Warning: this post is going to be graphic. I can’t write a post about Luke’s digestive issues without going into details about his stools. I figured if I’m going to talk about his stools, I might as well include pictures (which I’ve taken to show his doctors). I know when I was googling “blood in baby stool” I wanted to come across some pictures. I hope these will help others who are searching, wondering if what they are seeing in their baby’s diapers is normal.
You’ve been warned. If you’re squeamish about this kind of thing, feel free to stop reading and come back on Wednesday when I’ll be posting a new dinner recipe for a meatless burger.
If you’re still reading, you must be interested in what’s been going on with my little man. He’s been diagnosed with MSPI, which stands for Milk Soy Protein Intolerance. This means that his immature digestive system has trouble breaking down the proteins in milk and soy. It does not mean he is lactose intolerant or that he is necessarily allergic to anything (although he may be, it’s too early to tell).
We’ve been lucky in that many babies with MSPI cry all the time or are extremely fussy. Luke’s never been that way. The main way we knew there was a problem was through his irregular stools. Normal breastfed baby stools are mostly yellow, sometimes seedy, with a watery or creamy consistency. Luke’s dirty diapers have always been slimy and full of mucus.
Green stools is another indicator. (Occasional green diapers can be normal, but early on his were consistently green. I don’t have any pictures of his early green stools.)
Occasionally they are specked with blood, both black and red.
He was also extremely congested early on in his life, a sign of a dairy sensitivity.
Another symptom is erratic sleep patterns. Luke can easily go from an angel sleeper to a nightmare with no rhyme or reason. Over time I’ve noticed a correlation with blood in his stool and his most mucus-y diapers to his worst sleep. Whatever is going on in there to cause the irregular stools must not feel great and therefore causes sleep disruptions.
The only way to “treat” MSPI is to eliminate the culprits from my diet (since I’m breast feeding). At 8 weeks I eliminated all dairy. It takes at least a month (probably more) for all dairy to be out of your system, so it was a waiting game. The only improvement I saw was his congestion cleared up, but his stools remained the same.
At 12 weeks there was still a lot of mucus in his diapers and also visible blood, so the next step was to eliminate soy. After this his diapers turned from mostly green to mostly yellow and his projectile spitting up stopped (I didn’t know if that was related or not and still can’t be sure). The mucus and blood were still present in his stools.
This is when his pediatrician referred us to gastroenterologist. By the time we got in, Luke was 19 weeks and I’d been off of dairy for 11 weeks. The doctor still thought, however, that dairy was in my system and causing the problems. He said I could have unknowingly eaten hidden dairy. This is true, but highly unlikely given my diet. I don’t eat a lot of processed foods, which is where hidden dairy lurks. He advised me to either switch to a hypoallergenic formula or wait and hope Luke outgrows the intolerance by 9 months.
I took Luke back to his pediatrician and she said it’d be worthwhile to cut out more foods that could be causing him problems. I then cut out wheat, eggs, peanuts, and tree nuts. After two weeks his diapers were still full of mucus, but I hadn’t seen any visible blood in that time. I decided to start adding back in foods to see what the reaction would be. I added back in eggs first, and there was no change.
A week later, I added back in peanuts and tree nuts. I’m not sure why I did these at the same time; I should have done one at a time. Within days, I saw visible blood again. I can’t be sure if they were the cause, but I decided to cut them out again. I put in a call to the pediatrician and she advised me that although it could be the peanuts or nuts, wheat also takes at least a month to get out of your system, so the wheat could still be the cause.
After 6 weeks of eliminating wheat, Luke’s stools finally started to look normal. They were consistently yellow, more creamy, and without visible blood.
We had two weeks of normal-looking stools. This was the good news. The bad news was it took me eating a diet free of dairy, soy, wheat, tree nuts (except coconut), and peanuts to get there.
After 2 solid weeks of good diapers, we decided to start solids (a few weeks earlier than we planned at 5.5 months old) Details about that are a whole different post, but I will give an overview as it relates to his digestive issues. We started with yellow squash. The first two days there was no mucus or blood in his stool–they stayed the same. On the third day there was still no mucus, but there was a small amount of blood. It seems the solid food, even the very small amount, was difficult for his digestive tract to handle.
The next day I accidentally used almond-coconut milk in my oatmeal. I’d been using coconut milk and for some reason just grabbed the wrong box. Later that day, I was so hungry (snacking is the most difficult on this restrictive diet) and figured I’d already had almonds that day so I might as well go all-out and I had a banana bread Larabar, which has almonds. Later that night, his stools were back to mucus-y. I couldn’t believe how quickly they changed his stool consistency. That was on Wednesday and his stools have been full of mucus ever since. I guess it will be a while before I can have almonds. 🙁 I am just waiting for them to work their way out of my system (should be less than a week) in hopes that his diapers go back to normal.
We’ve decided to hold back on any more solids until his next doctor’s appointment this week. We’ll see what she advises. I can tell that the road to feeding Luke is going to be filled with twists and turns and will most likely not be easy any time soon.
I breastfed Meghan until she was 2 and assumed that I’d do the same with Luke. At this point I am just taking it one month at a time. I love breastfeeding and think it’s hands down the best nutrition you can provide for your child, but eating such a restrictive diet has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.
At this point I am just praying that Luke with outgrow his food sensitivities and be able to eat a normal, non-restrictive diet one day. Breast feeding a baby with MSPI is a crazy journey, but I’m grateful I’ve been able to continue to provide Luke with the nourishment of breast milk despite the challenges.
Curious about how this journey continued with Luke? Here’s an update at how things are going with breastfeeding with MSPI at 15 months!
Thank you so much. I feel everyone thinks I’m crazy for obsessing over this.. But you mommies understand it’s a BIG DEAL when you know you could be causing your baby pain. Luckily, our daughter doesn’t seem in a great deal since starting her reflux meds, is gaining weight and sleeping fine.. Yet I continue to obsess with the mucous-y
diapers. I also think I saw the first tinge of blood.. I’m bringing the next one in to get checked again last time it was neg, but I’ve now been soy and dairy free for about 6 weeks and blood may just be appearing 🙁 I am just so confused as to what to proceed with next.. I don’t know if I wanna attack “the big 8” or a full elimination diet. It’s isolating to feel this is happening to only you, not to mention all the diet restrictions (I’m southern and eating is a big deal! Haha) also our ped has been supportive up to this point but I am terrified of the formula talk and the decision that then ensues.. Find a new ped, go AMA, or do it.. No options sound good really 🙁
Thank you for all the information and encouragement. My daughter had very similar diapers from month 1 to 4. I thought I was doing well by eliminating dairy, eggs and soy and she was doing well for 2 months. My daughter just turned 6 months and she started eating rice cereal, oatmeal, carrots, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, apples and pears. I was waiting 4 days between new foods and I thought she was doing well and now she is more irritable than ever. She also has had about 6 oz of alimentum 2x a week when I am at work and have to stay late. She also just started daycare 2x week and is so fussy they don’t want to keep her. I am not sure what to do next. Do I eliminate all solids and start over with the 10-14 day rule? Do I eliminate more from my diet (I eat peanut butter every day)? Do I try a different formula on the days I don’t have enough milk pumped? She is so uncomfortable and I miss my happy baby. Has anyone tried giving your infant enzymes? or probiotics? Thanks again and any guidance is appreciated
Oh, that is so rough. I’m sorry. 🙁 When did the new irritability start? Did it correlate with starting one specific food or when you started giving the formula? When did you start solids? It can take a while for their systems to get used to eating solids, so you may need to scale back and take it slower to give her system time to adjust. I started solids with Luke at 5 1/2 months and it didn’t go well–his digestive system just wasn’t ready. So I waited a month and then tried again and he did better. It’s so hard to pinpoint what is the cause; you really have to try one thing at a time until you find your answer. I’d start with trying a new formula and see if that helps. If you’ve been eating peanut butter everyday the whole time and she did improve for a time, I wouldn’t think that would be it.
I take probiotics myself, so Luke gets them that way. I haven’t tried giving him some directly, but have heard that can help a lot.
Good luck and I hope you figure it out!
What probiotics do you recommend or take. I’m not sure how to comparison shop. I was worried that I needed to add them in my diet. Thank you for this blog I’m making a list of all possible intolerances so I can narrow down my daughters issues.
As everyone has said, thanks for your post. As a first time mom, I was not sure what normal poop for a breastfed baby shoukd look like. For the first month everything was normal (mustard with seeds), and then it started to aternate between really runny or green and mucusy. Around 2 months I noticed small streaks of blood. I have been without dairy for 7.5 weeks and soy for 3.5. My daughter’s poop had seemed to be getting slightly better after being off soy for 3 weeks, but for the last day the mucus and blood have returned. Now I am trying to decide if I accidentally had soy, or if I need to eliminate more foods. When initially discussing my diet, my doctor said I could still have soybean oil, but I was wondering what your experience was with that. I have mainly avoided it, but I have had some things with it. I am trying to decide if I should eliminate the oil first or add another item like eggs or nuts.
Thanks!
That’s a tough call. I still don’t know for sure if soybean oil is an issue for Luke or not. I mostly avoided it and then had eaten it without realizing it (Chipotle uses soybean oil) and didn’t notice a difference. I have heard of others who notice obvious reactions to soybean oil, though. If it were me, I’d eliminate soybean oil and give it another week or two. If there were no improvements then I’d start eliminating more foods. Good luck whatever you decide!
I was told oil is fine because the protein is pulverized so they can digest it. My second child has the same problem but it started earlier and it seems more severe. I’m thinking I might need to cut out lentils, corn, and maybe tomatoes. These are the most recent since her diaper has been green and mucousy. Does lentils mean no green beans and black beans, etc.?
I have heard that, too, but I think it really depends on their sensitivity level. I personally prefer to avoid soy oil as much as possible anyway.
I just wanted to thank you for your post and photos. I too could have taken these photos myself (minus the bloody one). I knew I wasn’t crazy! I KNEW there was something going on. I eliminated dairy even though the doctor said I was overreacting. The diapers are still the same but like your son, the congestion got better. So, now to eliminate more and see. I am just so glad to have some photos to refer to and to know I’m not just a paranoid mom. This is my 5th baby but only my 2nd to EBF so I always wonder if it’s all in my head. My daugther is like your son was, rarely fussy about it…so the doctors say “well if it was a problem she would be crying all the time”. Ugh. Anyway…just thank you. A lot!
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing your story, too. Good luck as you continue to help your daughter.
Great work!
A couple years ago my little guy had GERD.. And my diet affected him a great deal. I went on a total elimination diet and started introducing one food a week.. Starting off with pears and rice.. Turns out he didn’t agree with diary, soy, nuts, and the preservative they add to mince meat! That took a while to figure out, as the meat itself was fine, but whenever I are the minced version his reflux was worse and so were his belly pains. I ended up bread feeding for 17 months, and he got better each day, people thought I was insane for going through all of that, but it was worth everything to me.. Now he’s got a good strong belly, and I’m glad I didnt have to put him on formula. Its an amazing thing you’re doing, great site, keep it up! They’re the most precious gifts we get <3 good job!
Thank you, Kat!
I could have written this post myself!!! I only wish I had come across it sooner. My little bundle is 4 months now and he has had green, mucous poos with blood (now and again) since he was about 4 weeks old. What a whirlwind it has been! I was dairy, wheat, and gluten free for 2.5 months, I know now that was not the culprit. I ended my love affair with soy about a month ago when I jumped sides on the estrogen producing controversy. Also, I have an overactive letdown with an abundance of foremilk. About two weeks ago I was at my wits end, I had an overwhelming sense of guilt. The choking while feeding, followed by refusal to latch back on after and his poos were still green mucous. How long could this go on? I was deeply concerned for his well being, even though he is the happiest, healthiest looking baby I have ever seen. Formula was never and hopefully will never be an option for us. I needed answers! I had tried everything from block feeding to eating a diet of strictly sweet potatoes and rice, for Pete’s sake. Then I decided to see a Lactation Consultant. I was only overproducing on one side, it seemed, so I was instructed to feed from little boob first…always. After about a week of this schedule we had the first yellow poop of about 3 months 🙂 Low and behold a few days later (on Christmas day)…a seedy texture. Was this a Christmas miracle? Okay, maybe not, but now I wonder who is to blame, soy or mother nature? Either way I would not eat soy for anything and meal time will ALWAYS begin with a right boobie appetizer. It was refreshing to hear that we are not alone in our trials.
Very interesting! I often wondered if oversupply/foremilk/hindmilk imbalance contributed to Luke’s stools as well. Around the time I cut out soy, I also started encouraging him to feed from one breast longer rather than switch him the first time he popped off. I was never sure if it was that or the cutting out of soy that helped his stools stop being green.(Did I write about that in the post? I can’t remember now…) At 8 months when I tried to add back in soy, however, I was sure that it was a problem for him. It resulted in horrible gas, explosive stools, and one terrible sleepless night. All that from ONE serving of soy milk. He’s over a year now and I still haven’t tried soy again. It’s not worth it!!
Thank you so much for this post! The pediatrician we have been seeing has no clue why there is blood and mucous in my 3.5 month olds diaper so we have yet to try anything to solve it. I am now convinced that I need to change my diet since not Breastfeeding is not an option for us. We are going to remove dairy from my diet and if need be continue to eliminate from there. I am hoping that my little can still tolerate nuts though because we are vegetarian and that’s where our protein comes from lol. If he cannot is there any suggestions you have for protein replacement? I am allergic to chicken, turkey and get really bad reflux when I eat pork (hence the veggie diet!). I can eat beef in small amounts but it also causes tummy aches for me 🙁
I feel your pain with the lack of protein options! Before I had to eliminate all the foods, meat was on the menu only about once a week. Since then, I started eating it more like 3-4 times a week. It sounds like that is not a option for you. Other protein options that are not soy or nuts are: seeds (I add sunflower and pumpkin seeds to salads a lot and eat a ton of sunflower seed butter), quinoa, beans, split peas, and lentils.
Good luck!!
Hi Maryea,
Thank you so much for your site! I, like many of the moms who posted, am struggling with this issue. My son is 5 months old and has what I *think* is mucous in his poop. I have been googling pictures to see if what I’m looking at really is mucous. How can I tell? I look at your “normal” picture and feel like it’s the same as my son’s. However, the “mucous” pics also look like his. I’m having a hard time seeing a big difference between the two. Any advice?
Erika-
I feel the same way! This is my 3rd baby, and I am a pediatric nurse, and I still find myself scrutinizing Grace’s diapers obsessively!! Since around age 3 weeks, Grace has pulled off while nursing- sometimes she screams, and other times she’ll just pull off when I feel a letdown and refuse to get back on. She is not fussy between feeds and she sleeps great. But she will turn away from the breast even when I know she must be hungry, and she pulls off almost every feed. She has no rashes, maybe some congestion, though she has 2 brothers in preschool, so the root of the ongoing congestion is up for debate. Her stools definitely don’t have blood, but are they slimy? Are they stringy? So hard to tell!!
I have been doing the dairy-free diet for about 6 weeks (with a few lapses where I think “Maybe dairy is ok! I’ll just try it! and then she gets worse). Because things have not been much better, the lactation consultant I talked to recommended definitely no dairy. Just commit to it, and don’t try to sneak it back in til she’s at least 6 months. And also no wheat. If she’s doing great in 6 weeks, she said I could retry the wheat, because it is hard to tell if her continuing symptoms are because I have not been faithful to the dairy free diet, or if she has another allergen. So for the next 6 weeks, I promise not to cheat, and we’ll see what happens. Today is day 2 no wheat, no dairy, and while it is awful for me, Grace has nursed the best she has in weeks. Seems impossible that it could happen so quickly, but who knows. By the way, her weight gain was awesome until about 6 weeks, then has been hit or miss- some weeks she gains pretty well, but she has lost an ounce 2 weeks also.
For what it’s worth, one of my sons had a dairy allergy. He had no symptoms that I noticed when I was nursing him, but he got hives the first time I gave him yogurt at age 9 months. He was blood tested at age 12 months, and had a class 2 allergy to dairy- no other allergies to foods. He outgrew the allergy at age 2 years and now eats dairy with no problems. My other son (I have identical twins) showed no signs of food allergy, but I had him tested at 12 months as well, because I wondered if identical twins could really not be allergic to the same things. Turns out, the answer is yes! Drew did not test allergic to milk (and he had never gotten hives from eating it), but he did test positive for wheat, class 2. I met with an allergist, who said that since he had shown no signs of wheat allergy, to go ahead and feed it to him. He has seemed to do fine. But now it makes me wonder if I missed signs in their stools when they were babies, etc. And it makes me wonder if it will end up that baby Grace has trouble with both milk and wheat.
Whew! That’s a lot of info! But I have been thinking about it non-stop, and it’s so hard to find someone to discuss it with.
Hope all goes well with your LO. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing your story, Betsy. I’ve been trying to decide if I should get a blood test for Luke (he just turned a year old), so it was interesting to read your experience.
Does he have any other symptoms? If you aren’t sure and that is his only symptom, then I would say he might be fine. If there are other symptoms, however, I’d definitely investigate further. I showed the doctor pictures of Luke’s stools, and that was helpful to get confirmation that they weren’t normal. I also physically brought diapers into her office. If you suspect a problem, you can also get the stools tested for blood. Even if it’s not visible, it could be there and that would be a clear indication that there is a problem.
I’m struggling figuring out Luke’s stools now that he’s fully on solids. I’ve been adding foods back in and it’s so hard to tell what is normal and not with a solid-food diaper!
Good luck to you!
Came across your blog while googling green mucousy bloody diapers. UGH! Good for you mama for sticking it out. I am one week in and feel so discouraged at times when I still see green nasty poops but I think we are dealing with the same thing here, and my pediatrician is of no help. Keeps telling me the specks of blood are okay (from an anal fissure), the green is fine since she is EBF, and the mucus is not related to my dairy intake. WHAT??!! Yes, I am switching docs.
Thing is, she didn’t start showing any symptoms until about 3 months-poops started turning green and some had mucus. Dry patches on her face (derma said it’s just heat rash). Some diaper rash on and off. Spitting up more. Specks of blood in one diaper every day or two. Why would it take so long to show up? Also, she sleeps great and is generally a happy girl. And she also sometimes has normal yellow seedy poops and has seriously never had gas. So many questions and doubt in my head but I am so committed to breastfeeding my girl. Did you have normal poops in the mix, too? Or were they all green and mucusy?
I’ve been off dairy for almost one week now and haven’t noticed a huge difference-maybe less spit up. Did you notice any connection between things you ate a lot of during pregnancy and things that bothered your son? I ate a lot of cheese and nuts during pregnancy so I am focusing on cutting out my dairy and nuts (nuts are harder for me than dairy-I LOVE peanut butter!).
Nuts were harder than dairy for me, too! I definitely did eat a decent amount of nuts, wheat, dairy, and soy and those are the things Luke is/was sensitive to. I don’t know if there’s a connection there or not.
Overall the majority of Luke’s diapers were at least slimy. Not very many “normal” looking ones until all the foods got out of my system (which took a total of 3 months since I took out one thing at a time) They were only green until I cut out soy around 3 months, and then they stopped being green. The occasional green poop can be normal for a breastfed baby, but with other symptoms they can also be a sign of a problem. It doesn’t sound like your doctor is looking at the whole picture to me. I would probably try to get into a GI specialist. Mine wasn’t much help, but normally I think they are more knowledgeable than pediatricians in this area. And dairy can take up to 8 weeks to get out of your system entirely, so you won’t really know if it’s helped to cut it out for a while. Did your little one definitely have an anal fissure? Specks of blood every day or two seems very excessive. I only saw blood a handful of times total. Either way, I’d get a second opinion. Good luck!
Our little 7 week old boy, Greyson, has had the same exact looking diapers since 2 weeks old! I have a gluten allergy so it’s not that snce I’ve already eliminated that from my diet. So his pediatrician told me to cut out dairy. I’m 3 weeks into a zero dairy diet and his diapers havn’t gotten any better – in fact they’re looking worse! But here’s the kicker – I relaced my morning cereal milk with ALMOND MILK! Jeez!! I had no idea that could be a problem in addition to the dairy issue! Thank you for posting this and for posting pictures! I will cut out the daily dose of almond milk and hopefully we’ll see a difference! I brought a mucousy diaper to his pediatrician today and he basically said “well, sometimes babies just have funny poop.” Not really helpful, but they agreed to do a stool sample and gave me some cups. Do you have any other advice?
It’s so frustrating that some pediatricians are not knowledgeable about food sensitivities and intolerances in babies. The poor babies are suffering and the doctors don’t even realize it. 🙁 Have you cut out soy? That is often a big culprit for babies and soy is in EVERYTHING if you eat processed foods. If you haven’t seen any improvement at all I’d keep the dairy out but also cut soy. Good luck!
P.S. I love the name Greyson!
Oh, also, what did you do about calcium? Did you take vitamins? Thanks so much 🙂
I eat a lot of non-dairy calcium-rich foods, like dark leafy greens, seeds, and beans. I do also take a vitamin, though. It’s a vitamin for pregnant and nursing moms, but I can’t think of the name right now. (sorry!)
Like everyone else said, thank you for posting this!! I have felt silly for wondering about mucousy stools. My son has had mucousy stools since he was a newborn. They just recently been getting worse. I think part of it is because I have been drinking hot chocolate lately and so that might make it worse. My son is 3 1/2 months old and is 11 lbs or less. I have almost been tearing my hair out trying to figure out why he is so tiny. I am wondering now if he does have an allergy and that’s why he’s not digesting nutrients. He is a very alert boy and so his development is fine. I know you’re not a doctor, but you’ve been through this. Would you suggest eliminating dairy for a couple weeks and see how it is and then eliminate something else? Again, I am so glad I found this and that your post was recent too!!
Definitely consult your son’s pediatrician, but if he has mucousy stools and slow weight gain, I’d try eliminating dairy and possibly even soy as well to start with. Those are the top two culprits in infants, so taking those out may be all you need to do. Give it a good month until you decide if it’s working–dairy especially takes a long time to get out of your system and the baby’s system. Good luck!
Thank you so much for your post! I’m sorry to hear about Luke and his food “sensitivities.” I have a two month old baby girl that I breastfeed only who is sweet as pie one minute and – as my Dr said – “having a complete melt down” the next. At three weeks we took her to the Doctor. They said she had reflux. Her screaming fits started not lasting as long after that but she still has her moments frequently. She’s always been gassy and many times a day screams as though she’s in pain. I noticed at three weeks also her poop turned from mustard yellow to greenish..I thought this was normal variations for breastfed only babies. Last week, I noticed that there was mucous in her stool. After much research, I decided that she must have an allergy. I first stopped all dairy, which being lactose intolerant myself, wasn’t much. After a few days of no change I cut out soy, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, corn, eggs and fish. For two days, she was happy, not screaming and actually taking naps during the day. Day three…another day of meltdowns. I just started a few days ago the Dr. Sears elimination diet. The only thing I’m eating is range fed turkey, green and yellow squash, sweet and regular potatoes, pears, rice, rice milk (and added rice chex…gotta have some cereal).
No change yet but I’m not giving up. With a possible allergy combined with Laryngomalacia, it’s been a rough couple months but we’ll pull through 🙂
Good for you for sticking with it! Good luck on your journey and I hope you get it all figured out soon.
I feel so much better after reading this. I’ve been on a sort of total elimination diet for one full week. my 11 week old son’s poop has turned yellow, finally, but the mucous remains. sometimes it seems like it’s getting worse before it gets better? I don’t eat dairy or soy to begin with, but yes those are hidden in everything. I’m only eating whole foods, which isn’t to far off s stretch for me. I’m eating chicken, quinoa, olive oil, kale, carrot, all squash such as zucchini, butternut, etc, sweet potatoes, some brown rice, papaya, coconut water, coconut milk, dates, pears and apples. That’s it. maybe some Turkey? I was happy to see the yellow but still notice lots of mucous. He’s happy, sleeps very well at night, growing, and docs are very supportive of continued breastfeeding. But it makes me sad to think I’ve been hurting him. This is likely and some people don’t understand. I’m afraid I’m hurting him and will have to catch to formula or that I’ll lose my milk supply on such a restricted diet. this whole thing is very hard and I need encouragement. it keeps me up at night and I’m almost frightened of every diaper change. should I stop eating dates, coconut? I’m so confused. But thanks so very much for posting your experience with this. mashed me feel a little less lonely in this!
Sorry for the grammatical errors, this was written quickly on a phone! Any advice would be most welcome (regarding this situation, nut the grammar!) And how interesting about the vaccine…
Give it time. It took a long time of having all of the foods out of my diet to see an improvement in his stools. It takes a long time for certain foods to get out of your system (especially dairy and wheat) and also to get out of the baby’s system. I wouldn’t stop eating the dates or coconut. Just make sure you are eating enough,drinking a lot of water, and resting as much as you can and your supply should be fine. Luke is now 11 months and I’ve just started adding back foods as a trial (nuts have been okay and I’m trying wheat now; it’s too early to tell if wheat is okay or not) and my supply has held up well. I do eat plenty of calories. I know how confusing and hard it is–hang in there!
I understand some food takes a long time to leave your body, but diapers shouldn’t be getting worse unless your eating another irritating food correct? I thought I had this down with my first daughter but I have eliminated all the same food and daughter number 2 doesn’t seem to be improving. It’s been almost a month of have I think the top 8 allergens out. What would you say are the top 8 allergens?
The top 8 allergens are: peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, dairy, corn, eggs, and shellfish.
My little one has the exact same problems and the stool is identical, she is almost 5 months now, i have been dairy free for almost 1 month and now wheat and soy free for almost 1 week, getting tougher and tougher to eat but i feel breastfeeding is worth it, her stool is still runny with small blood flecks but the consistency seems to be getting better so hopefully we are on our way, i don’t eat too many nuts anyway, the only thing i still have concerns about if
it turns out not to be wheat is corn, i eat quite a bit of that. Anyway thanks for sharing and adding pictures, that helps to be able to compare.
You’re welcome and good luck to you as you try to figure it out!
I just wanted to say THANK YOU. My 3 month old has the congestion and now the mucusy poop. I took it to the ped and they tested it and it came up positive. It is great to actually see the pics, so I know what to look for in the future. I had to switch to the hypoallergenic formula, because I am a diabetic and have to follow a certain way of eating. We just started this afternoon, so I hope to see things turn around soon. Thank you again, you have helped out a crazy worried mama.
You’re welcome. I hope the special formula is easier on your baby’s system and his symptoms clear up soon!
I appreciate these pictures more than anything…that is how I found your website. One thing I am noticing over and over on the posts here which I have experienced is Pediatricians NOT recognizing potential signs of food allergy and telling parents that the stools and behavior of the little one is “normal”. We have experienced this and it is very frustrating. I actually had the nurse practioner recommend that I completely resume my normal diet today after I had been on an elimination diet for 3+ weeks…4 days ago I reintroduced corn and now my daughter is very uncomfortable and screams when she poops, has green runny poops with mucous in them…yet my Ped still thinks she is “fine”. I am sad to hear that this seems to be commonplace. I was going to try to get a second opinion from another Ped but I fear it may be a waste of time. If I could get to an allergist or a GI Ped I am sure I would be given the time of day but I probably need a referral to get insurance to cover it. So lonely and frustrating.
I had a unique experience in that my son’s pediatrician was much more supportive and helpful than the GI Ped we went to. I think it’s just a matter of finding the right doctor, specialist or not. I guess we got lucky in that our regular ped mentioned the possibility of an intolerance when he was 2 weeks old. I didn’t start cutting things out until later, but if she hadn’t mentioned it, I never even would have known to think about it as a possibility. More peds definitely need to be aware of food allergies and intolerances and help educate moms about them.
Thank you SO much for this post! The pictures are what made this post so helpful – thank you for being brave and putting them up! My son, who will be 5 months old on Wednesday, and I are/have been going through exactly the same thing. It is SO hard not being able to eat anything and, after reading your story, I am afraid I may have to eliminate wheat from my diet as well . . . He is so gassy still and has VERY watery, and sometimes mucous-filled stools and, after eliminating soy and dairy, hasn’t had any blood . . . until this past week. But I NEVER know what a “normal” exclusively breastfed baby’s dirty diaper should actually look like and I am constantly sticking my face into his diaper and examining it wondering “is this normal??” Just to clarify, the last picture you posted – is this a more “normal” looking diaper? He thrashes and fusses so much in his sleep, as well, and we’re co-sleeping, so he keeps me awake all night too . . . Now I’m wondering if this is why. He wakes me up passing gas and making grunting noises like he has to poop all night long. I feel SO badly for him and just pray that this issue gets better soon. I’m really hoping it will before the Holidays to I can EAT something!! I will be following your blog from now on for recipes and to hear your updates on this, so please, don’t hesitate to post more dirty diaper pics! SO helpful! Thank you, thank you, thank you! And GOOD LUCK! I guess the silver lining is, I’ve lost all my baby weight AND some already! HA! All my best to you 🙂
Yes, the last picture is the “normal”. It does sound like your son may be reacting to more foods in your diet. It’s such a process trying to figure out exactly which foods are causing the problems. I feel you on wanting to be able to eat during the holidays. I did a soy trial with Luke last month to see if he’d started to outgrow his intolerances and it was a big fail. His stools immediately went back to being full of mucus and 4 days later had blood again after being clear for months. And all I had was ONE soy latte. 🙁 His diapers still are gooey and its been over a month, but it’s much harder to gauge if they are normal now that he’s eating solids. (He’s 9 months now) Good luck to you and I hope your little one feels better soon.
I am so glad I came across your blog. My LO is 3. 5 months now, but started having bloody and mucusy stools when he was 4 weeks. I researched the internet and talked to my Pedi and I decided to cut all dairy from my diet. It took about 3 weeks for the blood to stop and a couple more weeks for them to be less mucusy. I am also supplementig with Similac Alimentum formula. While his stools have been clear of blood for almost 2 months, they are loose and he is still very gassy, has reflux, spits up alot and has trouble gaining weight. My Dr doesn’t think those things are related to his MPI, but after reading this, I think it probably is and maybe I should start eliminating more things from my diet.
We tried giving him some brown rice in his bottle for the last two days (to help with the spitting up and help him gain weight) but I found specks of blood in his diaper this morning : (. Ugh! I really hope he is not allergic to rice. But stupid me, we also changed from Similac to Enfamil hypoallergenic formula this weekend at the SAME time we added the rice, so maybe it’s the formula. AND I ate a bag of peanuts yesterday, which I never eat, so maybe it’s peanuts, although I eat peanut butter sandwhich nearly everyday for lunch. I am so frustrated today, I was hoping this phase was over : (
I’m so sorry, Jennifer. Hang in there; I know exactly what you are going through and just how difficult it is.
Just wondering if you have chosen to vaccinate your son and if so if you have had any reactions to any of them? My son is 3 mo old & very early realized I had to cut out dairy, and later soy. Aside from a few slips (ate a meal I’d prepared & frozen before he was born without thinking about it) we have been pretty good. His diapers are still somewhat excessively loose & watery with slight mucus to me when I compare them to my daughter. However the awful gas & fussing have subsided & he is sleeping better with far less squirming in his sleep. BUT at 2 months we started a selective/delayed vaccination schedule with the DTap…awful reaction! It was as if I’d eaten a bowl of ice cream, in fact before realizing the connection my husband asked if I had. The only new thing had been the shot so I looked up the ingredient list & … It’s grown on casein protein! I told my provider’s office about it but I’m pretty sure they think I’m nuts! I feel like I need to hold off on any vaccines with this ingredient for the time being hoping he outgrows the sensitivity. I know vaccines can be hot button issue but just curious if you’ve come across anything else like this?! Thanks!
I do vaccinate on the regular schedule. Very interesting that casein is in the ingredient list! I haven’t noticed any unusual reactions to his vaccines, but then again when he had them all so far was before things normalized, so I wouldn’t have known if it was the vaccine or something else causing the issue. I will have to be more aware of this when he gets his next vaccine–thank you for the heads up!
Holy crap!!! I am sooo glad you posted this reply!!!! We are battling an unknown allergen of some sort. I too cut out dairy and overnight the gas screams that I could set my watch by, for multiple times each day, ceased. The diapers didn’t get any better though, and not he poops only once every 5-6 days. I just quit soy, wheat, eggs peanuts a few days ago, and tree nit’s the moment I saw this blog (I just made a fresh batch if almond butter last night too! They have been my go to snack). ANYWAY, my point is, yesterday we went to get my sins 3 month shots (we moved to China 5 months ago) and they asked if he had allergies. We said no, because 1.) We were merely communicating through a translation app. And 2.) I thought there would be NO WAY there could be milk protein (of all things! ) in a vaccine.
Welp, today we had a very uncomfortable boy, and it’s so stressful and heartbreaking to see him suffer. We thought maybe it’s because he’s fighting the dead viruses in the vaccines, but now….
I’m not sure what to do about the next two schedules shots for dtap etc. but this has been mighty helpful! Thanks Elizabeth!
And a huge thank you to Maryea- these pictures led me here and saved my sanity. I am so sick of hearing “baby poop are loose” and “it’s normal”. My poor babe is such a trooper, still being so happy suffering the way he is. Dr’s “aren’t concerned” because his “weight gain is good”. Well that’s not good enough for me- my baby deserves to be comfortable and have a better quality of life for his first year. Poor guy.
“My baby deserves to be comfortable and have a better quality of life for his first year.” YES! Good job, mama!
I’m also glad to have found your posts because I have had the same exact stool issues with my 6week old son. Those pics could be his stools, they changed from mustardy yellow to green (now every stool is green), mucousy, & tinged with blood streaks. My baby (Graham) is really fussy some days as well & draws up his legs & cries after feedings (breastfeeding). My ped dr also recommended to elminate dairy first, but I had a few questions still:
-Have you heard of citrus being a problem, too? (E.g. OJ)
-Is chocolate out, too? I’m assuming milk chocolate, but wondering if a little dark chocolate would be okay…
-Did you cut out all products with butter? E.g. cookies. Probably yes, but it surprises me if the small amount of butter in some foods would be causing the problem.
Did you ever find out for sure if wheat was really a problem or was it just the nuts & dairy? It seems so hard to eliminate wheat! I wonder if they can do any allergy testing of infants to make this easier!
Thanks!
I have heard that citrus can irritate acid reflux in babies, but I haven’t heard about it causing issues with stools. I’m not sure though. Chocolate is not completely out, you just have to read ingredients. For me it’s difficult because even dairy-free chocolate bars have soy lecithin and I have to avoid soy, too. Yes, I have cut out all dairy, even trace amounts. Every baby and intolerance level is different. Some babies do well with eliminating obvious dairy and not “hidden” dairy, but Luke seemed to need all dairy gone. I use Earth Balance’s soy free spread as a butter substitute and it works well. I’m fairly sure that wheat was (is) a problem because even when all the other things were out he still had mucus and/or blood in his stools. It wasn’t until I gave the wheat time to get out of my system that his stools finally went to normal. Wheat was definitely the most difficult for me to eliminate.
I did a soy trial at 8 months and his stools immediately turned back to full of mucus and one had blood. It took three whole weeks to get the stools back to almost normal (they are still a little gooey and he is 9 months tomorrow). I have his 9 month well check this week and I am going to discuss a plan for when to trial other foods. I am also going to discuss allergy testing. Our pedi. offered it when he was around 8 weeks, but I didn’t want to do it at that time. Now I think I do just to see, even though they say they aren’t 100% accurate at this age.
Good luck to you–I know how difficult what you are going through is!