Any mothers of lactose intolerant babies? I need help!!

[soknackered]

Please share your experience with me as I feel like I am losing my mind.....

DD2 7 months now but right from start a very sickly baby! Was projectiling on regular basis, got no guidance from HV or GP! A friend suggested soya milk and since she has thrived!

Went back to GP and HV for advice on weaning. Told me just to do as everyone else. DD2 weaning fine but sleep became very disrupted and for last month she has been vomiting and diorrhea (sorry if not spelt right.... only had one hours sleep last night).

She now wont settle at all at night even when held or nursed and seems in pain.

I am removing all lactose from her diet today to see if makes a difference. Get no support from HV/GP.

I just worry that this might cause a deficiency in her diet and lead to problems later.

Any ideas?!!?!

Thanks

( a desperately tired and worried mum!)

Hi, My DS is lactose intolerant and also cow milk protein intolerant. If your DD is thriving on soya milk, then it is possible that she has a problem with cow milk protein rather than lactose, or possibly both?
Are you giving her any dairy? If so, try eliminating it completely for a week or so and see if it makes any difference.

yeah i just been researching it and you are right it seems to be cows milk. I will try cutting it out completely and see what happens. Did you have a test done at the GP to confirm?!?!?!

If your DD is having such pronounced reactions you need to insist on a referal from your GP to a paediatrician. They can then test properly and refer you to a dietitian. The dietitian will make sure that there are no deficiencies. I know that it can seem simpler to do it yourself but we tried that and ended up in a bit of a mess as it turned out we were slightly on the wrong track!

I have made an appointment and will insist on a test/referral. I just feel fobbed off tbh! DH coming with me for reinforcements!!

Do ask for a referral - this does sound like you need some professional help as there might be something you are missing.

This book is good for advice regarding how to wean on a restricted diet. It was written before the baby led weaning revolution but has good advice on what foods to include and some nice recipes including some good no sugar snacks which are great for toddlers. She recommends excluding dairy, eggs and wheat (prob a good idea if your DD is having gut problems, allows gut to develop before hard to digest wheat is introduced) till 12 months, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and aubergines, other gluten grains till 9 months.

She also recommends suppliments (multi vit, probiotic, omega 3 and 6, calcium) which I didn't think babies needed if they were getting a balanced diet but I do think they are a good idea particularly with gut problems.

Good Luck and hope you get some sleep soon.

Hi - try this website www.pecanbread.com - its run by parents of autistic kids following a particular diet for autism and the accompanying digestive problems. They will probably have had some experience of situations like this, and may be able to help (and I'm not suggesting your DD is autistic, just that the parents running the site are very experienced with dealing with digestive problems).

Also, you mention you are weaning her - have you considered delaying or slowing down weaning until her digestive system is a bit more mature and she can handle more foods without too many problems? You might also consider what you are eating - my DD can consume cheese, yogurt, etc, but if I ever ate even a small quantity and then breastfed her, she would ALWAYS throw up.

Homemade chicken broth is really soothing digestively as well as very nutritious - you can brew some up by putting some chicken legs/thighs on the bone in a large pot, then add a couple of carrots, an onion, a stalk of celery and fill the pot with water. Then let it simmer for 4-6 hours. Strain a bit of broth and add a little salt - letting it cook slowly for so many hours means the calcium has had a chance to be leached from the bones, so is a good source of this if you are concerned about your DD missing out on it because she can't have cow's milk.

Hope she feels better soon.

My DS had reflux, lactose int. and a mild milk protien allergy.

He was able to manage yogurt though, and it seemed to help settle him stomach so the above advice to give a probiotic supplement might be worth thinking about.

DS is on Pepti Junior, which you get on script from the doc but will need to see GP/paed/dietician to confirm it's a cow's milk protein reaction - sounds that way! Cut out ANYTHING with cow's milk in until you have had confirmation. DS didn't have any tests as such but process of allimination soon proved what it was! You can use Alpro products to replace yogs etc..........

thanks so much for your advice everyone! we are being referred to a pediatrician and in the meanwhile I have cut all dairy products and she has stopped being sick! She is apparently 'significantly underweight' so am looking forward to getting an answer soon!!!

Our dieticitan suggested oat milk instead of soya or rice milk and DS has taken to it very well. In the 1 month he has been off lactose he has gained weight, we are expecting to see much more weight gain now he is off cow's milk protein as well. I know she is very little so probably still on purees etc but do check the backs of any packets of food, anything that has whey or whey powder you need to avoid as well as the obvious milk, butter etc.

Ds has a small (5ml) dose of calcium syrup every day to maintain the calcium levels he needs, this was based on him having about 200 ml oat milk every day and 4 soya yoghurts a week so depending on what your DD's diet consists of she may or may not need a calcium supplement.

I am glad you are being referred to a pead, try to get a dietician referral from them! Good luck!

Just to add Ds also takes a very good (expensive!) mutivitamin daily and omega 3 and 6. I was looking into doing this anyway and the dietician really recommended it, I had already bought this batch but when finished they will be on prescription like the calcium.