Help - going from BF to formula

[January2013]

I have exclusively breastfeed my baby for 4 months but now need to start the process of weaning my baby onto formula for a number of reasons. I started this on Friday, formula feeding during the day & breast at night. My question is, how much formula should my baby be drinking? He is having approximately 4 bottles over the space of 8 hours and is on average only drinking 3 ounces at a time. I'm struggling to get him to drink more, is this normal behaviour at the begging of the weaning process? He feeds before bed from the breast & a few times through the night.

He also has a terrible problem with wind. I've been using the doctor brown bottles and putting gripe water into the bottle as he won't take it otherwise. Even doing this he has a lot of wind :( he has been diagnosed lactose intolerant although now I'm not too sure as I've found out that my breast milk produces lactose & I think I had an over supply which could have resulted in his issue. Ever since he was diagnosed I've been careful with what I eat & he is on lactose free SMA. Which leads me to another question (sorry) if it turns out he isn't, drinking the lactose free formula won't make him intolerant will it? I am seeing the dietician on the 4th June but don't know what to do for the best prior to this & if his wind issue could be due to his "intolerance"

Any advise gladly welcome.

Thank you :)

[Esiotrotter]

Can I ask how was the lactose intolerance diagnosed?

[January2013]

Stool samples at the doctors.

[Esiotrotter]

Has he been colicky from birth? Are his nappies really loose and do they have a kind of sweet smell (sorry to be grotty)?

[January2013]

Sorry, sent by mistake. My doctor hasn't been very good. I was complaining for weeks that there was something up with my baby & eventually took in stool samples, they came back & it was detected there was a lactose issue. I haven't been told too much, just referred to a dietician. I got my date through which was 3 months later. I called them up to question this saying my dd would be 6 months then & this issue has been going on since birth! She said the doctor had said I was using lactose free formula which is in correct as at this point I was exclusively breast feeding. I had gone on a dairy free diet, my own choic which I thought was helping but I don't know anymore. I'm questioning everything & feel like I'm not being given the advice, guidance I need & worried that I make the wrong decision for my little one. Basically I just need to know I'm not doing any harm giving him something he may not need?

Hope that makes sense!

[Esiotrotter]

And meant to ask, is he gaining weight ok?

[January2013]

The nappies were loose, green & explosive until I stopped having dairy. They smell sweet I guess & are still loose but the right brown now. He has been colicky from birth. I was told he had reflux at one point but it seems everyone is told that!

[January2013]

No, he started off on the 75th line - a large baby but last week he had dropped to the 9th - I cried! I'm back for a weigh in tomorrow. He always puts on a tiny bit of weight but the bare minimum & has gradually decreased to the 9th :(

[Esiotrotter]

Well if he has been exclusively breastfed then he is unlikely to have kept apace with the centile charts (based on formula fed babes).

Diagnosing lactose intolerance from a single nappy sample sounds dramatic. Lactose intolerance usually comes with age (ie 4 years plus) and in babies is usually a transient state caused by a temporary tummy bug. Given that he has been unsettled since birth, my guess would be that he is in fact unable to digest protein and or sugar. Have you noticed a big improvement on the SMA lactose free milk? If not, then I would suggest you ask your GP for an amino acid milk while you wait to see a paediatrician. Another milk that is super processed (so the protein strands are much shorter) is Cow and Gate Comfort milk. That might be worth a try. It doesn't smell so bad as the amino acid milks either. Again the protein and sugar issue tends to improve with age, particularly when treated early.

[January2013]

He still has issues with wind but other than that he does seem more settled which again leads me to think the problem was my milk. When I spoke to the dietician over the phone she said about a protien allergy. I did say to her that I would try the SMA milk and she said that it is low in protein so would help if that is the problem.

I agree with you about it being dramatic. I've read up on lactose intolerance & although the symptoms are very much like my dd neither I nor my partner are lactose intolerant so don't see how this diagnosis is correct which leans me towards thinking it was my breast milk that was the issue...

[Esiotrotter]

Breastmilk is full of sugars and protein therefore he may have found it difficult to digest. The formulas are all over processed milks. The Cow and Gate is also quite a thick milk which is good for reflux prone little ones. Does he suffer with significant nappy rash (again very common with tummy trouble due to diarrhoea)?

[January2013]

He used to but not so much anymore. I don't know if he has grown out of what was up or if me being on a dairy free diet for the last 10 weeks has helped matters??? When I do go to the dietician they will I hope look into it further. It's the colic/wind that he is really struggling with. He just has so much, I can never clear it all down. I feel so sorry for him!

[Esiotrotter]

I fully sympathise - I've been there myself, hence me knowing so much about it. If you possibly can, try the C&G comfort milk. It's much thicker than any of the others on the market so helps stop balls of wind in the tummy. We were eventually prescribed Neocate. It stinks to high heavens but did the trick. You won't believe how common this type of condition is you know. Please don't feel alone (as I did when I went through it). And if it's any consolation, these colicky / sicky / poo-ey babies all seem to grow out of it. I'd be interested to know how you get on when you finally get to see the dietician. x

[January2013]

Do you think it will be ok changing him over again? It's so difficult, I'm a first time mum & desperately want to get it right for my son.

I will let you know how I get on in a couple of weeks.

Thank you :)

[Esiotrotter]

Soz, went to bed last night and didn't tell you. I would really suggest you try the C&G comfort. It was a more experienced friend who recommended it to me.

Good luck.