Anybody using calcium supplements for their LO?

[eskimomama]

Hello,

I wanted to know if any of you are using calcium supplements for their CMPA toddlers?

My DD (16 months) is allergic to CMP and she's been breastfed until now, and I never used Neocate or equivalent, so she won't even start drinking 3 bottles of it at this stage... (I barely tried but it tasted so horrible I didn't blame her).

She needs 600mg of calcium per day but probably won't get enough with food or calcium enriched oat milk - so I would like to know if there are any toddler-friendly calcium supplements in the market...

I live in France and GPs and dietitians aren't too informed on the topic, and pharmacists won't sell anything to me without a subscription.

But I just need some info on it!
Thanks

Hello

My DD is CMPA too, and I BF until she was about 20 months. I was given a mineral suppliment by the dietician (a powder that you mix into a paste) which was REVOLTING and rejected by LO. Didn't do neocate or Nutramigen either... So I, like you was concerned about her calcium intake.

While I was breastfeeding, she would drink very little other milk, or even water, so I was convinced she wouldn't be getting enough, but as she was weaned she upped her milk to about 3-4 cups of oatmilk a day. We also gave her soya yoghurts at least once a day (they are full of sugar, though).

I would say her overall diet is pretty good though, plenty of sardines and leafy green veg. What makes you think she wont get enough from food and oatmilk? Even if she isn't having it as a drink, you can make porridge and puddings with it, or milk-based sauces for pasta and fish etc.

Her dietician really wasn't concerned, even before she was able to actually drink the oatmilk, and gave me the confidence that it is entirely possible to meet the calcium requirement through food alone. Though it's worth saying that she was more concerned that she was getting enough fats and calories from her food, this was a bigger concern than calcium deficiency.

yes, there's a syrup called calcium sandoz - used to give to my ds on prescription from dr for similar reason - maybe you can get without prescription of find someone who can prescribe?

Thanks very very much both - very useful. Will look into the sandoz, if I can find it here...

Nellymoo, very encouraging to read that your DD accepted to have more oat milk after weaning. Mine is just the same atm, not having much to drink, she's ok with water, but it's a big deal making her drink more than 100ml of oat milk a day....it only works if I add chocolate powder...not ideal!

Thanks for the suggestion to use oat milk elsewhere, i'll give it a go.

May I ask how the weaning process went for you too? My DD is just sooo attached to my boobs, especially at night. Some days I think this will never end! I enjoyed it very much for 16 months but I feel like this has been enough now.

Ask away!

And is was bloody awful!

I did what you're absolutely not meant to do and stopped her, cold turkey. I was desperate, though. She was always (and still is) a terrible, terrible sleeper, a habit developed in the very early days from having a sore tummy, I think, and I would end up feeding her to sleep. By 20 months she was waking at least every 2 hours, and the only way she would go back to sleep was to be fed. Like you, I was very proud to have fed her for so long, but enough was enough, I was exhausted!

So DH and I decided on a day, and he took a couple of days off work. She was actually quite easily distracted during the day (I think because the routine was so different with DH being there) and at night time, I went to the spare room at the top of the house and SHUT THE DOOR! Every time she woke up, DH would offer a cup of warm milk. She cried, a lot. So did I, but I left DH to it :(

The next night wasn't so bad, the next better and so on. I felt terribly guilty though. And was in a lot of pain.
Don't just suddenly stop like I did, it was idiotic and I'm lucky I didn't get mastitis or worse.
She'll still only drink Oatly warm though, and she's 4 now. And STILL has never slept through the night But that's another thread...

Oh, and I let her choose lots of cups herself, different ones with spouts, lids, swirly straws and characters etc etc...

OK thanks so so much for sharing - I think our DD got into the same bad habits because of the eczema she developed at 3 months, and we didn't make the connexion until 6 months and the first allergic reaction to dairy (very first sip of formula). I know all about sleep deprivation being stronger than all the sleep training ideas!

Going cold turkey crossed my mind as well, I must admit, and I hope we won't have to...but I totally understand why you did it. Good on your DH too!
How was she after the first few nights, when you went back to her at night, did she ask for the breast? did you have to resist much longer?

No,I have to say I was quite shocked how quickly she seemed to forget she had ever been BF! My Husband did a total of two nights going in to her. She was certainly pleased to have me back though, as I think part of the upset was because she had never really been comforted at night by DH before, but I was surprised how easily she could be comforted by a cuddle and a cup of Warm milk.

She continued to need the cup of milk to sleep for a good while after. I was actually glad of this, as I was convinced she would never be able to fall asleep without he breast.

Also, without doubt, her appetite increased hugely after I weaned her. Not surprising really, but hey...

Oh wow, so quickly, that's amazing. My DH also has never taken her at night after she was 3 months or so (our common decision due to his work hours). Been trying the no-cry/pull off method but without success, mainly because I'm dozing off with her in my arms in the middle of the night...!
Thanks for sharing, I hope your DD sleeps through the night very soon!

Calcium sandoz here too, it's a sweet syrup.

Just thought I'd add my experience to nellymoo's (as the thread has veered off calcium slightly!). I too bf ds until he was 21 months, just like your experience eskimomam ds had dreadful eczema from 6 weeks and was diagnosed cmp allergic at 6 months after first taste of formula. DS was an appalling sleeper, the poor kid scratched all night and was only calmed by bf. However I went into hospital unexpectedly when he was 21 months (v early labour with dd - another story...) and was in three nights. DS slept with dh and was fine and never asked for a feed again. Just like a switch had turned off, not even a sleepy nuzzling attempt.

He's still sleeping with us unfortunately (now 4) but is at last growing out of eczema and I'm hoping to get him into his own bed at some point in the next ten years .

We have calcium sandoz on prescription in answer to your original question.

Thanks very much Bilbomum - so it looks like around 20 months they can do without nightfeedings overnight (or so!). Good to hear your DS is growing out of eczema, did he grow out of his CMP allergy?
Also is your DD allergic to CMP too?

Will def look for Sandoz.

No probs, eskimo - sometimes it's hard to figure all this stuff out when you're suffering from lack of sleep. I look back now and wonder how I managed to think straight at all!

DS hasn't grown out of allergies unfortunately, his CMP results gradually got worse and his RAST is over 100 now. He's also allergic to nuts, sesame and egg. However we've got used to it and got over the preschool, starting school hurdles now. Growing out of his eczema has been a big turning point though, we were both in a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation. Things are generally much more cheerful in our household now .

Luckily he's not developed asthma or hayfever as yet and the consultant thinks he will gradually grow out of allergies, except for nuts, which is hopeful. DD is now nearly 3 and hasn't any allergies at all (although haven't tried nuts yet) or eczema which I find amazing. I think if I'd had two suffering like ds I may have lost the plot...

My DD is also allergic to egg and some nuts, and it hadn't improved at the last tests.

That's great to hear that your DD was allergy-free. Sometimes I am so confused with my DD's eczema that I think I shouldn't have another baby soon...
Hopefully your consultant is right and your DS will grow out of his milk and egg allergies soon.

Totally agree on the lack of sleep making everything blurry and complicated!