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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Gassy baby / doctors giving lactose free formula? Any advice?

12 replies

4658Lou · 08/12/2023 12:08

My 5 week old is formal fed. Baby was on formula kendamil he started having loads of uncomfortable gas (farting) so I changed to Hipp organic formula that seemed to ease a small amount of the gas but not really but has now started having spit up and sometime more than spit up (vomit) I tried Infacol not sure if this made a difference enough. So I have taken baby to the doctors told them about the above that my baby is very gassy and that also he has been grunting and crying around a similar time around 4-5am and he will start grunting sounds like he is straining to do a poo but doesn’t when he does do a poo which is once a day the poo is not constipated it’s just like a normal poo but smelly abit and quite alot. When he starts the grunting and crying he seems uncomfortable it can last
around 3 hours on and off, so doctor has prescribed a lactose free formula called SMA Alfamino powder, does anyone have any experience with this formula and or with my baby symptoms is this suppose to help and if anyone has any knowledge around this please?

OP posts:
ScoobyBooby · 08/12/2023 12:12

Seems GP it trying to treat your baby for lactose intolerance (sugars in milk ) from what I’ve read this is rare in babies and most likely they have cows milk protein allergy (CMPA ) so they react to the proteins in milk .

The smelly stools and the volume would make me also think CMPA . He could also have reflux.

Id go back and ask for a hydrolysed formula (which has broken down milk proteins in ). Aptimal Pept1 or Nutramigen . Sorry just seen he’s been prescribed a Alfamino which is totally diary free .

User9088 · 08/12/2023 12:13

Alfamino is a formula for children with cows milk protein allergy. Lactose free is different and lactose intolerance is very very rare in babies. Try the milk and monitor symptoms. The doctor will usually ask you to do a milk challenge where you reintroduce one scoop of normal formula in a morning feed in a few weeks time and gradually increase this. This will confirm if your child has an allergy to cows milk. You might want to Google and read up on cmpa as there's lots of good info out there.

Original poster
4658Lou · 08/12/2023 12:19

@ScoobyBooby yeah when he does poo it seems quite smelly and the volume is big nappy. I think he does have reflux too.

so the Alfamino the doctor has prescribed if this is the issue should help?

I just can’t stand the grunting and him looking like he’s in pain and nothing I do seems to help

OP posts:
Original poster
4658Lou · 08/12/2023 12:21

@User9088 ok going to try the milk yeah the doctor mentioned to trial it for 1 month so if it really is that should I see improvement quite quickly? I will do a Google on cmpa

i just don’t know what to do when he starts grunting and crying it’s like he’s straining for a poo but it’s not coming? You would think constipation but when he does a poo it’s soft not hard

OP posts:
kaboomy · 08/12/2023 12:26

Was baby breastfed at all and if so, were there any of these symptoms then?

User9088 · 08/12/2023 12:30

4658Lou · 08/12/2023 12:21

@User9088 ok going to try the milk yeah the doctor mentioned to trial it for 1 month so if it really is that should I see improvement quite quickly? I will do a Google on cmpa

i just don’t know what to do when he starts grunting and crying it’s like he’s straining for a poo but it’s not coming? You would think constipation but when he does a poo it’s soft not hard

Hopefully you'll see an improvement when using this milk and in time his symptoms will stop. So hard to see baby upset! I think for my son it took a few days to see an initial improvement but with some symptoms still lingering and a few weeks to have him completely settled (which he is now).

Stick with the formula for the trial even if your first few feeds are hard as I think it tastes different and takes a bit of getting used to.

Original poster
4658Lou · 08/12/2023 12:36

@kaboomy no I only breastfed once just first feed for the baby to get colostrum, then formula from then on, so I wouldn’t be able to know if that was present then the symptoms x

OP posts:
ScoobyBooby · 08/12/2023 12:54

Yeah it should help but it can take upto 6 weeks before all the symptoms resolve .
My son is on Neocate and his symptoms started to improve after a few days. Since the allergy formulas are so thin he might need some anti reflux medication usually Gaviscon is tried first but this can cause constipation in some .

Have a read up and there is a good Facebook support group if you search for CMPA x

Original poster
4658Lou · 08/12/2023 20:26

@ScoobyBooby i will check out this cmpa page. If it was this cmpa Will this sma almfino formula in theory make above symptoms less?x

OP posts:
Original poster
4658Lou · 08/12/2023 20:28

@ScoobyBooby ah ok so may take a few weeks but yeah hopefully I see somewhat of a improvement in a few days x

OP posts:
ScoobyBooby · 08/12/2023 20:33

Yeah symptoms should improve once the right formula is found we had to try a few before we found the one.

the Facebook group is very helpful

Laurenralph · 07/02/2025 12:56

Hi, just found your thread and was wondering if anything ever worked for your little one? I read this and it describes my little boy exactly but doctors are telling me it’s reflux! Did the formula work for you? Hope you see this 🤞🏼🤞🏼

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