Dairy sensitivity / soy / formula

[SpringCrane]

We're combo feeding my 5 month old, and starting to introduce solids next week. He's getting assessed (second opinion) for a tongue tie on Monday. He, I think, had/has a dairy sensitivity that I noticed early on when I was EBF. He'd be really gassy and fussy about twelve hours after a dairy-rich meal. I cut out all dairy and it stopped occurring. When we had to start supplementing with formula we started with a goat's milk version, which his pediatrician and nutritionist ended up not OKing because apparently it can affect kidney function. So, we went to nutramigen, but he hated it. Then I tried Similac's soy, and he likes it (Yay, he's eating!!). However, feeding my baby soy makes me very uncomfortable. Formula in general makes me nervous, but I don't have much choice at this point.

Long story to get to this question: should I try a dairy formula now to see how he does? Should I instead put it back in my diet and see how he does with that first? I'm worried about too many variables, too, with the plan to start solids and maybe even releasing an as-yet undiagnosed tongue tie.

I have to buy more formula tomorrow and I'm not sure what to get. I'll likely just get another tub of what I know he'll take right now, and just try to not think about negative long-term consequences...

 

[donnarobinson]

I didn't think babies under 6 months were allowed soya forumla ? Well not advised any way as ino it says from birth my last baby had soya forumla but he was older he was on nutramigen at first .
I wouldn't keep swapping and changing tho stick to what works for a while do u see a dietician ? X.
You could try normal diary forumla but then if it doesn't suit him you've wasted a whole tub do u get ready made ones over there? U could re introduce diary in ur diet also like you said see how he goes .. X

 

[Lil mole]

Personally I wouldn't introduce dairy to your diet. If he reacts to it it will take a while for the dairy to leave your system again.

I would challenge with a bit of dairy based formula to confirm your suspicions. If that's what you would like to do.

If his prev reactions were serious than I would leave things as they are. Look up the milk ladder/ discuss it with your dietician/ doctor, it is usually recommend to try the ladder around age one. It is a graded introduction of dairy products.

Soya in boys under 6 months is a bit of a question mark. The research is unclear as the whether there are potential problems with fertility in later life.

 

[SpringCrane]

Now hearing that other countries advise against soy in young infants / boys makes me even more worried! Ugh.

Can anyone recommend a best tasting dairy formula? I had a chance to taste Plum Organics dairy and it tasted VERY metallic. He never tried it though.

 

[donnarobinson]

I think I'm in a different county so I'm sure our formulas are all different my boys had cow and gate x

 

[donnarobinson]

Also with regards to the nutramegin my son hated it to he got use to it tho we just mixed it with the normal forumal for a few days
So say in a 7oz bottle we did 2oz nutramigen and 5oz normal gruaually getting less normal till was all nutramigen
x

If you've never tried a normal dairy forumla tho and you want to I would give it a go you won't no till you try he might be fine on it
If he was only gassy and fussy I think I would try x

 

[RainbowDrop_x]

My daughter has CMPI and was prescribed nutramigen and we had no issues with it. She was 8 weeks old when she was put on it so it's all she's ever really know as previously to that she rarely fed because of the discomfort it caused her. For that reason alone I wouldn't advise introducing dairy. We had to speak to a dietician who said to avoid soy before 6 months and goats milk because it has the same proteins in that the body can't digest.

With regards to reintroducing dairy we were given a milk ladder which starts off with a crumb of a biscuit and gradually builds up to a full glass of cows milk in the hope that DD will outgrow the allergy but we were also told not to start that ladder until 12/13 months.

If I were you I'd keep going with the nutramigen and like a PP said gradually introduce it if he won't take it in one go. With regards to the TT my DD also had it (it's been revised now) but one didn't effect the other it was two separate issues. We were told to wean my DD at 4 months by the dietician due to slow weight gain and up until the tongue tie was cut it was a bit messy but it wasn't a huge problem. Also with the weaning there's loads of dairy free options and when we got prescribed the nutramigen we were given a little book full of dairy free recipes which has been a godsend!

 

[donnarobinson]

My second baby had toungue tie also it was cut at 3 weeks old but my new baby Cruz has toungue tie and they wouldn't cut his
My second baby was the one with the dairy allergy it went u diagnosed till 5 months his symptoms were
Colic silent reflux generally crying a lot mucus in his poop and they smelt really bad . When used the nutramigen and then once he was able to tolerate soya foods my dietician said switch him to soya forumla I can't remember when this was we also had a dairy ladder to follow he was fine were dairy foods after one but still couldn't tolerate cows milk up until just after 2.
I only suggested maybe trying cows milk forumla as I didn't no if your baby had been officially diagnosed with a cows milk allergy .
I would defo follow a dietician advice, but you also won't no if you don't try I would defo not be saying try if your baby had 100 percent been diagnosed with it my dietician said a lot of babies grow out of a milk dairy allergy at 6 months ie ones that are gassy etc where as the more symptoms the more severe it is it takes longer but they did say don't introduce diary till one sorry haven't been much help ino how frustrating it can be when you don't no what to do for the best is stick with what ur doing now and see a dr or a dietician for some advice On the next steps X

 

[RainbowDrop_x]

It's quite a grey area isn't it as every area seems to have different advice/guidelines so the path we're on for my DD who's in the uk may not be the same path in the us etc etc.

Also just wanted to add that my DD is cmpi diagnosed which is why the advice i offered is so specific, hope I didn't offended anyone with my response that wasn't my intention but reading back my reply it does sound a bit "bossy" Sorry

Essentially only you will know what the right thing is to do for your baby because mother really does know best but whatever you decide to do I hope it goes smoothly. Keep us posted!

 

[donnarobinson]

I think your advice was spot on rainbow my son was also cmpi diagnosed as well we was given the same advice you gave and to stick to a milk ladder.
I wouldn't rule out dairy completely tho as a mom unless I was sure it was a problem that's all I ment because ino how stressful weaning etc can be when you can't have dairy although you soon get the hang of it . X

 

[SpringCrane]

Thank you ladies! He was never diagnosed with a dairy allergy, and I suspect it's just sensitivity. I gave him a bit of ready made dairy formula last night, and the same symptoms returned.

The issue with the nutramigen is that after one week of taking it OK, he began to refuse it. I mixed it with breastmilk and he'd refuse it even with 1/2 oz mixed in. So, he was barely taking in food for a couple of days. That's when we tried the soy, and he takes it and is finally eating an almost normal amount.

If he does have tongue tie, I'm hoping releasing it will make feeding easier for him. It takes him a while to latch on to the bottle correctly to actually start drinking. And, I think he tires before he's really eaten a full amount. But, maybe I'm just desperate for an answer and solution that makes this all easier!

So... He's still sensitive to dairy, and the only formula he'll take is the one I worry about the most. Babies are little jerks! ;-)