CMPA in 5 month old - tips/advice please for weaning and introducing formula

[jenjenjenjen]

Hi my 5 month old DS seems to be allergic to cows milk (red face and urticarial rash after small amounts of fromage frais, porridge mixed with formula and formula alone). Going to see the GP tomorrow to hopefully get referred for testing and dietician advice and get a hypoallergenic milk prescribed.

I have been EBF but was planning to stop in the next few weeks as I am going back to work, I am willing to continue BF for a bit longer than I planned but am going to have to introduce formula reasonably soon as BF and/or expressing not practical with my job. He doesn't seem to have been bothered by dairy in my diet over the last few months.

Suddenly the weaning and finishing BF that I was looking forward to feels very overwhelming, just looking for advice/support/tips and hopefully good news stories that while it might be a PITA it is not the end of the world! Thanks.

There are several hypo formulas of which the most palatable I would say is aptamil pepti- tastes a bit like horlicks. However, it's also one of the least hypoallergenic but your boy may be fine on it. Some others are neocate - totally milk free, tastes disgusting, and rejection on this ground may be a problem; nutramigen - hydrolysed but not milk free, have heard tastes awful too but never tried. Definitely, definitely find one he'll accept taste-wise before even thinking of guving up BF would be my advice!

The good news is you've spotted it straight away - that's great. The other good news is that loads of the ready-made baby foods out there - eg ella's, etc, seem to exclude milk from their ingredients.

And, kids do grow out of milk allergy mostly.

Thanks for the advice narmada, my HV also suggested aptamil pepti, I am going to ask the GP to prescribe it when I go see him later. And I've set myself the challenge of going milk free today to get an idea of what kind of changes it will entail.