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

[Lucky13]

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

I didn't say it wasn't - but it is misleading to say that 'nutramigen is cow's milk' because it isn't - if it was, my child would probably have died. It has been altered to be suitable for most children with milk and soy protein allergies and largely consists of oils/vegetable sources and any milk proteins are broken down so that they can be digested without triggering the allergy (I think Neocate is more widely prescribed now anyway). Milk it aint.

And ALL I am saying is that sometimes the exclusion diet doesn't work. Sometimes there are other foods that the baby is allergic to that no-one has figured out yet or maybe there are so many allergic foods, it's virtually impossible to cut them all out.

I'm not saying 'oh fgs give her the nutramigen' - I completely agree with trying the exclusion diet. Just that everyone else had painted this rosy picture of breastfeeding always working with the exclusion diet and sometimes, especially with babies with complicated gut problems, it doesn't!

I hope Lucky can continue breastfeeding and it all works out and her baby's gut recovers!

err motherhurdicure, tiktok said that which is why I was responding to it. I'm not trying to be negative, I'm sure it will all work out and the baby may not even have allergies for all we know.

thanks motherhurdicure! It was a real mystery why my ds had mucus and blood in his poo, we never really got to the bottom of it, in the end my diet was so full of exclusions [tried all the things you've done Mommalove] it was getting hard to eat properly. But we managed until he was 6 months with fewer symptoms, but very strangely it only cleared up completely when he was also getting small amounts of Neocate [only about 200ml plus breastfeeding] It was all very odd. Wish they knew more about these things.

aw that is sweet of you! It was a very scary time as so much was unknown, just hope the next baby isn't going to have the same symptoms! Good luck with it all Lucky13.

Sorry if I have annoyed you, foxinsocks. I certainly didn't intend to rubbish it as an alternative milk source, of course it is right for lots of babies. I don't think I said it was cows milk but I would class something that takes it's proteins, albeit hydrolised, from cows milk as derived from it, even if it is only 17%. I wouldn't particularly class SMA as a derivative from it either, I would say that was a cow product.

I was really making my point as an objection to the OP, and myself, being made to feel like our breast milk was inferior to a product, as if it wasn't possible for mothers to cut dairy from the diet when actually, the milk they are offering as the alternative does contains it though I realise in this form it works for many babies with allergies. I don't think Neocate does have any casein in but I'm not sure. I wasn't offered that.

I know exclusion doesn't work for everybody either but it would be nice if the OP had the support to try it rather than feeling that the doctor had something superior to her own milk at the outset. Sorry if this didn't come across very well.

Lucky13 - I hope it all works out for you and your baby and that you can continue to feed as long as you like - and this hasn't become too confusing!

of course identifying the allergens is a nightmare as well - Ruty, I can't believe you lasted all that time cutting everything out - I found it hard enough with dairy/wheat. If it was eggs fish and soya as well I don't know if I'd have managed!

it is odd how the rate of babies with blood in their poo seems to be increasing, and you get breast fed babies with it too... very odd indeed.

Wow Mommalove, that is lovely of you, and I am so glad! Yes, I was labelled rather difficult and stubborn, particularly for wanting to continue breastfeeding and qustioning advice. The dietician used to sit in on the consultant appointments, and on the second appt she produced sachets of artificially sweetened flavours to make the Neocate taste nice for 4 month old ds. I expressed concern and a little sceptism at giving my baby aspartame and from that moment on was seen as a bit of a problem. I was not a very pleasant experience.

she [the dietician] used to work for the formula company and was now the hospital dietician....

oh mrsc, I wasn't annoyed or pissed off. Sorry if I gave that impression!

phew

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

Day two of the completely dairy free diet and its amazing how many things have dairy products hidden in them. I'd already been cutting down on dairy after xmas anyway, but its so hard because so many unusual things contain milk.

I've also lengthened her feeding times (i was prob overfeeding as i thought she had a bug and was trying to 'flush it out').

DD even seems a bit better today - am just hoping that the dairy leaves my system quickly.

I'm in awe at Ruty, Mommalove etc for cutting out so many things from your diet - how did you manage.

Thanks again

Yes well done Lucky13, it isn't an easy thing to do, if you need any more advice or support do ask.