I’m not a dr. So don’t take this as medical advice. This is just what I found worked best for us.

At Lexi’s 6 month appt. her pediatrician told us she was probably ready to switch from Nutramigen back to a regular formula. We chose the Goodstart in the green can because it seemed to be the closest to Nutramigen. At first I was giving her 1 bottle of Goodstart per day for about a week, and then started increasing it to 2 bottles per day, etc. She seemed to be tolerating it ok, but then hit a really rough patch and it seemed like she was back to having colic. So, we switched completely back to Nutramigen. After a few days I started giving her half and half. One scoop of Nutramigen one scoop of Goodstart a few times a day, and gradually increased it until she was getting that for every feeding. I then gradually switched over to all Goodstart with no Nutramigen. It’s been a few weeks since we made the complete switch and she’s doing great! Hopefully something like that will work for you!

I’m going to try out doing a review of sorts. I figure what better place to start than with something that I KNOW made a huge difference in our lives. Wow, that sounds so, life-changing. But really, it made a huge difference in Lexi’s temperment, therefore made a huge difference in the way I felt also!

Of course the first step when we thought Lexi had colic was to call her pediatrician. He suggested that we try a soy based formula for a while to see how that helped. We immediately switched. At first we thought the soy was going to make a difference…but I think it was just the stars aligning that Lexi had a good day at the same time as we were switching formula. Because within the week we were back to the same old unhappy baby. We knew (because we had already discussed it with the pediatrician) that the next step would be Nutramigen. The difference between Nutramigen and a regular formula is that it is specifically formulated for when a protein allergy is suspected, not a milk allergy…hence trying the soy formula first.

The easiest way for me to describe how Nutramigen is different, or why it works is simply by saying that it is broken down more. Specifically the protein particles are broken down more. To me it was obvious just by opening that first can of Nutramigen that it was different. The powder is much finer than regular formulas. It just makes sense that it’s broken down further. I would say within a few days we could tell a major difference in Lexi.

There are some negatives about Nutramigen. The number one thing is the price. You will pay more for it…but really, what is your baby’s happiness worth? Not just happiness, but the fact that your baby can possibly be pain free after using this! Thankfully WIC paid for ours. All we had to do was have the pediatrician sign a statement saying that Nutramigen was necessary for our baby, and it was approved. After price, the biggest thing I’ve heard people talk about is the smell. My mother-in-law described it as Saltine crackers. And it does kinda smell like that. I even read on one forum where a lady refused to give it to her baby because it smelled so bad, and she couldn’t imagine how it would taste, so there was no way she was going to MAKE her baby eat it. In my opinion, I don’t think any infant formula is going to taste/smell too well, so that doesn’t mean a lot to me. The third thing…and this may just be a random thing that happened to us…when we started Nutramigen, up to the point to where Lexi was eating 2-3 baby food meals a day, she NEVER had a solid bowel movement. Not even almost solid. It was always runny and gross. I just attributed it to the fact that the formula was broken down more so it was easier to digest and “came out” easier. Who knows. The 4th thing is that the formula, after you mix it, starts to separate pretty quickly. It looks really gross once it starts doing it…but I guess it’s a good indicator of when you need to make a fresh bottle.
2 things that are different about Nutramigen and other formula: You pack the scoops of Nutramigen, not just get a loose scoop like with other formula. Also on the can of Nutramigen with Enflora (added for immune support) it says that you shouldn’t heat the formula.

Even now at 7 months old Lexi is still on Nutramigen. WIC switched her back to goodstart at 6 months, but we had quite a bit left over from previous months. We tried to switch her over to the goodstart and it was like we were back to having colic again. I’m currently trying to do 1 scoop of Nutramigen and 1 scoop of goodstart in each bottle to see how she will transition that way.

I hope you found this review helpful! Leave me a comment if it helped or if you think I left anything out!

Background info:  Lexi had colic…BAD when she was little.  Nothing helped her to stop crying.  We could hold her, rock her, walk with her, drive with her…all she did was scream!  We finally switched to Nutramigen formula and it helped tremendously with the combination of that and Zantac for reflux.  It was like having a whole different child!

Back to now: We spent the weekend away from home, visiting Jacob’s grandparents.  For the post part Lexi was a dream baby.  However, Saturday night you would have thought she had colic again.  She would scream as soon as we laid her down in bed, even though she was sound asleep seconds before.  Then she woke up super early Sunday morning, thus making her in a realtively bad mood all day.  I’m thinking she would be so exhausted and sleep great last night…not the case.  As soon as I laid her down she woke up screaming.  Jacob held her for a while and got her back to sleep.  She slept until 5.  I got up and fed her and laid her down…repeat of when I put her down last night.  Jacob got up and got her calmed back down and she slept until 8 or so. 

What does dr mom think is wrong?  I think it’s a combination of things. 1) We got out of our routine this weekend.  Lexi has never enjoyed being out of the house, she’s gotten more used to it lately.  But she will always be better behaved at home than somewhere else. 2)We have stopped Zantac because she should be grown out of the reflux stage.  3)We are trying to switch from Nutramigen to Goodstart formula. 4)She’s possibly teething.

For all I know it’s probably ALL of those things that are making her miserable.  I was only able to get .51 miles on the treadmill this morning before she was literally losing her mind in here.  She’s been asleep on my lap for 20 minutes or so.  I know as soon as I put her down she’ll wake up.  But, she really needs a nap…so here I sit!

I know I haven’t posted in forever.  I took time out to focus on writing a novel.  So, my poor blog has been ignored.  Thanks to all of those who commented on the previous post.

As for the update, Marsh is now 20 months and we are smack in the middle of a milk trial/challenge.  We’ve tried this before, and after having milk, he immediately started having belly problems and stopped sleeping through the night.  This time, however, is looking more positive.  We’ve slowly been substituting part of his Nutramigen with whole milk.  We are now up to 75% milk, 25% formula.  He also is having some yogurt.  He thinks cheese is gross, so he hasn’t had much of that.  He seems to be reacting well.  We need to get a diaper tested for blood at the doc’s soon to see if his body is actually handling it okay.  We’re keeping our fingers crossed.

In the meantime, my sister-in-law had a baby, and she just recently found out that the baby has a milk allergy too.  Her daughter’s  is more severe than Marsh because even Nutramigen tears her stomach up.  I never knew this was so common.  The doctor said it can run in families, so I’m officially blaming my husband and alleviating myself of the guilt I was feeling for eating truckloads of dairy during my pregnancy.

They say most kids outgrow this type of milk allergy (the non-IgE mediated kind) by three.  Does anyone have a child that grew out of this?  If so, what age?

If you suspect that your newborn has a milk allergy, you have a few options to try (after you talk to your pediatrician!).  First, if you are breastfeeding, try to go off of milk yourself.  Read my previous blogs for more information on this- you really have to be serious about it to get accurate results!  Second, you can try soy formula.  Many kids, including my own, often have a sensitivity to soy if they have a milk allergy though, so be on the look out!  Third, you can try Nutramigen formula by Enfamil.  This is especially made for babies with a milk protein allergy.  There may be other formulas like this, but this is the only one I am familiar with.  Note that the reduced lactose formulas will NOT work if it is a true milk allergy, nor will the lactose-free versions.  A true milk allergy is not the same as lactose intolerance!  Please feel free to add a comment if you know of any other formulas that are truly milk-free options for newborns.

This is a tricky subject, and before I begin, I’d just like to reiterate that I am not a doctor.  You will want to speak with your pediatrician about your concerns and get his/her opinion!!  But, here is my experience and opinion on diagnosing a milk allergy in a baby…

Milk allergies often run in families, so if you or your spouse had one as a child, there is a higher likelihood that your baby will too.  Other symptoms can vary from child to child, and include rashes, loose stools, blood in stools, vomiting, and being very fussy or colicky.  You can have your doctor run tests to verify a milk allergy, which I would suggest doing if your child has very severe symptoms.  But, a lot of diagnosing with a baby comes with trial and error.  In other words, try completely eliminating milk from his/her diet (or your own diet if you are nursing), and see if it helps!  If it does, try re-introducing milk every couple of months to see if the symptoms reappear.  Most children outgrow milk allergies by the time they are 2-5. 

In my own experience, my older son, Logan, was a very fussy baby.  He spit up a LOT and had multiple loose stools each day.  BUT, he was growing, gaining weight, and reaching developmental milestones appropriately, so his doctor was not too worried.  I had asked about a milk allergy early on, but since he did not have bloody stools, that worry was discarded.  Around the time he was about 10 months old, he developed a facial rash, especially on his right cheek, that would come and go without a logical pattern that we could find.   Again, I brought up the idea of a milk allergy, but no one took me too seriously.  I spent a LOT of time researching his symptoms on the Internet, and kept coming back to the milk allergy idea.  I tried to eliminate milk from his diet, but the rash kept coming back.   Unfortunately, at that point, I didn’t realize how very many foods really have milk  in them.  It wasn’t until I really got serious about learning about milk allergies that I figured it all out.

To truly find out if it is a milk allergy, you have to get really good at understanding what foods really have milk in them (see my last blog).   You can’t just eliminate pizza, ice cream, and mac & cheese to see if it will work.  You have to read the labels of EVERYTHING you or your child is eating and learn to find hidden milk ingredients in them.   Completely eliminate dairy, and see what happens after a few days!  With Logan, his rash completely cleared up, and his diapers got better (although not perfect for a long time).  Whenever his rash did reappear, I could think back through what he ate, re-read labels, and always find the culprit. 

If you think your child has a milk allergy, first speak with your doctor.  But, then try eliminating dairy, but be very conscientious about it- really read everything.  If you are nursing, you’ll need to eliminate it from your diet to avoid passing it through to your baby (again, see previous blog).  Or, you can try Nutramigen formula by Enfamil.  If your child is already eating solid foods, take some time to do research and change his/her diet for a couple of weeks and see if symptoms improve. 

Remember, a true milk allergy is NOT the same as being lactose intolerant.  You can’t get lactose free products and expect them to work if it is a true milk allergy.  In a milk allergy, the allergen is the protein in milk, not lactose. 

Do the best you can, but don’t get upset if you make a mistake and accidentally eat something with milk in it– it is easy to do!  Just chalk it up to a learning experience and try again tomorrow .

When I found out I was pregnant with our second son, I knew there was a high likelihood that he would have the same milk issues that his brother did, as they often runs in families.  I gave my husband advanced warning– if Luke had a milk allergy, he would be a formula baby!  But, then I met my little guy, and realized that I could (and wanted to!) nurse him, regardless of any diet restrictions.  So, I went on a truly milk-free diet (more on what this means in future blogs)… no milk products in anything!!  Since I was already used to reading labels for Logan’s foods, it wasn’t hard to learn.  Note that your breast milk does not contain cow milk protein- but, whatever milk protein you ingest will go through your breast milk to your baby.  So, pretty much the two options for feeding an infant with a milk allergy are to 1) nurse him/her while staying milk free yourself, or 2)use Nutramigen formula by Enfamil (there may be other formula options too– this is the one I am familiar with!).  We use both options.  I nurse Luke as much as possible, but do supplement with formula on days when I just really need a piece of pizza!  I just pump and dump about 2-3 hours after having food with milk in it.  It’s not a perfect system, but it works about 95% of the time, so we do our best!

When did that happen?  Yes, it’s actually been a year since Marsh came into our life.  What an exciting, exhausting, and amazing trip it’s been so far.  It seems like yesterday that I was trying to find a onsie small enough to fit my little curled up bundle.  Now, I have a little boy; the baby has left the building.  He’s walking and running and climbing.  He’s giving me his opinion on the food I prepare.  He’s pointing at everything and demanding it be named.  He’s starting to (knock on wood) sleep in his own crib through the whole night without waking, which I know is a feat mastered by most 6 month olds, but our little guy has always been a difficult sleeper.  He’s even attempting to say the words of his favorite things–dada, baa (ball and bottle), and buh (book).  I apparently am not cool enough yet to make the word list, but I’m sure mama is coming soon, right?  I can’t believe how much change has happened in one short year.  Before I know it, he’ll be applying to college.

As for the update on general stats, Marsh is off the charts (literally) for height and is tracking a little underweight.  We are in the process of chunking him up a little, if he’d stop moving long enough for me to get a few extra snacks in him.  We tested out the milk allergy and unfortunately, he’s still having a reaction to it.  Not as bad as before, but eczema popped up pretty quickly.  We’re backing off it and staying away from dairy for a little while longer.  So back to his $50/week nutramigen formula habit.  What an income boost it will be when (if) he goes to $5/gallon milk! 

Lördag den 5 Januari 2008

Jag bestämde mig här, på självaste trettondagsafton,
att testa om Max nu tål vanlig välling.

När vi provade tidigare, då han slutade dricka bröstmjölk och skulle övergå till vanlig välling, kräktes han bara. Vi fick då mjölkfri mjölkersättning Nutramigen, som sedan dess kört med. Han kan ju eventuallt vara mjölkallergisk. De sa på BVC att vi gärna kunde köra med den mjölkfria ersättningen till 1 års åldern, men att efter ett tag testa vanlig välling igen.

Så nu, alldeles nyss, har jag provat ge honom en sluring “mild havrevälling” blandat med den vanliga mjölkersättningen. Om det verkar fungera, ska jag prova trappa upp, mer och mer i flaskan. Det skulle vara så skönt om han skulle tåla det.
Men är det så att han inte gör det, så vet man ju iallafall.

Så det blir spännande….

Det är naturligt att spädbarn dricker bröstmjölk.

Det är naturligt att spädbarn skriker ibland (eller oftare).

Det är dock inte lika naturligt att spädbarn dricker animaliska produkter. Är det då uteslutet att spädbarn kan få matsmältingsproblem av bröstmjölksersättning? Det är faktiskt så att denna tankekedja väcker lite misstänksamhet i vårt samhälle, än idag…

Vi noterade tidigt (de första veckorna) att vår dotter ofta skrek och fick gaser efter att ha fått bröstmjölksersättning som komplement till amning. Att då spekulera i laktosintelorans mottogs inte alltid seriöst. Efter lite tjat så fick vi förskrivning på livsmedelsanvisning (Nutramigen) och bebis blev därefter väldigt mycket nöjdare med tillvaron, vilket hon är än idag, efter två år. Och vi använder naturligtvis laktosfria alternativ i maten.

Undrar ifall vår dotter är unik, eller ifall bristande kunskap/slentrian avseende laktosintolerans hos spädbarn får onödigt många föräldrar att bli extra sömnlösa? Att modern kommer från Finland och fadern från Ungern borde kanske öka sannolikheten i föräldrarnas påståenden? Se om laktosintolerans här.

Har du egna erfarenheter av laktosintolerans hos spädbarn? Måste spädbarn först uppvisa dramatisk viktminskning innan detta fenomen får presenteras?

Tillagt den 2008-01-10: och så kom i SvD en annan aspekt om mjölk, under rubriken “Måste barn dricka mjölk?“

Tillagt den 2008-01-23: och ännu en artikel i SvD om mjölkallergi, “Allergisk mot mjölk“

Tillagt den 2008-03-12: eftersom många verkar hamna på denna sida, så ber jag dem som verkligen söker fakta att läsa mer om ämnet hos Sjukvårdsrådgivningen, eller ännu hellre kontakta BVC! Notera även skillnaden mellan laktosintolerans och mjölkallergi!