CMPA Experience

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I have a 3 month old and HV suspects CMPA so we are going to try dairy free diet. LO is mostly breastfed with formula bottle at night (they have comfort formula as we found they’d be more likely to spit up with breast milk when in bed at night).

I’m just curious about others experiences with CMPA and the symptoms that showed before diagnosis?

A lot of LOs symptoms could also have been put down to just being a newborn which is why we haven’t tried dairy free diet yet. For info the symptoms we’ve experienced are some spit up/ sick after feeds (never particularly large volume), cries and gets fussy on the breast towards the end of the feed as if milk has run out, hates being burped and will arch back, used to hate lying on back to get nappy changed etc, but would always go down ok into next to me at night, some rashes (this has gone now after using cream), plenty of wet nappies but goes 2-5/6 days without bowel movement, some dry skin and slow weight gain. In general, they are very alert, have good sleeps, seem to be progressing well developmentally and a happy baby.

Would anyone else care to share their LOs symptoms and if they ended up with a dairy allergy?

My son we knew by 8 weeks.

Wouldn’t lie down without screaming, even at night he would need to sleep on my
arm so he was at an angle. He was insanely grumpy, late smiling, pimple skin on his arms, vomit, dreadful witching hour and then has blood in his poo at 8 weeks!

He is primary aged now and still dairy free but when we trial he can manage small amounts. However, when it builds in his system he gets poorly again.

Edit to add he lost weight too. Once dairy free he shot back up the percentiles. He was breastfed and it only took a few days to start seeing the difference in him.

Just looking at the symptoms:

Spitting up can be totally normal. Are they distressed or a contented little vomiter?

Crying and being fussy on the breast can also be normal at that age. Have you tried some Breast Compressions to see if that will keep his interest?

If he doesn’t like being burped, there’s no need to wind a BF baby usually. I didn’t wind mine and lots of other BFing Mums don’t wind theirs.

If you do want to wind him, have you tried the Tiger in the Tree hold? It can be a lot less intense and more settling for the baby.

Not pooing for 5 or 6 days at this age for a BF baby again is totally normal. They can go up to 2 weeks before a HCP will even be interested. My DC2 used to regularly go for 12 days before we introduced solids.

If he has slow weight gain, has Tongue Tie been ruled out?

Are you getting any RL support?

And have you read these two articles on Kellymom?

How might I increase my baby’s weight gain?

& Dairy and other food sensitivities in BF babies

You might also want to read this from Allergy Uk