Weaning from breast to neocate / nutramigen / soya...HELP!!...

[Faybells]

My DS is 10 months old and so far has been EBF. Although suspecting for months now, we have just had a cows milk protein and egg allergy confirmed.

I have tried to go back to work but had to give up as I could not express enough to feed him and he is refusing nutramigen and neocate. Thankfully we had a windfall which buys me a month or so before having to go back to wrk again.

But we are still struggling to get him on to a formula. Initially I had planned to express each feed and mix with a small amount of formula, gradually increasing until all formula. But the expressing has made my boobs so sore and painful I just can't bear it. They are cracked and bleeding and even breastfeeding is now so difficult.

He simply refuses nutramigen and neocate, and has reacted to aptamil pepti 2 and nanny goat. He did not react to soya, but the docs seem hesitant to let me give him this as so similar to cows milk protein. I have also read research indicating soya is bad for boys but did not read too much into this as did not know how solid this was. At the moment, soya seems like our best option but I'm very confused.

Friends have suggested that at 10 months, he may be able to skip formula altogether, and I could substitute his milk feeds with fortified rice or oat milks.

I'm at such a loss, I just dont know what to do for the best. My heart is telling me to carry on breastfeeding but I'm in such pain with it and know I have to to go to work soon. But I can't bear trying to pour this awful formula down his throat. I dont even know HOW to wean...whether to go cold turkey or if there is a gradual way to stop BF. it's all made harder now he's so particular about his likes and refuses the formulas so stubbornly.

Any advice on weaning to dairy free formulas, which ones are better, the soya debate and oat / rice milks would be much much appreciated!! :)

[Traceymac2]

I think you need to get a dietician referral. From what I understand something like 50% of children with a cows milk protein allergy react to soya.

When my dd2 was in hospital I remember seeing a notice on the nurses office wall stating that soya was no longer to be used as a front line treatment in cows milk allergies/intolerances in babies under 6 months due to the effect it can have on fertility/development particulary in boys. Not sure what the line is in babies over six months.

I think in the cases where soya is used, and this is only what I have read, as my dd2 refused nutramigen/neocate, the benefits must outweigh the risks, ie, the baby won't drink anything else.

[Faybells]

Thanks traceymac2. I asked for a referral to dietician but god knows how long that will take. I'm utterly confused. I dnt know how to manage this situation. My partner just says we'll get through it and is very laid back, but I'm constantly thinking about the next feed, whether we have bottles ready (something I'm not used to!!) whether I need to have the pump ready or whether to just breastfeed. I'm so all over the place. And I hate seeing my baby worked up when we try to feed him formula, and I've got loads of milk I could give him. I'm finding it very hard and emotional. Wish there was an easier way. I think I'll hold off the soya for now until we've persevered a bit longer with neocate / nutramigen.

[shufflebum]

When you express do you feed him from a bottle or cup? Just wonder whether he might be refusing the teat rather than the milk? That said Neocate and Nutramigen are foul!
Have you tried an exclusion diet for you so you could continue to breast feed? Obviously not so easy for you but might help if he is only Cmpi.

[Traceymac2]

I would make a nuisance of myself re the dietician referral, phone the dieticians directly and ask them about your referral explaining the urgency of the situation.

[Faybells]

Thank you both. Yes he has refused the teat completely. We now feed from sippy cup (or try to!!) I am currently on exclusion diet. I am in turmoil over the breastfeeding debate...on one hand I am so ready, finding it v draining and now incredibly painful at each feed and for hours after with shooting pains (although doc says no infection!!) and I would LOVE a bit of independence and my body back. But then can't bear making him drink these things, and when it comes to dropping a feed or handing him to someone else to try feeding him, my heart nearly bursts cos it hurts so much. It's such a rollercoaster!!

I will deffo make a nuisance of myself re. dietician. Must get some advice on how to move forward!!

[NotAnotherPackedLunch]

We faced this problem a few years ago. DS absolutely refused neocate and wouldn't even take a bottle of expressed milk .

We started adding a little neocate to his soft foods and gradually increased it to get him used to the (foul)taste.

Then we put neocate in a sippy cup with some added sugar and let him watch TV, pausing the programme every time he stopped drinking. Over time we were able to reduce the added sugar and he now drinks it with a straw which seems to minimise the exposure of tastebuds to neocate.

It all took a long time - DS was a stroppy toddler so had real stamina by the time I tried to stop breast feeding. I too was utterly exhausted by feeding on a very restricted diet and was amazed how much brighter the world looked once I had stopped feeding him and gone back to eating a full range of foods.

Good luck!

[Faybells]

Thankyou notanotherpackedlunch! We have started weaning and have hit the hurdle you describe....he now won't take any kind of milk from a bottle / cup, even expressed breast milk. Others have suggested I express every feed and mix small amounts of formula in but I am so sore, and expressing so unproductive it seems like a fruitless exercise. My health visitor said to just go cold turkey - so we did that 2 days ago...he's still not taken any milk!!! I am mixing it in wherever I can into his porridge, mash, biscuits etc etc so I know he is getting the nutrients, and he also has a very good diet. But I feel anxious he's not drinking milk. I will try the straw idea, it is a good suggestion!! And at this point, my only hope!! Wish me luck. :)

[NotAnotherPackedLunch]

Faybells,
Hope you are ok and that you are making progress .Thought of you this weekend as we have been experiencing a new wave of neocate resistance. Making sure it was really warm seems to have helped for now....