The Baby Factory: Baby's Got Some Brand Blue Poop

For two days now, Thea has had some of the most amazing blue poop I've ever seen. It's arrived in large quantities, has smelled horrible, and appears to be clearing up.

Blame it on the barium.

Because Thea has had some serious digestive challenges lately, our pediatrician wanted us to get her upper GI looked at. This week, we had a appointment with one doctor who checked out Thea's lower digestive issues and her allergies, and an appointment with a second doctor who checked out her upper digestive tract.

Doctor #1 worked her magic with a simple finger up the butt. Thea screamed like a banshee. The doctor said that was a sure sign of irritation -- apparently, babies haven't yet formed negative associations with having fingers shoved into their rumps and only scream if there is irritation inside. Which it seems there was. But no blood, which was a good thing.

Her prescription was pretty straightforward. She boosted Thea's Xantec dosage to help with her reflux; and removed soy and peanuts from Nikole's already dairy- and egg-free diet; prescribed a butt cream for Thea; and said to start her on fruits and vegetables in 10 days.

Since we'd had such challenges with rice cereal and oatmeal (Thea's sleep habits went to hell when we put her on cereal -- which she loves!), she suggested we just go straight to the good stuff.

Doctor #2 was a bit more interesting. We arrived at St. Mary's Hospital at 7:30 in the morning, and right away they strapped our nekkid baby (except for a diaper) onto a narrow metal bed. First, they put a blanket over her chest, and then around and around the nurse went with a roll of surgical tape. Next, they strapped her arms up over her head. Thea just merrily sucked away at her pacifier.

I stood at the end of the table and held a baby bottle filled with barium. Thea proceeded to drink it, as the strip of metal she was strapped to began turning like a rotisserie -- 90 degrees to the right, 90 degrees to the left, full circle with Thea upside down. They took x-rays along the way. I leaned forward and cheated a look when the doctor said he saw some reflux. Sure enough, a band of blackness cascaded up and down her through on the x-ray monitor.

Verdict: All of Thea's internal organs are where they are supposed to be, and she has some serious reflux. Since she's already on medication, I suppose we just don't throw her around like a football after she eats. He said she'd outgrow it.

And the physiological outcome of the second appointment has been with us ever since. Thea took a huge poop yesterday while I was at work, one that she described as being the color of our antiqued dry sink cabinet -- a brightish hue of blue.

I got to experience it firsthand this morning, when I got up with Thea early and changed her diaper -- bluish, white and brown poo. Everywhere. (Including all over our sheets we later discovered.)

She followed it up later today when we were driving to a craft show and Nikole realized that Thea had exploded all over herself and the carseat. We duly turned back toward home, cleaned everyone and everything up, and headed back to the show.

But the poop was a nice yellow/brown. Definitely an improvement.

Comments

[Joell]

Danielle had the same medicine for about 15 months before we could take off of it, we kept her constant by making a evening or two bottle of prune juice, milk/water, and formula. This was the only way while on Zantac that we could keep her happy and her belly healthy. I remember the xray table it was horrific, luckily they forget so quickly at that age. Miss your dry sense of humor, keep your chin up!

[Lynn]

a massage therapist helped me with this - sometimes the esophagal sphinter gets stuck open allowing acid to wash up - try stroking from her chest to her mid tummy - or ask a pro for baby specifics...try 5 min at a time every so often...the downward stroke closes the sphincter.
also in grownups anyway, the over production of acid comes from not enough acid and drinking some apple cider vinegar balances everything

[Pauline]

One time my toddler swallowed some pink bubblegum, and his came out like barber poles.

[Kelly]

you guys are troopers!!! sorry its so rough...