Baby constipated - dairy?

[coffeerocket]

My baby is 9m old and has suffered on and off with constipation since he was 4m. We switched from Kendamil (a whole milk formula) to Aptamil (semi-skimmed) at 5m and things improved immediately. Then when we started weaning, using whole milk/cheese/yogurt, it started again. His poo has always been quite firm since and there have been periods of time when he’s straining a lot more, uncomfortable and infrequent poos. He’s also had eczema and rashes on/off.

We’ve been to the GP a few times now and they always suggest increasing lactulose and trying to find the issue out if it persists. So, we’ve been trying to remove cows milk based products to see if this helps - however I’ve read online not to do this without GP guidance. Is that right?

It’s been a week and he’s been more frequent but still firm but no straining or discomfort. He’s still been having Aptamil but I’ve also read that the cows milk in this might be okay for them as it’s so processed.

Any similar experiences out there?

Calcium is very important at that age so that’s why they say not to drop cows milk. You could try aptimil follow on milk rather than milk.

Cow’s milk was the source of constipation in both of my kids. It was a fine balance between making sure they have enough calcium and not bunging them up.

My son has a dairy allergy which makes him constipated. The constipation cleared up within days of stopping dairy.
There’s no harm in going dairy free for a few weeks and seeing how he gets on.

Were they okay on cows milk formula / with you having cows milk if they were breastfed?

It might be worth reading this from Allergy UK and talking to them.

If you do stop milk and all of it’s associated products, you’ll need to replace the fat and protein as well as the calcium.

Your GP should refer to a Paediatric Dietitian