Breastfeeding with allergies

[Feedingnightmare]

Hi all.
DD2 is 2 weeks old and I feel I'm going down the same path of failing to BF as I did with DD1. DD1 had poor weight gain (in fact she lost weight!) due to what I later discovered was CMPI. At the time I was told I had a low milk supply.

DD2 feeds very frequently as she's a sleepy baby. I gave up dairy as soon as she started to show similar symptoms to her big sister and she started to gain weight slowly. The last couple of days her feeding hasn't been great and she's had explosive diarrhea after explosive diarrhea. I honestly feel like it'll just be a whole guessing game of what to eat and what not to...and again poor weight gain :(

Just looking to hear from anyone who experienced similar and still managed to EBF? I feel like such a failure that my milk just doesn't agree with my babies

DC and I are almost 10 months in to feeding with a severe dairy allergy. DC has some formula (neocate) at nursery, but overall, they're on probably about 85% breastmilk. They had a very rocky start because of how severe their allergy was (it made them really ill). We've gone from below the 0.4 centile to around the 20th now for weight.

I basically went vegan when DC was 7 days old, got a hospital-grade pump, and we spent about 6 weeks working really hard on establishing sufficient supply to counteract the allergy-related absorption issues. There were several months where DC breastfed every 2 hours, 24 hours a day. It was hard going but we were fortunate that it worked out.

Don't make yourself ill or feel like a failure though. If your DD needs formula, the prescription formulas for CMPA are fine. She might benefit from some extra vitamin D supplements if your dietitian advises it, but otherwise there's not really much difference. Nobody can tell the difference between formula-fed and breast-fed babies - fed is best so do what works for you.

@Scirocco that's really encouraging about the weight gain! I find that when DD has a bad tummy, she's just less inclined to feed much. She has a decent feed after an explosive diarrhea (I guess because she feels better and there's space in her tummy) but then the cycle restarts of straining and struggling until the next one. Did you have anything similar going on?

With DD1 I remember telling the HV and GP repeatedly that she kept straining during feeds and I think it's because of tummy issues but I was dismissed and told it was because I didn't have enough milk for her and she was getting frustrated.

My DS was severely allergic to dairy as a baby. Unfortunately I replaced dairy with soya in my diet which he also was allergic to. I also didn't consider an egg allergy.

Once we had determined what to avoid I breastfed for 2 years.

We tried al sorts of formulas, he was allergic to nutramigen and wouldn't take neocate and some other one beginning with p.

It's so difficult. I really feel for you.

Oh yes, the explosive bowel movements are an on-going feature! I had no idea so much poop could come from such a tiny person. We just try to keep hydrated and to offer enough input to at least match the output... If you notice a pattern of diarrhoea after certain foods, you could try excluding them and see if that improves things?

Thanks both for your replies. I really do want to persevere but feel I may be pressured into giving up BF if DD's weight doesn't pick up dramatically very soon... Maybe I'm being paranoid? I think egg is definitely one of the culprits so will try going dairy and egg free and see if there's any change.

Come and join the cmpa breastfeeding Facebook groups. Lots of knowledge and lots of people going through the same thing.

Make sure you don't replace with soya. Go soya free if you can too.

@Feedingnightmare I felt there was pressure early on from midwives etc to move to formula - I think they expected I wouldn't be able or willing to stick to a diet free from allergens. What they didn't know, though, was I'd been vegan for years before TTC so it didn't phase me. Get some supportive voices from breastfeeding supports, CMPA support groups and healthcare professionals, so that you know you have a team of people on your side who'll give you honest and constructive advice. I found our local NCT breastfeeding support services to be brilliant. Our consultant paediatrician was also really supportive and gave excellent advice.

Avoid soya - there can be cross-reactivity, so if someone is allergic to dairy then they might be allergic to soya too. What we've done is very gradually introduce some potential allergens back in to our diets now that DC is a bit older and more robust. They're fine with eggs and with small amounts of soya, but too much soya leads to 'code brown' nappy incidents. Our next big challenge is going to be the milk ladder at 12 months...

Yes, EBF and then extended till 18 months while weaning. No dairy, soya, egg, tree nuts, sesame. It involved a lot of making our own meals. It is doable but requires some planning and an absolute desire to stick with it ie no sneaking a tiny amount of something. For us, this would set DC back by a month at a time. It’s a lot easier now in terms of food labelling and access to alternatives.

I exclusively breast fed until 1 year. I cut out dairy and soya from my diet. I found pure olive was the best butter. Oatily the best milk. Sainsbury's dark chocolate mint thins are dairy free. Dairy pops up in lots of things - bread, gravy , crisps are some examples.
There's some great Facebook groups and my ds thrived once we sorted his diet and silent reflux out. I also dropped all the baby weight and then some.

Have you spoken to a lactation consultant?

Hi ladies
Positive update - DD's weight gain was fine, she surpassed her birth weight so we have been discharged from the HVs now :)

However...DD has still been very windy and constipated and just unsettled constantly. As I said, I cut dairy out a few days after she was born... however I've been devouring chocolate bourbons which I know contain soy. I wonder if they are the culprit?

I've started us both on probiotics and am going to keep a food diary to try and figure out what's making her tummy so bad. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Bourbons don't contain soy typically, but might depending on the brand.

I'd be careful with probiotics, they can be great but my DC had huge issues with some brands (biogaia were particularly bad)

@Beanbagtrap thanks. I've started her on Optibac as this worked well for my eldest ... let's hope it helps!

I checked the bourbons...no soy. I realised I haven't been as strict as I thought with dairy so I'll be on it with labels from now on. I guess it's just trial and error :(