Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Milk allergy or dairy intolerance

50 replies

Loulou85x · 19/01/2019 21:58

Hi all,

My little girl is 7 weeks old and we are currently having troubles with her feeding and digestion. 80% of her poops are explosive and have mucus in but range from orange/ yellowy. She gets really bad stomach ache when she passes wind or bowel movements. She is also hungry a lot. The drs said she might have a milk allergy and to cut it out. I cut it out a week ago and it seems to have made a little difference. However, for some reason I am not getting much milk tonight and she is frustrated as she is so hungry. I am trying to pump and nothing is coming out and she's feeding for 40 mins and still hungry.

I was going to go to the shops and buy some lactose free milk to tide us over and wanted to ask if any of you had similar symptoms and the lactose free milk helped, or whether I shouldn't risk it in case it's a milk allergy? Thanks in advance XXxx

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Raindancer411 · 19/01/2019 22:01

If it's an allergy it will be to the protein and you should not give any milk, as lactose free still has the protein in it. 7 weeks is still too young to tell if it's an intolerance or an allergy.

If you are breast feeding, are you having milk? Most people are told to take it out of their diet as well as babies as it can filter through breast milk.

dementedpixie · 19/01/2019 22:02

If it's dairy allergy then lactose free milk won't help as lactose is the sugar in all milks including breast milk. It takes longer than 1 week to get cows milk out of your system. Could be a growth spurt rather than lack of milk. Extra feeds will stimulate milk supply

3boysandabump · 19/01/2019 22:03

Lactose free milk will be no good as the allergy is to the proteins in milk which are still present in the lactose free milk.

Lactose intolerance is very rare and there is lactose in breast milk anyway even if the mother is completely dairy free.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

0-3 months old Babies & sleep Breast & bottle feeding Children's health

MintTeaLady · 19/01/2019 22:11

Have you cut out dairy completely (checked all ingredients of everything you are wasting etc)? Keep putting your little girl to the breast - the more she’s there, the more milk will be produced.

Original poster

Loulou85x · 19/01/2019 22:19

Thanks all. I have cut all dairy out, it's actually since last Thursday so over a week now. She is still having some explosive poohs. I mentioned what the dr said to the health visitor and she said that if I was an allergy we would know about it as she would look gaunt etc and it's prob a slight intolerance to lactose. So I don't know what's best.

I wondered if anyone had similar symptoms and whether it was dairy or lactose? Thanks xx

OP posts:

3boysandabump · 19/01/2019 22:28

If it was lactose she would be really ill because it's in your breast milk. It's very rare.

Some babies can tolerate their mothers having some things that are lower down the milk ladder so she may not react to say a biscuit made with butter but she would react to you having cheese on a pizza.

The only way to test for a non ige reaction is to cut all dairy for 6 weeks and then do a dairy challenge.

dementedpixie · 19/01/2019 22:28

Is unlikely to be lactose or your baby would not be gaining weight at all as breast milk is full of lactose. Could be an intolerance to cows milk protein though rather than allergy

Raindancer411 · 19/01/2019 22:30

Ignore the comment about if it was an allergy they would look gaunt. It effects differently. Some may be really poorly and others not.

My 6 year old was breast feed until 3, and had reflux as a baby. Fine all other ways until I weaned him on a yoghurt. He got a rash over his face and nappies were never that bad.

Finally at 2.5years they agreed on a diagnoses of an allergy. He has been dairy free since.

Passmethecrisps · 19/01/2019 22:38

It sounds like your HV has confused he two.

Lactose is in all milk so she could be very poorly and fail to thrive.

Dairy intolerance/allergy can take weeks to build and take weeks to pass. Both of mine were dairy intolerant. I BF one. It showed in mucus and foamy stools, weight loss despite constant feeding, declining sleep, unsettled behaviour and blood streaks in stools. The symptoms took maybe a long to disappear 100% but were mostly gone within a fortnight. You should also consider cutting soy protein for your diet as well as they as so similar an intolerance to one often means the other. My DD has blood in her stool until I gave up soy from my own diet. You need to properly check labels and be strict for a good few weeks

I asked for support from my doctor once it seemed apparent and was given a prescription of neocate LCP infant fornuka.

It is interesting you say she seemed frustrated when feeding. I was feeding constantly and still she was losing weight. It appears dd was just comfort suckling which meant my supply was dropping. I hired a hospital grade pump to help me rebuild it

Original poster

Loulou85x · 19/01/2019 23:12

@Passmethecrisps do you know if there is any allergy milk available in the shops? I have been trying to pump for hours and haven't even got a bottle and she's very hungry. I am looking at Tesco and it's seems like a comfort / lactose free milk or soya!

OP posts:

Original poster

Loulou85x · 19/01/2019 23:15

@dementedpixie @MintTeaLady I have been trying to feed for hours but I don't understand. I've gone from over production to what seems like nothing - thanks for your advice :)

OP posts:

Raindancer411 · 19/01/2019 23:32

The doctors can prescribe something to help increase your amount.

dementedpixie · 19/01/2019 23:37

Non dairy formula would normally be on prescription

Raindancer411 · 19/01/2019 23:50

I think it's domperidone to help increase supply, which also happened to be part of the medicine my son was given for silent reflux.

Can you call 111 to ask if an out of hours can help or a health visitor?

GrumpyGoose · 20/01/2019 00:01

It takes up to 6 weeks for cows milk protein to leave your breast milk.

There's a dairy free formula called Wysoy on the high street but there's a high chance your baby could be allergic to soy too, the proteins are similar.

Your doctor can prescribe dairy free formula.

You can continue to breastfeed if you want to, the best thing to do (unfortunately) is to feed through it while the dairy leaves your system, it will start to improve and keep getting better.

There's some great Facebook groups that I joined when I found out DS had allergies.

GrumpyGoose · 20/01/2019 00:03

Also at only 7 weeks old she may just be building your supply for you and cluster feeding?

Passmethecrisps · 20/01/2019 11:14

How is baby’s weight?

Nutramigen is the basic CMPI/A formula but if soy is an issue neocate is necessary. Both will need to come from a GP.

If you do want to offer formula to help weight gain make sure you offer after a feed and pump as well. I did that for a week until my supply stabilised again. Really, really hard work but it did work in the end

Original poster

Loulou85x · 20/01/2019 15:37

@Passmethecrisps thank you, she is gaining weight. Not massively but she's doing okay.

Do you think if I was to try her on a cows milk like hip organic to see if there was an instant reaction and to see if it suited her or was indeed an intolerance that would be mean? There are so many things health visitors and doctors keep saying it could be, it's hard to know.

Thanks for advice everyone x

OP posts:

Original poster

Loulou85x · 20/01/2019 15:40

@Raindancer411 thanks, I'll ask! My supply has only gone down yesterday and today. It's strange, I was in oversupply before

OP posts:

Original poster

Loulou85x · 20/01/2019 15:43

Thanks @GrumpyGoose if I tried her on a cows milk gentle formula, would she have an immediate reaction if she was indeed intolerant do you think? X

OP posts:

trinitybleu · 20/01/2019 15:51

Definitely ignore those saying lactose intolerance would result in a gaunt baby or failing to put on weight.... My severely lactose intolerant DD never lost any birth weight and was gaining at least 1oz a day. She was 9lbs at birth and had grown out of 0-3m clothes within 10 days.

rubyroot · 20/01/2019 16:06

Pumping does not always tell you how much milk you have, just because you aren't getting any milk that way it doesn't mean your supply is low. Put her on your breast and let her feed as much as she wants- that's the best way to up your supply anyway. She is most likely having a growth spurt and cluster feeding. Chances are that you are producing enough milk.

rubyroot · 20/01/2019 16:07

If there's plenty of wet nappies then all is okay

seven201 · 20/01/2019 16:09

Hv is talking nonsense.

My dd has cmpa/I. You can buy nutramigen from a pharmacy. It's just whether they have it in stock. It's not cheap. Alternatively you could ask on your local facebook group if anyone has any they no longer need. Often people give theirs away free on my local Facebook group as they don't want to see it wasted!

Expressing isn't an indicator of supply. I could hardly express anything.

I wouldn't try giving cows formula as it could set you backwards quite far.

3boysandabump · 20/01/2019 16:15

The thing is if you give her a regular formula and she does have an allergy it's going to potentially be in her system causing issues for 3 weeks.

Flip

1 2

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.

Swipe left for the next trending thread