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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Been told to stop BF because DD maybe cows milk intolerant - help!

103 replies

Lucky13 · 18/01/2008 20:10

We've just got back from the hospital, where we've been told that DD (8 weeks) is probably cows milk intolerant. The consultant wants me to stop BF and start formula immediately. I want to wait until the test results are back (a week) - would i be doing her any harm in holding off till then? The doc says i can go back to BF if tests are negative, but i feel that's the wrong way to go.

If the tests show her to be intolerant can i still continue to BF if i go dairy free?

I really don't want to give up, but feel like i'm hurting her.

Does anyone have any advice.

Ta

OP posts:
oranges · 18/01/2008 20:16

hang on this makes no sense. if she is intolerant to cow's milk, surely she needs bf. why don't you give up dairy now and continue bf, then she gets no cows milk in her at all.

Seona1973 · 18/01/2008 20:18

I would continue to bf and cut out dairy in your own diet rather than stop bf with possible consequences of not being able to go back to it. If your lo was lactose intolerant fair enough but if she is cows milk intolerant then your milk is probably better for her than modified formula would be.

gwynniestwin · 18/01/2008 20:21

Hi,

You poor thing. A friend of mine has a gorgeous baby girl (now six months) who was failing to thrive and it was put down to cows milk intolerance. She is still BF, just not consuming cows milk herself, and her baby put on a pound last week!!!! Continue to BF if that's what you want to do.

Original poster
Lucky13 · 18/01/2008 20:23

Sorry this probably sounds really silly, but i know very little about this and thought it was the same as lactose intolerant! Does anyone know anywhere i can get info on a suitable diet for me to continue to BF?

OP posts:
Pannacotta · 18/01/2008 20:23

Odd advice, I would def carry on breastfeeding her.
If she is cows milk intolterant then why would you want to give her formula - which is modified cows milk? Unless they were suggesting soya formula? Why do they think she is dairy intolerant?
You could see try avoiding dairy yourself and see if that makes a differnce, though I dont know if this will help, am no expert.

Pannacotta · 18/01/2008 20:25

Here is info on both
www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/lactose-intolerance.html
and
www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/food-sensitivity.html

motherhurdicure · 18/01/2008 20:25

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Tipex · 18/01/2008 20:27

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Original poster
Lucky13 · 18/01/2008 20:35

Thanks for the advice. They are suggesting i use nutramigen for her and express until i get the results back, but i don't want to ruin my milk supply if the tests are negative.

The doc didn't even suggest a dairy free diet! I'd much rather give that a go in the meantime.

She's only 8 weeks old and has lots of bloody nappies, which although is getting worse, she still seems fine in herself and feeding ok. Given this i'm inclined to think that week's wait for the test won't be too much for her will it?

OP posts:
Pannacotta · 18/01/2008 20:42

Did you see the links I posted? Hope they might help a bit.
I would try getting some advice from the breastfeeding helplines. Do you have their nos to hand?

tiktok · 18/01/2008 20:47

Lucky, some good info here already. Hope it has convinced you that stopping bf is the craziest option...utterly bizarre advice from the doc, really.

Nutrimigen is cows milk. It is modified, and the protein is semi-digested, but it is cows milk.

What on earth does he think it is made of???

motherhurdicure · 18/01/2008 20:47

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Original poster
Lucky13 · 18/01/2008 20:47

Pannacotta - thanks - have just read the links and they were really helpful. Hopefully DD will stay well enough for me to cut out dairy until i get the results back.

DH has just said he will give up too if it helps (he knows how much i love cheese and chocolate)!!

I was feeling like i was poisoning her, but you've made me realise that she'd have been worse if i had been FF her.

OP posts:
morocco · 18/01/2008 20:48

try the bf helplines asap, paed might be talking rubbish bout bf, certainly sounds odd advice

KrippledKerryMum · 18/01/2008 20:50

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Original poster
Lucky13 · 18/01/2008 20:54

Motherhurdicure - if you have any web links that would be great thank you. I certainly don't want to make her any more susceptabile to other allergies by introducing formula!

I've just seen the ingredients for Nutramigen and it sounds digusting and not something i want to give her!

OP posts:
motherhurdicure · 18/01/2008 20:59

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psychomum5 · 18/01/2008 21:00

My DS2 was very allergic and was losing heaps of weight by the time he was 8wks, and he went yellow too as hiw liver went wonky (unrelated, but it didn;t help obviously!).

I was helped to go dairy free for another 8wks before it was clear that it was not helping him or me in anyway, and then he transeferred gradually over to pregomin (another type of 'pre-digested formula).

he was 6mths befoer I gave up completely, and altho I was sad about it, the mixed feedig helped me to come to terms with it all, and helped retain the closeness, while I could also see that the pregomin wasn;t harming him in anyway.

In my mind, I feel that confusing your DD with bottles for something that may not be needed will only be upsetting all ways round.

I feel that you cutting dairy for a week is the best ways forward, for you and her, and then, when the test results are in, go from there,

It is entirely possible for you to BF while being dairy free. It didn;t work for me as DS2 was my fifth and so I was so busy that my milk quality wasn't great anyway, plus I had been very very ill post-birth (retained placenta and 3 erpcs to remove the debris), which also had a knock on effect!.

You CAN succeed at this, especially with a fab husband backing you up. you DD will not be harmed by one more week of BF, especially as you are so 100% keen to any and all to help continue.

and there are ways to still eat very well while dairy free. I am now seriously allergic to dairy myself, and altho I am still finding it a struggle to substitute certain foods, I am not starving away to a skeleton in the corner of the room.

goodluck tho, and I am sure you will make it thro

CantSleepWontSleep · 18/01/2008 21:02

Oh what a load of crap. at ignorant consultant.

My dd (now 23 months) was milk intolerant, and I gave up dairy totally and continued (and still continue) to breast feed her.

What tests have they actually done lucky13? Although allergies can often be detected, intolerances do not have a 100% reliable test!

You can still eat Green & Blacks dark chocolate on a dairy free diet, you will be pleased to know .

You will need to label check everything though, as milk is hidden in a lot of surprising things.

My dd outgrew her intolerance around 19/20 months. 80% of children do outgrow it, many of them before age 2.

MrsCarrot · 18/01/2008 21:17

More crap advice.

I cut out dairy when ds2 was a few weeks old as he was wheezy and mucousy and was beginning to get excema. It completely cleared up. The allergist referred us to a dietician and she said rather than me thinking about what I could and couldn't eat, why didn't I give him their modified formula.

Me - But thats cows milk

Her - No, it's specially formulated

Me - specially formulated what, soya?

Her - No it's not soya milk

Me - well, what is it made from

Her - actually I don't know

[she goes to check with colleague]

Her - It was cows milk but its not now

Me - But it's modified cows milk

Her - No, it's been broken down so that it's no longer cows milk, the proteins are much smaller, but I will warn you, the breaking down process leaves a bit of a funny taste and takes some getting used to.

Right.

Me - well, I'm happy to cut out milk for a bit.

Her - ok, well its up to you but if it gets inconvenient, you can have our hypoallergenic milk.

I also tried to discuss absorption of calcium and she (the dietican) said, oh, I don't know about that but have our sheet of other foods with calcium in.

I appreciate cutting out dairy is not easy for everyone but it seems like madness to be told by a health professional to stop breastfeeding and have formula, albeit modified, before attempting to cut it out of the maternal diet.

motherhurdicure · 18/01/2008 21:24

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kiskidee · 18/01/2008 21:39

that consultant is a fucking arse.

there, i've said it for moondog.

kiskidee · 18/01/2008 21:40

now for some constructive comments.

dd is also cow's milk protein and egg allergic. it gave her eczema and asthma, it turns out. all i did was cut both things out my diet as much as possible and both thing had significant improvement in 3 wks and was hardly noticeable after 6.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 18/01/2008 21:46

Lots of good advice on here already.

Whey powder is part of cows milk product - look for that in ingredients.

You may be able to have goats or sheeps milk products instead.

Milk is found in most bakery products, and a lot of 'ready meal' type products.

It might be worth ensuring that you avoid nuts completely too?

Pannacotta · 18/01/2008 21:50

Was also going to say about still be able to have dairy free chocolate and that goats/sheep products might be ok too.
Goats milk/butter/yoghourt are esp easy to find now and IMO taste lovely, in fact we have goats milk and butter just because we like them and they are easier to digest than cows milk etc.