should i introduce formula milk?

[valentine]

My DS2 is 5.5 months and i have been exclusively breastfeeding him. I am however about to start weaning him and i wondered whether i should put him onto cows milk formula such as SMA, or onto goats milk formula. The reason for my concern is that DS1 has an egg allergy and DS2 has ecxema - so i think he might also have some allergy. Does anyone have any advice as to what to do? I was planning on introducing other pssible allergens such as eggs/fish/wheat when he is around 12 months.

if he has eczema then i'd definitely just stick with breastfeeding

even though DS1 allergic to egs and not dairy?

By sticking with breastmilk, you will stand the best chance of reducing excema. Formula will do nothing of the sort - may even make it worse.

With any luck someone who will be able to explain it better will come along, but I would certainly carry on breastfeeding if I were you.

There are different SMA's that you could look into. My dd has ecxema as well, I have her on the Lacto Free SMA because her stomach wouldn't hold down the normal one. I was told in my local health shop that the Wysoy sma would be best for her skin but she was too constipated on it. I breastfed exclusivly for four months but her excema still used to bother her.

Had a further thought on this - are you considering formula because you are going back to work or something?

no - just wanted to mix formula with the rice...although i could just use water. also wanted to have a bit more flexibilty re going out without the baby - and also wanted to see if he could tolerate dairy...

Disappointed no-one who really knows about this kind of thing has picked this thread up - but I believe dairy can make excema worse. But you need a break - Try expressing if you just need a bit for weaning cheese sauce or try formula if you want to go out on your own. Perhaps try a soya formula if you want to go that route (given the allergy/ecxema implications). You never know, you might really get on with expressing and go the whole bottle load without realising. Give it a go and see?
Whatever happens, its important you get a break if you feel you need one

i think what's more important here is waiting at least another 2 weeks before weaning. Sounds like you've done a great job so far, so could you keep going for a couple more weeks ?

If there are allergies already in the family, the longer you can leave off the weaning the better - appreciate it may be hard, however, think of what could happen.

Also, I wouldn't worry about what you're going to give him when he's a year old. Just take it as it comes.

In any event, would steer clear of cows milk.

HTH

Valentine, the first time my ds2 had a bottle of formula ( which he needn't have, grrrr, silly girl in creche thought you couldn't heat breastmilk and he wouldn't drink it cold!) he came out in a rough rash which my GP diagnosed as exzema. I expressed for him after that and tried not to give any formula but when I had to use formula I used Nanny and he had no reaction to that. He's now 7 and seems to have outgrown any dairy allergies.

Make the rice with water.

Stick to breastfeeding.

Leave dairy until 12 months - much more likely to go well then, and also not make skin worse.

I wouldn't do formula introduction and weaning at the same time anyway - you will have no idea what has caused what if skin gets worse.