# TMI poop question



## northerngirl (Oct 6, 2006)

For the past few months my ahem...poop has been different. It has been floating and not sinking to the bottom of the toilet. Sometimes if there are pieces, some will sink, but most float. Is this normal? I have never noticed "floaters" ever. What the heck is wrong with me? I have not changed my diet in any way over the past year. Any insight? Please. BTW I am 8 weeks pregnant.


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## heidirk (Oct 19, 2007)

generally poop will float if it contains lots of excreted fat, or lots of undigested fiber. Think about what would happen if you threw a chunk of grass clippings into a bucket of water.

When your pregnant, your digestion slows down and other things change considerably, too. I think you're just not digesting things as fully as you were. I wouldn't worry about it.


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## northerngirl (Oct 6, 2006)

Thanks for your reply. This was happening before I became pregnant and I just want to make sure that if I am not digesting things that I am not becoming deficient in things like fats, especially for my babe. Could I have a food intolerance of some sort?


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## OliveJewel (Feb 7, 2008)

I remember hearing that healthy poop has the consistency of peanut butter and floats. If it's hard and sinks that's not as good.

This came from a presentation in my junior high school! You can imagine an auditorium full of 13-year-olds hearing that! It stuck with me, no pun intended. Ewwww!


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## northerngirl (Oct 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *OliveJewel* 
I remember hearing that healthy poop has the consistency of peanut butter and floats. If it's hard and sinks that's not as good.

This came from a presentation in my junior high school! You can imagine an auditorium full of 13-year-olds hearing that! It stuck with me, no pun intended. Ewwww!

I just sort of remember seeing part of an oprah show with dr oz and they were talking about floaters not being good. Maybe I'll check out her website....


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## luminesce (Aug 6, 2006)

In general, floating poop is not good; the biggest scare is the association with pancreatic cancer. However, given you are pregnant and all the associated digestive changes that are happening, it might just be that there is more air in it.







If it were me, I'd just watch it for a few more weeks. If you're like I was during pregnancy, you'll end up constipated with sinking rabbit-pellet poo.


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## northerngirl (Oct 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *serenitii* 
In general, floating poop is not good; the biggest scare is the association with pancreatic cancer. However, given you are pregnant and all the associated digestive changes that are happening, it might just be that there is more air in it.







If it were me, I'd just watch it for a few more weeks. If you're like I was during pregnancy, you'll end up constipated with sinking rabbit-pellet poo.









Thanks for your reply...I am recently pregnant ~9 weeks. This was happening for a month or more BEFORE I became pregnant, and is still happening. When I search about it on the internet I get conflicting information. Some places say it happens and other say it's a problem. Why is it associated with pancreatic cancer? Scary.


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## tanyalynn (Jun 5, 2005)

This is my favorite site for discussing poop...

http://www.enzymestuff.com/rtstools.htm

Poop starting to float isn't a good thing, but I'd first look to the more normal answers, maybe gut flora getting messed up due to some stress (whether you can identify it or not). Lack of bile, which can cause fat to be less digested, can be remedied (sometimes, depending on the cause) with lots of probiotic foods. We love homemade kimchee, does good things for DD's poop.

Floating poop tends to happen transiently to my kids after they've been sick, but it should resolve on its own--my kids _need_ the probiotic-rich foods to make it happen. If you consume dairy, dairy kefir would be really nice at making your gut nice, water kefir is another option, I think that always has to be homemade (some HFSs sell dairy kefir).


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## northerngirl (Oct 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TanyaLopez* 
This is my favorite site for discussing poop...

http://www.enzymestuff.com/rtstools.htm

Poop starting to float isn't a good thing, but I'd first look to the more normal answers, maybe gut flora getting messed up due to some stress (whether you can identify it or not). Lack of bile, which can cause fat to be less digested, can be remedied (sometimes, depending on the cause) with lots of probiotic foods. We love homemade kimchee, does good things for DD's poop.

Floating poop tends to happen transiently to my kids after they've been sick, but it should resolve on its own--my kids _need_ the probiotic-rich foods to make it happen. If you consume dairy, dairy kefir would be really nice at making your gut nice, water kefir is another option, I think that always has to be homemade (some HFSs sell dairy kefir).

Tanya~thanks for the link. When you mentioned bile, it made me think back to the middle of march when I saw a chiropractor that does nutrition response testing. One of the problems he said I had was with my liver, gallbladder and pancreas. So he had me taking a handful of supplement from the brand Standard Process. One of which, I believe was the AF Betafood, made me SO gassy, both ends. I think I took it for a month? When I looked it up online to see if being gassy was a side effect, a website said that you should stop taking it, and I did, bc you were either producing too much bile or it was trying to make you and you were not. When I called the chiro he said no one had ever had a problem with it before but that I could stop taking it if I wanted. I think around May I went into my md and was concerned that I was SO gassy and I forgot to mention that my poop was now floating. I think I may make another appointment with the md bc it has been happening since before the appointment. Do you think that's a good route? Or should I see a specialist? Ugh I feel like I total F'd up my system and if my body is not absorbing nutrients that scares me not only for my health but my baby as well.
BTW I have been taking a probiotic that my former natropath recommends although since becoming preg I have slacked due to gagging on pills.


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## tanyalynn (Jun 5, 2005)

I would probably not choose a conventional medicine doc for digestive concerns like you're describing. But I'm not sure what type of HCP I _would_ choose, I think it depends more on the individual than on the particular specialty they practice. Many people seem to have better results with probiotic-rich foods than supplements, so I'd probably start with that as I tried to find a local HCP who was good with digestive imbalances.

I'm not very familiar with Standard Process products, so I can't help with the particulars of the one you took that didn't agree with you.


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## northerngirl (Oct 6, 2006)

Thanks for the advice Tanya. I am kinda bummed bc my naturopath has closed her practice and is moving overseas for 3 years. So now there isn't one in the area. I am going to try to be taking my probiotic caps...depending on how the morning sickness is. I have never had kimchee....I have in the past bought dairy kefir from my local coop, I can only do the flavored kind though. So yeah, I don't know what I am going to do. Maybe see the md bc my insurance covers it, so no money out of my pocket for the appt.


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