Floaters

[Mercurious]

Nice conversation but....

Are poos meant to float? DD has very bouyant poo. She isn't a huge eater, mainly fruit, wholemeal bread and a bit of meat and cheese, lots of feeds.

[Nyree]

Usually, it's better if they sink, and have a C or S-shape to them.

[Merlion]

ummm well should i be worried Jess has never had really had solid at all her life due to her digestive problems

[Beckstar]

Hey, floating is gas in the stool, possibly due to bacteria (the normal stuff that lives in the gut). The excess bacteria could be due to malabsorption of a nutrient in the gut. New foods added (dietary changes) can cause this. It may improve on its own or you may need to try excluding a fod at a time to see if it improves.
Having said that, it is nothing to panic about, lots of people have floaters....
A healthy poo is a rich brown, has no undigested food bits, no blood or mucous, is formed (not runny) and is easy to expel. There should also be a feeling of being "completely evacuated" (the technical term) afterwards.
Hope that helps :)

[cherish]

my brother used to have floaters (not sure about now) and we believe it was due to his over indulgence in green apples!

[Mercurious]

Oh....green apples! funny you should say that. Ella is a big green apple fan.

[mama_bel]

Green apples = fibre, and gas = floaters. :)

[Aine]

low in iron is another thing that can cause floaters

[mamma]

and allergies can too

could you keep a food and poo diary for a week and see if theres any correlation?

[Pinky]

I did not know that low iron causes floater.. hmmm..

I always thought floaters were a GOOD thing.. it meant lots of fibre and fibre is good.

from here http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/bmstools.htm

"The right amount of fiber is the first step, however you spell it! Normal stools are about 75% water. Fiber in your diet holds onto water, making stools soft as toothpaste. This signifies a healthy stool. Years ago in the Saturday Night Post magazine, there was a hilarious article about the importance of having poop that floats - and it's still true. If your poop doesn't float, you're not getting enough fiber in your diet. "

[Merlion]

Hey, floating is gas in the stool, possibly due to bacteria (the normal stuff that lives in the gut). The excess bacteria could be due to malabsorption of a nutrient in the gut. New foods added (dietary changes) can cause this. It may improve on its own or you may need to try excluding a fod at a time to see if it improves.
Having said that, it is nothing to panic about, lots of people have floaters....
A healthy poo is a rich brown, has no undigested food bits, no blood or mucous, is formed (not runny) and is easy to expel. There should also be a feeling of being "completely evacuated" (the technical term) afterwards.
Hope that helps :)

thanks for the info. she never/well rarely ever has food bits, no blood at all or mucous. but never formed but always easy to expel if that makes sense. she never complains and seems happy. we know she has digestive problems and hope the paedetrician we are seeing next week gives some ideas

[SeaStar]

LMAO!! I am tired and just had to laugh!