Best non formula milk to give toddler after Nutramigen

[flingingmelon]

My 1yo has either a CMPI or lactose intolerance (we've never quite managed to put our finger on which.) He's been happy on nutramigen for about ten months but I need to think about switching him to a regular milk alternative. The dietician has suggested everything from soya, oat milk, coconut milk etc but I was wondering if any lovely mumsnetters had any experience and therefore could recommend something specific?

He will tolerate yogurt and some cheese so he is getting some calcium, but I still want to give him something as nutritionally beneficial as I can (obviously!)

Or is it just a case of seeing what DS1 actually likes drinking?

We did really well on Lacto-free milk (and cheese, yoghurts etc), but then it was a fairly mild lactose intolerance, not CMPI.
It's a big range, available in lots of places, and tastes like real food, so lots of plus points. www.lactofree.co.uk/products/

I started my son on Lactofree when he turned 1 - we still don't have a confirmed diagnosis on his intolerance but he loves lactofree milk, and I buy the cream as well if needed. It is pretty easily available and I have just learned that a very similar range is available in europe called valio.

Yeah, I know the lactofree range well and I've been giving it to him for a while in other things. However after telling the dietician this she tried us on lactofree formula and it was a disaster. The whole allergy thing is so frustratingly confusing.

If it was a disaster then your LO probably has a cow milk allergy and not lactose intolerance. The two are very different.

The best non formula milk in my opinion for cows milk allergy sufferers is koko milk (coconut milk). It can be found in most supermarkets in the long life milk section

We moved straight to coconut milk.

Has your LO had skin prick test or a RAST test for allergies? He needs to have that done.

But if it was CMPI then presumably Lacto-free would be a disaster for you too? Agree about confusing, we never got to the bottom of it either, but we did outgrow it quite rapidly. Fingers crossed for you too.

Thanks all. We haven't had tests done as DS responded well to the Nutramigen and then later cheese and yogurt. Dietician advised to just keep trying him on cows milk but it brought up a lot of the old symptoms, which the other dairy didnt. Will go for the coconut milk and try again with cows milk in a few months.

I was convinced it was just lactose, the lacto free formula rejection was a big surprise.

We have cmpi and use coconut milk (we use a brand called Koko found in supermarkets). My daughter was allergy tested (and is tested every 6 months) and the paediatrician advised she should have nutramigen until 2 years old. We used coconut milk for cooking and cereal etc and now weaning her on to it full time as she is nearing 2. I think it's the best nutritionally after soy but soy is not suitable for most tots with a dairy allergy. It's a good sign that your LO can tolerate cheese and yogurt.

Just to add that I was also given similar advice by a pead to wean her into dairy once she was 2. That blew up in my face after giving her cereal with milk for a few days (she was coping with yoghurt fine for about 4 months prior to this) and on day 5 she ended up vomiting everywhere and her eczema flared. I've cut all dairy again except for the odd occasion and although she doesn't get sick she does get a flare up of eczema, and really smelly wind and poo. I'm staying away again as I don't believe this is something she will just grow out of. No allergy though, but clearly an intolerance.

We started DD2 on coconut milk for cereal while she was still drinking Nutramigen. Our dietician advised us to try soya product before dairy. So we tried Alpro 1+ (we call it giraffe milk due to the picture on the carton). It is soya milk with extra vitamins. DD is fine on this and soya yogurt. She does tolerate small amounts of dairy but if she has too much her eczema flares up and poos are horrid.

So we will stick with giraffe milk for a while longer.

Running, do you use giraffe milk?