baby turned 4 months it doesn't seem to be effecting him too much occasionally he grunts. I'm contemplating sending him to a GI doctor. Or brushing it off to teething. Will you let me know what your doctor says?
Can you go back to breast feeding? What kind of doc would tell you that?!
Maybe get some probiotics for infants. You can find it at whole foods or sprouts type stores. Sometimes it is in the refrigerated section. I pump and add it to my milk in the bottle for my newborn here and there. It boosts the immune system and aids in digestion.
My other concern as well as him stating to not breastfeed is why are you not able to get in sooner? Is this a specialty doctor or your regular peds?
I was told to stop breastfeeding our son because the doctor said the acid in the milk was making his reflux worse....come to find out that was not the case. Also, he was doing fine on pooping with bmilk and as soon as we switched to formula we had to put him on a seperate medicine to help him poop. It has been really horrible. So, I would really see about talking to other doctors and people before stopping to breastfeed. I wish you the best of luck.
My son had the same problem. Eliminating foods didn't seem to help him either. I could never figure out what the problem was, but it eventually stopped on its own. But he was well over 1 or 1 1/2 before it completely stopped. Good luck!
C.
Oh gosh, I am really concerned when a doctor recommends formula over breastfeeding...breastmilk is THE BEST that a baby could have! And infant stools can be so challenging for a parent, it's hard to find out if there is something to worry about or not, and what to do about it. Was the doctor concerned about the stool?
Are you still able to nurse? If so, I would definitely contact La Leche League for help. You can call a local leader, and they will get back to you within a day or two, and there are meetings throughout the valley every month. Please check them out for free advice: http://www.lllofaz.org/
How long did you stop eating wheat/dairy products? Sometime it can take weeks for an elimination diet to have results.
Sorry I can't be of more help!
