Beyond worry, please help.

[LSMZ]

I've been querying whether my daughter has food allergies for the past three months and reacting through my breastmilk. I've been cutting things out my diet. Some things improved, others got worse. Now as part of weaning she has reacted badly to peas (I suspected legumes from my breasmilk), diary, eggs and now wheat.

Her gut seems in total distress. She is in discomfort every day. Her bowel movements have become really irregular despite I barely give her any solids (only one meal a day of which she does not eat very much). I've been referred to dietician and allergy testing urgently. I've cut these things from my diet but my milk supply is suffering and I feel nothing is safe to eat anymore. I've lost a lot of weight and I feel awful so I know I'm not getting the nutrition I need. I've starting giving her omeprazole because her reflux is horrific but so far no real improvement. She is coming up in rashes in different areas all the time. I'm trying to get her onto amino acid formula but no luck with her taking it so far and I'm scared it will make things worse because everything I have tried so far is making everything worse.

I'm really scared something is really wrong. Surely this isn't normal. GP and HV can't really offer me much more. I just want my little girl to be happy and healthy and I'm so afraid of something happening to her. I have heard stories of similar happening to other people's babies which makes me feel better for a second and then the worry creeps back in.

If anyone has something encouraging to say to me I really need to hear something reassuring right now.

Thank you.

Hello,

Didnt want to read and run. I don't have much to say but hang in there.
I know how hard it must be. It took us months to get a milk allergy diagnosis, months of difficult feeding, symptoms, dropping centiles and me crying everyday with worry. Still going through it. Cried a few hours ago!!

We were told by the Paediatrian to add Nesquick and/or vanilla essence so he took the amino acid formula better. Up to you if you want to try that because it taste horrific.

Just want to say you are doing fantastic and stay strong. This will pass. They will get to the bottom of it.

Also didn’t want to read and run. Is she gaining weight? I had terrible trouble with my youngest and constant liquid poos that made his bottom raw and bleeding. I was bedside myself with worry but drs not much concerned because he was gaining weight. With hindsight I can see that was a good sign but at the time it was all very distressing. We moved him onto lactose free formula in the end and that helped.

Keep pushing for answers. And please don’t starve yourself by restricting your own diet so much because that won’t help anyone.

Take care xx

@Hazzyyy @SmokeBlackCat thank you for replying, makes me feel better and sorry you've both had/have similar struggles.

@Hazzyyy how much nesquick did they advise you to add? I tried like 4 drips of vanilla essence to 3oz and she was not interested at all.

@SmokeBlackCat yes gaining weight although needs to have a weight check and meeting milestones which does bring me huge comfort because I know how much I would worry otherwise. I will keep trying 🙏

I put in a teaspoon tbh. They didn't really advise how much. So i put in enough so it tasted like Nesquick.
The chocolate one has milk in it so I went for banana and strawberry due to the milk allergy.

Sounds so difficult for you both. Just wondering if you e spoken to Allergy UK yet?

Yes and breastfeeding helplines. No one knows what to do with me. My supply is dwindling and I'm so stressed. I guess she will take the formula if she is so starving right?

How old is she? Is she not taking the formula because she doesn’t like it or is she refusing the bottle? There could be other things to try if she’s bottle refusing.

She's 8 months. She took my expressed milk from the bottle at the weekend. It's the taste of the formula. She won't have anything that isn't me

Have you tried infant probiotics? You can buy them from Boots - these helped my allergy baby DS who was covered in eczema and was a lot like your daughter. You could also introduce the Alpro follow on Oat milk - DS wouldn’t touch hypoallergenic formula but he took to the oat milk instantly after the dietician gave me the green light to introduce it a bit early. Stay strong, I too cut things out of my diet and felt utterly drained and tbh the oat milk saved me..!

This one

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/alpro-oat-growing-up-long-life-drink-1l?istCompanyId=1e096408-041f-4238-994e-a7cf46bf9413&istFeedId=689af7a8-5842-4d88-be59-1ee5688a81b5&istItemId=ppiipaitm&istBid=t&&cmpid=cpc&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20333793068&utm_content=shopping&utm_term=%257Bsku%257D&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7e2h847chgMV3pZQBh0CKgXgEAQYASABEgLorPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

As she's over 6 months you can try baby probiotics - optibac is free from milk, soy, wheat. I'd also up the solid food with more veg like carrots, mashed sweet potato, baby rice, minced lamb.

@MaryMaryVeryContrary no I haven't I will try them! I bought some for me. I'm scared she reacted to oats via my milk but haven't tested it in a while. Did your allergy baby grow out of his allergies?

@LSMZ has your little one reacted to soya? If not maybe a soya formula, that's what mine had from 3 weeks old as he's got cmpa

@Devilsmommy yes unfortunately. Her reaction to soya is worse than dairy :(