Should switch to formula?

rsheehan10 · May 2013

My lo has been very colicky and progressively getting worse. After each feeding he screams and grunts until he toots or poops. We're giving gripe water and gas drops. I pretty much cut our dairy from my diet. I can hear his stomach and intestines rumbling and he's clearly in pain after eating. Occasionally he will spit up but not after every feed. He is ebf and was wondering should I switch to formula without any dairy? His sleep is very much affected by this causing him to sleep max 11 hrs a day which I know isn't enough. I have a pedi appt this fri for his 1 month.

a13049 · May 2013

IMO- No, I wouldn't switch to formula. There are many things that could be causing these issues and it may not be the contents of you BM. You little one could be getting to much air while feeding, can you stop and burp more frequently. Do you have a fast letdown? Maybe LO is eating to quickly. I had this issue with LO, I had to take LO off the breast and letdown in a towel and then put her back on. I still hve a fast letdown but at 9 weeks it doesn't really seem to bother her. You can offer her expressed milk in a bottle also and see if you can slow her feedings down that way.

lightgetsin · May 2013

I would take him to the pedi and ask what they think. I can't imagine that formula could be better for him than breastmilk.

rsheehan10 · May 2013

I burp him pretty frequently and think my let down is fair. I don't really leak. When he gets a bottle in the middle of the night same issue. I have slow flow nipples on the bottle and he still goes to town. I just dont know what I can do for him and feel like a failure because I don't know what more I can do for him.

katief27 · May 2013

We are struggling with this a bit too. I even asked the dr and she said their little tummies are so new that digesting anything is a struggle until they get used to it. I know when I switched to formula with DS1 we had even more tummy troubles and had to play formula roulette for weeks until we found one that didnt upset his stomach. Ultimately I think time and his system maturing will help. At least I hope so!

buttaflly227 · May 2013

I wouldn't switch because your BM problly isn't the problem. My LO (2months) has similar problems with pooping and it was bad for a week or so but then passed and now he only cries because of that sometimes. BUT let's just pretend that it's because of your BM, I still wouldn't switch because the benefits of BM faaaarrr outweigh formula. Give it some time, you're not a failure, we're all just learning and if he's still doing it in a few weeks re evaluate.

08summerbride · May 2013

I understand the frustration, but I think breastmilk is best. It digests twice as fast as formula, and is easier to break down. My DS has the same after feeding struggles as you are describing and seems in constant pain, even when he is sleeping, so I understand where you are coming from. If you switch to formula and it doesn't improve, it may be hard to keep your supply up enough to go back. And right now at least it isn't costing you any money...if you switch to formula you would be paying for him to be uncomfortable

a13049 · May 2013

katief27:
We are struggling with this a bit too. I even asked the dr and she said their little tummies are so new that digesting anything is a struggle until they get used to it. I know when I switched to formula with DS1 we had even more tummy troubles and had to play formula roulette for weeks until we found one that didnt upset his stomach. Ultimately I think time and his system maturing will help. At least I hope so!

This, I think if you are doing everything you can your LO may just need time for their digestive system to mature. Formula probably won't help and could make things worse, not that i am against formula I know it's a personal choice. LO had horrible gas and spit up alot. Then all of a sudden these last two weeks have been pretty smooth, she is sleeping better and she has been a lot less fussy

vindaloo · May 2013

You really should consult your pediatrician before switching to formula. There could be many reasons for your LO's tummy troubles. Also, FYI gas drops and gripe water don't really do anythingstudies show results no better than placebos. So I wouldn't base any decisions on whether they help or not, as essentially they don't make a real difference either.

As for cutting out dairy, please realize that this is a much more involved process than simply cutting out milk, yogurt and cheese. Milk proteins show up in a lot of unexpected places so you have to do your homework and read labels diligently. If your LO really has a milk protein intolerance, you need to initially cut out the dairy for a couple of weeks for it to clear your system and see results in LO.

It really is worth it to talk to your pediatrician to get help finding a real solution.

Should switch to formula?

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