# Poop! and other surprises found in diapers



## PMolly (Dec 16, 2005)

Warning: poop talk ahead.
DS is 7 mos and we are starting solids. So far he has had bananna and apple. Last week after he munched a bunch of bananna, he didn't poop for 5 days (he usually goes every day, on occasion every other day). When he finally pooped (Saturday) it was full of what looked like red strings. We (me and he) have also had snotty noses for about a week now, so I thought the funny poop could be becasue he otherwise didn't feel well. Today when he pooped, it had the red strings in it again - just not as many (Saturdays was FULL of it). He didn't poop yesterday, but it's not unheard of for him to skip a day. I wasn't too worried after the funky poop Saturday, but now I'm getting concerned. Does this mean he is sick? Is it blood that I am seeing - if so, why? Should we not do the banannas (that is all he had eaten prior to the first pooping incident)? What are the "red strings"? Should I take action about it (i.e. go to the doctor)? His gas and poop has become extra stinky, but I chalked that up to starting solids so I don't know if that's related or not.

O, mamas I hope someone can give me advice on this. He ssems to feel fine now (just a bit snotty). TIA for help!


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

He _could_ be reacting to the banana. That kind of thing happens to my DS when I eat dairy. I don't think banana sensetivity is very common though, I've never meet anyone who was allergic to bananas.


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## ArtistMama (Sep 19, 2006)

I actually know two adults who are allergic to bananas, but I haven't asked the 'symptoms' if you know what I mean.







So banana allergy apparently can happen, if that helps.


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## veganf (Dec 12, 2005)

I think it's the snotty nose stuff causing it, not the food. My 3 month old has had stringy poop this week and has only been going once a day instead of the usual 4-6 times and we've all had a mild cold.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

The strings could have been banana bits. They come out stringy sometimes.

Are you spoon feeding? Or allowing him to self-feed? I'd worry that he's not ready for that much if it stopped him up.

-Angela


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## jlwagner (May 2, 2006)

When ds tried a bit of banana he had brown strings (I actually thought they were worms at first














) but after several poops thay were gone. I think it was because he was not able to digest them yet. The fact that they were red seems a bit weird, though. Was it red like blood?


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## medicmama (May 5, 2006)

No poop stories here but, I did find a telescope in my 6 y/o's shorts when putting him into his own bed the other night.


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## PMolly (Dec 16, 2005)

I'd say the stringy things are redish brown. Certainly not bright red, but definately have a red look to them. He did have bananna again yesterday, this is the first post bananna poop. We do a combo feeding style. Sometimes I will mash up bits and let him eat it off my finger. Sometimes I will let him gum on the bananna. When he didn't poo for five days, he had gummed quite a bit of bananna so I wanted to reduce the amount he ate. I'd say I usually help him eat about a 1/2 inch slice of bananna.

jlwagner did you continue giving your son bananna? I'm wondering if I should let it clear up before I try again.


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## PMolly (Dec 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *medicmama* 
No poop stories here but, I did find a telescope in my 6 y/o's shorts when putting him into his own bed the other night.









I'd be careful who I tell that to. They might start thinking telescope is a new euphamism for that which is usually found in shorts.


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## NaomiLorelie (Sep 2, 2004)

Banana poop can be stringy. I'd just keep my eye out to make sure he isn't pooping like that all the time.


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## medicmama (May 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PMolly* 
I'd be careful who I tell that to. They might start thinking telescope is a new euphamism for that which is usually found in shorts.









No seriously it was a telescope from his pirate costume,I can tell you theres no burried treasure there!







when i asked about it he said with a strait face he had no pockets on him pj pants so he made his own.


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## PMolly (Dec 16, 2005)

We haven't done bananna in over a week now, but I am still seeing the red "strings" in DS's diaper. There's usually 2-3 clumps of them and the rest are spread out throughout the diaper. When I pull them out (with a q-tip or toothpick) they seem crumble-y. Not like an intact string, but something that can easily come apart, if that makes any sense. His snotty nose has cleared up and he still seems to feel fine. He has terribly STINKY gas, though. Any ideas? It seems like they would've cleared up by now if it was related to bananna or snotty nose.


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## Lolafanana (Dec 29, 2005)

This happens to Elaina, too but the strings are more brown than red. The first time I saw them, I thought they were worms. It completely freaked me out until I realized they were the strings from the inside of the banana

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
The strings could have been banana bits. They come out stringy sometimes.

Are you spoon feeding? Or allowing him to self-feed? I'd worry that he's not ready for that much if it stopped him up.

-Angela

Aren't bananas simply binding? Why does it stopping him up a bit mean he may not have been ready? Bananas are a little binding for me , too







Just curious.


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## karre (Mar 22, 2006)

I think those red strings are the seeds that go down the center of the bananna. Do you know what i mean??? I remember a friend of mine took her baby to the doc after seeing those strings in her baby's poo. The doctor told her it was just the bannana seeds. I think if you strain the bannana then the strings go away. They are harmless. If your baby does not poop frequently than the reason you could be seeing them still is because it takes a while for them to make it through the gut (a few poos anyway).


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## Wittyone (May 11, 2005)

My guy ate a handful of sand at the beach and more than a week later we were still seeing evidence of that in the dipes...if these mystery strings are banana seeds it would make sense for them to have an extended transit time given our sand experience









BTW, when I saw the thread title I totally thought it was going to be about non-poop things in the dipe...like the sand...


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## gossamer (Feb 28, 2002)

Bananas in general have a tendancy to slow things down in the intestinal tract. Ever heard of the BRAT diet for recovery from DIarreah? Bananas, Rice, applesauce and Toast (If I remember correctly). If he has really stinky gas and poop, I would suggest some probiotics for his gut flora.
Gossamer


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## PMolly (Dec 16, 2005)

Gossamer
Can you tell me more about probiotics? He's 7 mos. old, btw

TIA


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## gossamer (Feb 28, 2002)

This is a really good thread here at mothering

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ght=probiotics

Whenever Adam's poop starts getting really foul smelling, I give him unflavored, unsweetened Kefir with some baby jarrow and it clears up whatever was going wrong.
Gossamer


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## Jazzmin (Jun 29, 2006)

After eating banana my DS has blood red strings in his poo. I was scared at first, but he didn't seem ill or uncomfortable. Everytime he eats bananas he has those odd red strings in his poo.


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## jlwagner (May 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PMolly* 
jlwagner did you continue giving your son bananna? I'm wondering if I should let it clear up before I try again.

Oops, haven't checked back in a while. I decided to hold off on all solids for a couple months (he was only 6.5 mos.) then I tried the bananas again... The next day he was the crankiest he's ever been and had a really weird poo (think lots of thick peanut butter







and his poo is usually liquid) so I decided maybe bananas didn't really agree with him and I won't give him any more for quite a while.


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## musemor (Mar 19, 2004)

I think it's pretty normal for babies to get a little stopped up when they first encounter solids. Poop changes when solids come into the picture; it will never look (or smell ) like breastmilk poop again. Solid food has a much different water balance than breastmilk so their bodies go through an adjustment period. When you're ready to try solids again, you could offer water in a cup when you feed her binding foods like banana. When I first gave J banana, in addition to offering water, I stewed some prunes and included them in the puree so that the fruits could balance each other out. Now that she's been eating solids for a couple of months, she can eat a whole banana without getting constipated, as long as she has enough water to go along with it.


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## Apiana (Jul 14, 2005)

I just wanted to say THANKS to everyone who responded here. I found these blood red strings in ds's poop yesterday & today & was FREAKING out. Oh, I thought maybe worms, something horribly wrong in his intestines, I was even wondering if he ate part of a red towel I have. I even took pics the strings







to email to his pedi & OMG, just wondering WHAT on earth!?! He had a first taste of banana a few days ago.







Sooo glad I found this thread! Thanks again, mamas.


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