Weaning baby - i suspect a dairy allergy. Help!

[RubaiyatOfAnyone]

About 3 weeks before we started weaning (at 6 months), dd suddenly developed eczema pretty badly. Cleared up with 1% hydrocortizone cream. Two weeks later she had another flare up, although in different places. She gets it in round patches over her whole body (except nappy area) and in the folds of elbows/knees.

Mentioned it to a friend and she said her dd’s dairy allergy started at approx the same age as bad eczema. She also said that for nom-iEg responses (reactions that take a couple of days to show up, rather than immediate) there was no allergy test and she had just been advised to keep a food diary and cut things out to see if it helped, which led to her dd’s diagnosis.

So i cut out dairy (Bf) and stopped giving her a daily formula bottle, and during that time started weaning dd. A bit of very minor eczema persisted, but only enough to need moisturiser 2/3 times a day. Thrn after a week gave her yoghurt. Two days later - eczema, possiting, arching back and crying. That was Sunday and obviously no more dairy since then. Eczema still present but clearing up with hydrocortizone.

I will speak to gp, obv, but wanted to ask other parents with this - how does it work? I have HATED breast feeding and was going to give up as soon as she hit six months (have threads on here about it), but now obviously have to continue to 12 months as formula isn’t an option (i know it exists, but is apparently horrible and unlikely to be drunk by a baby that has options), and have to give up dairy for the duration - am already vegetarian, my food options are now v.limited And beyond that, how do you get calcium into their diet after 12 months? How do you wean them with no cow’s milk alternative? How do you go to work without bottles being an option? (We always gave a bottle a day for a break, and to allow me to go to work 2x days a week). it all suddenly seems hellishly difficult.

Hopeful bump?

My daughter was the same and we gave up bf at 14 months. She never had a bottle or really drank milk after this

She is 8 now and still can't have dairy. She has almond or oat milk. She can also eat goats cheese as it's was a cow milk allergy.

There are heaps of dairy free products now which have calcium in them. Ask HV they will advise

Hi OP. I'm sorry you're having a hard time. I don't know huge amounts about it, but wanted to offer a few suggestions. Firstly, as your baby gets older and is eating more solids, she won't need quite as many breastfeeds which should start giving you a break. Could you try expressing if you don't like actual breastfeeding? That would make bottle feeding an option. After 12 months you could continue with that too if you could bear it? The feeds would decrease even more after 12 months, so you wouldn't need to express too often. Alternatively, after 12 months, could you try goats or sheep's milk, including cheese and yoghurts etc? If your baby does indeed have a dairy allergy, it's usually to a specific protein in cow's milk. Other type of milk are often fine.

As for you having to cut out dairy, could you try switching to goats or sheep's products yourself? To make it easier for yourself?

I'm no expert but some non-dairy milks are fortified with calcium so I think you could give them after 12 months. Could you express milk for bottles while you're at work? I'm breastfeeding a 4 month old who may have CMPA so I've had to start thinking about this too! There's a Facebook group called "Breast Feeding - CMPA support" where you might find useful info as well, and you could ask your GP for a referral to a paediatric dietitian.

Hi
Recommend going to GP and asking for a direct referral to a paediatric dietitian- they will give accurate advice. Your GP may fob you off, but be clear in your request. All the questions you asked they will be able to answer, taking your child's specific medical history into account.
Advice you receive from well meaning strangers on the internet will not necessarily be correct and individualised to your child (e.g. the advice given above re goats milk is not correct).
In the event of not being able to get a face to face appointment or long waiting list due to covid, have a look at this resource which is NHS approved - there's a video for milk allergy

www.patientwebinars.co.uk

My baby developed a secondary lactose intolerance when she was about 7 months. The GP said at that age babies don't really have taste buds so moving onto nutramigen formula would be ok and she wouldn't reject it. I didn't have to try it because my baby can tolerate small amounts of lactose, so moving into lactose free versions of cow's milk and yogurt sorted the problem.

What I'm saying is, don't necessarily rule out nutramigen formula for fear of rejection on account of its foul taste. Your baby may be young enough to accept it without issue. It may be worth a try if you want to stop BF.