Feeding Question (elimination diet/formula)

piedpiper07

DS is very fussy.  I have been EBF since he was born and My Dr. suggested to limit my dairy intake to just a few servings per day to see if there were improvements.  I didn't see much improvement in his fussiness so I started eating dairy again.

The other night, I had to leave overnight and DH gave him lactose-free formula (there were samples around). He was SO good. A few hours after he began nursing again he was super fussy. I am not sure what that means in terms of breastfeeding.  I was under the impression that it was the protein in the milk and not the lactose that would be the issue?

If it is the lactose, is there anything I can do to keep BF and still see those results?!  

andoolittle

Could he possibly just be not getting enough when he breastfeeds? Have you done a test weight with a lactation consultant? If he has a true allergy he would have way more symptoms than being fussy.

anonsouthernbell

andoolittle:

Could he possibly just be not getting enough when he breastfeeds? Have you done a test weight with a lactation consultant? If he has a true allergy he would have way more symptoms than being fussy.

not necessarily true...esp if it is just an intolerance

 

OP - your doctor did not give you good advice concerning eliminating dairy...in order to truly see if your LO reacts to dairy you need to completely cut it out of your diet (including trace or "hidden" dairy).  It takes 2-3 weeks for it to get completely out of your system and another 2-3 weeks to completely get out of your LO's.

emberlee3

Dairy proteins take at least two weeks to clear from your system, so cutting down on your servings of dairy would not make a difference.

You could try cutting out dairy for 2-4 weeks to see how LO does.  Many sources also recommend eliminating soy at the same time (there is hidden soy in almost all processed food).  About half of babies who are intolerant of milk proteins are also intolerant of soy proteins.

piedpiper07

andoolittle:

Could he possibly just be not getting enough when he breastfeeds? Have you done a test weight with a lactation consultant? If he has a true allergy he would have way more symptoms than being fussy.

Yes I am working with a LC because of an oversupply problem. During his weighed feeding he got 4oz from one breast in under 5 minutes.  I have been pumping since then and giving him bottles during the day so that he might get less air.

 to the other posters:

I had wondered what cutting down on dairy would do, it really didn't seem to matter very much/make a difference.  I think that I will try to cut out dairy completely for the next month and see if there is a difference. I looked up the hidden sources of dairy on Kellymom and I really hope this works!! 

MrsJax2011

Madelyn was really gassy, had fussy fits, green poops, and a pretty wicked diaper rash.  She would also scratch at her face a lot and had little red bumps on her face, and slightly dark circles under her eyes.  Once I made the connection on Saturday, I stopped eating the dairy and also eggs.  However, I am not as strict on the hidden dairy.  If it is the 6th ingredient or further down the list, I allow it...ie, crackers, bread...but no milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, etc.  I have been eating things with eggs in them also (breads, etc) but not whole eggs themselves alone.

I have seen a drastic improvement.  Her rash is almost completely gone -- there is one spot left that was the size of a quarter and really, super red and irritated that is still remaining, but now the size of a dime and continuing to shrink.  The rest of her rash is gone. Her poops are back to yellow, and there have been no fussy fits for the last two nights...or face scratching, and the circles under her eyes are fading.  She is also sleeping and napping a whole lot better!

What is the lactose free formula made from?  Does it have cow's milk?  If not, that could be why he did so much better.  Everything I read says that babies are NOT lactose intolerant...and I also read somewhere that if you have oversupply issues that it can be the fore/hindmilk imbalance or Lactose Overload.  

If I were in your shoes, I would cut all the dairy out and see how it goes.  It is hard, but worth it for a happy baby!