milk allergy

[ellliebelle]

Ds is 5 months old and has recently been diagnosed with a milk allergy. I am finding it very difficult to stay off the dairy and am wondering about stopping breast feeding

However I do really enjoy feeding ds and feel very torn over what to do. Am I being selfish if I stop feeding just so I can have the occasional pizza/ chocolate bar. Im also worried if I do stop for this reason I will end up regretting it.

I know no one can decide for me but needed to get out how I feel, dh just doesnt understand

[Tedder]

I'm breastfeeding my 5 month old who has a milk allergy. The paediatrician has told me to limit dairy but not to give it up completely. Apparently this is the new recommendation as complete withdrawal means the baby never gets de-sensitised to the allergen. I will be taking him to a allergy doctor for more advice. There's no way I could stay off dairy! I did want to introduce a bottle of formula occasionally so that I get a chance to leave DS with my DH for a night out etc..but the Nutramigen stuff the paediatrician recommended is disgusting, DS will not take it at all...and I don't blame him!

[noblegiraffe]

How was the allergy diagnosed, do you know he is definitely reacting to the dairy in your breastmilk?

You can get dairy free chocolate, biscuits and so on, have you looked at the free from stuff in the supermarket?

[nextphase]

Own brand biscuits are often dairy free - bourbons, rich teas, gingernuts, fig rolls featured in my dairy free diet - but you need to read every packet - some bourbons are dairy free, and some aren't.

Green and blacks dark chocolate is usually marked may contain, but if DS can tolerate a trace, should be OK.

It was suggested to me I started dairy free til we saw an improvement, or for 6 weeks. Once settled again, slowly introduce the things you really miss, and see if you get a reaction (so for me, butter on toast was the first try, and then we added in the occasional chocolate bar before we started getting very scratchy again). makes it bearable if you can have some of the stuff you really can't just replace!

[ellliebelle]

Allergy diagnosed by gp getting me to cut out dairy as ds had very bad silent reflux, once I cut it out all reflux symptoms disappeared as well as stomach pains caused by bad wind. Gp suggested I reintroduce dairy as she feels its a sensitivity not an allergy. On reintroducing dairy ds came out in a pinprick rash all over his face and the reflux and wind issues returned with aggression. I asked to be referred to a paediatric immunologist which gp agreed to however just had a letter saying have been referred to paediatric dietitian so now I not sure what to do

[nextphase]

OK, so sounds like completely dairy free.
Dietician may advise on weaning - ie "make sure you read the packets, dairy, milk, lactose, whey are all different ways of saying a product contains milk" if mine was anything to go by!
We were told to use Oatly calcium enriched milk, and dairy free marg. No cheese suggestions.
If you stop bf, you will need a hypo-allergenic formula (neocate?), which apparently is FOUL.
We weren't as sensitive as you, but grew out of it by 18 months, so it might not be forever for your son.
Your call on switching to bottles/formula. Dairy free is tough.

[ellliebelle]

Yeah I do already have some formula on prescription as I was going out and had nothing to feed ds while I was away from him. It smells revolting but he will take it no problem, think I may go back to gp and ask about another referral

[User21276799]

As a mum of a DD with a severe milk allergy, tbh there's no way I'd have given up BF if I'd had a choice, and I'll be going to great lengths to avoid dairy and EBF DC2 when he or she arrives.

Nutramigen is disgusting, but also ineffective in a good number of babies with a severe milk allergy (if yours gets such symptoms from BM I'd class that as quite severe)

DD is still on Neocate at 14 months and while it saved our sanity (and her health, as she was so ill on regular formula and then nutramigen) I'd never willingly choose a baby to be on it. The main ingredients are sugar and vegetable oils. Just doesn't compare to BM.

I know how hard it is to cut dairy but for a few more months I think it might be worth the sacrifice. Have a good look at the ingredient lists on nutramigen and neocate before you decide.

(Also some health authorities won't prescribe neocate easily as it costs something like £40 a tub...)

[mmmmsleep]

op your gp might have referred you to both paeds and dietician. ..the guidelines are to ref to dietician but only to paeds allergy dr if multiple allergies or questions about diagnosis.

my ds was dairy and egg allergic. looks like dd is too. I breastfed ds to 15m then moved to alpro junior 1+ suitable from12m. stopped bf because I was 4m pregnant and didn't want to be pg and dairy free. if dairy free you should be taking sandocal 1000 one fizzy tab per day to keep your calcium ontake up while bf.can get on prescription.

my ds refused nutramigen and neocate and once I tried those he refused ebm from bottle too so I was trapped:(

you can try mixing ebm with neocate and gradually increase proportion of neocate in bottle to get them used to it. make up as per normal instructions just alter number of ml of neocate given.

dairy free isn't that bad..helps shift the baby weight as suddenly you have to say no to cakes etc when in coffee shops but easy to make them with dairy free replacements at home. cheese is the thing I do miss!