https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:23:53 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advicecommiseration-re-mspi-pumping-weaning-switching-to-formula#post-2123483 Thu, 26 Mar 2015 20:41:30 +0000 Pirouette 2123483@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@keepcalmcarrie: I hope that works for you! I know it is so hard, but hopefully there is some middle ground that works. Otherwise you'll just have to adopt some other crunchy habit ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advicecommiseration-re-mspi-pumping-weaning-switching-to-formula#post-2123482 Thu, 26 Mar 2015 20:41:18 +0000 MapleMoose 2123482@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@keepcalmcarrie: Don't get me wrong, I had a love/hate relationship with my pump. I loved being able to provide BM but oh how I hated having to be tied down. It felt like I was always stopping something to go pump. I bought Freemie cups and a battery pack which made things better because I could pump while holding my LO's, or walk around and do things while pumping. I hope these next few weeks go by quickly and you can try BF again after you restrict your diet a bit. Fingers crossed your LO only has a minor intolerance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advicecommiseration-re-mspi-pumping-weaning-switching-to-formula#post-2123471 Thu, 26 Mar 2015 20:35:40 +0000 MrsF 2123471@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@keepcalmcarrie: I'm so sorry you're going through this :sad: Both of my LOs have been MSPI and none of these choices are easy :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advicecommiseration-re-mspi-pumping-weaning-switching-to-formula#post-2123455 Thu, 26 Mar 2015 20:24:07 +0000 keepcalmcarrie 2123455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for the kinds words and advice, everyone.</p> <p>I got another nursing session with him yesterday, and while there was some fussing and arching of the back, it was nice and relaxing for the most part. I even took two pictures, which I never thought I'd do! He's just so little and I wanted this to go on longer...</p> <p>That said, I'm not completely eliminating dairy or soy. I'm going to continue pumping 4-5x each day, limit my intake of bothersome foods, and keep feeding the Alimentum for a few weeks. Then I'll try nursing again. If he still latches fine and it doesn't seem to bother him, that would be wonderful. But if not, I think I've come to terms with it. He's a noticeably happier and more comfortable baby since we've switched, so that makes me feel better.</p> <p>I had these grand ideas about nursing until 2, shocking my FIL and having this be the one "crunchy" parent thing that I really practice. But alas, both times, my boys have had issues with plain old breast milk! I'm lucky to have had no issues with latching, supply, etc, but what I wouldn't give to be able to eat goat cheese and not worry about it giving my baby GI distress!</p> <p>@Pirouette: "my doc told me that with MSPI it's often about a tolerance level - some babies can tolerate milk/soy up to a certain threshold, so maybe just breastfeeding less will help" &lt;-- that's what I'm hoping. With DS1, replacing 4 of our 6 feeds with Alimentum and then nursing the other 2, with no changes to my diet, was enough to make him reasonably comfortable. This time around I'm not working so I can make more of an effort to keep up my supply. At least that's my plan. </p> <p>@Baby Boy Mom: I know I'm actually sensitive too, at least to dairy. As soon as my mom weaned me off breast feeding at 1, I refused cow's milk and still to this day don't drink it. I like hard cheeses, which I understand have no lactose in them (or something like that). I do like ice cream, but I don't feel great after eating it. So yeah, an MSPI diet would probably do me all kinds of good. But sometimes after a long day I just really need that chocolate chip cookie ;)</p> <p>@MapleMoose: Oh man, it's hard to wean before you feel ready! It's like I"m between a rock and a hard place. I don't want to stop nursing, but I really don't want to go to all the trouble to avoid all these hidden ingredients. And I want my baby to feel comfy and happy now, not in a few weeks. Major props and respect to you for EPing - I sort of hate the pump. </p> <p>@Anagram: Wow, your LO's MSPI must have been severe! Alimentum cleared up LO1's issues, and his was an allergy, not an intolerance, so he was projectile vomiting with traces of dairy until he was 14 months. It's crazy how differently babies react. Re: Neocate, that was another reason I'm not totally comfortable weaning just yet. If it turns out Alimentum isn't a good solution for LO2, I'm not sure I want to move to an elemental formula - $$$. If it got to that point, that might be the motivation I need to get serious about dietary restrictions :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advicecommiseration-re-mspi-pumping-weaning-switching-to-formula#post-2121347 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 13:16:11 +0000 Pirouette 2121347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm so sorry :( It doesn't sound like you are mentally prepared to give up nursing yet, so if you do want to try a little longer, i'd say try to fully eliminate soy for a few weeks and see if it improves. if it doesn't, and you are facing other possible allergies as well, then that sounds like your breaking point. however, you may find that giving him formula at times helps him tolerate the breastmilk (my doc told me that with MSPI it's often about a tolerance level - some babies can tolerate milk/soy up to a certain threshold, so maybe just breastfeeding less will help). but it does take time for soy to get out of your system and your breastmilk, so you may find that it gets better over time.</p> <p>as for weaning, i still haven't succeeded in doing that, so i have no advice :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advicecommiseration-re-mspi-pumping-weaning-switching-to-formula#post-2121338 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 13:02:48 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2121338@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always say that the silver lining of having an MSPI baby was really discovering that *I* am sensitive to dairy and soy. And really you do get used to it pretty quickly like @anagram mentioned. For a myriad of reasons formula wasn't really an option for us so this is obviously different but just thought I'd mention it if you do decide to try the elimination diet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advicecommiseration-re-mspi-pumping-weaning-switching-to-formula#post-2121255 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 11:59:17 +0000 MapleMoose 2121255@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Aww I know exactly what you are going through. LO1 had allergies to dairy, soy, and egg. Now LO2 is allergic to at least dairy and soy. Not sure what else because we didn't find out about the egg allergy until LO1 ate it and broke out into hives/swelling. </p> <p>I was EPing with both and had to wean. I didn't want to do an elimination diet for dairy, soy, egg, and who knows what else. Plus I didn't think I could commit to that strict diet with my hypoglycemia. It took a few weeks to wean from the pump and a week more of hand expression for comfort. I stopped pumping overnight and kept dropping a session every few days. I'm still producing a little milk because I leak once in a while and I get some sharp nipple pain but I don't have to pump/express anymore. </p> <p>Even though I know my babies can't have my milk it was really hard for me to emotionally accept that I had to wean, both times. But seeing my babies healthy, happy, and thriving is really what matters, whether it's breastmilk or prescription formula. Hugs. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advicecommiseration-re-mspi-pumping-weaning-switching-to-formula#post-2121229 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 11:46:20 +0000 Anagram 2121229@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@keepcalmcarrie: If you are set on weaning, then you can just gradually cut down on pump sessions, dropping 1 session every 3-4 days--that way you don't get Mastitis or anything. You can also wear tight bras and use cabbage leaves.</p> <p>As for the rest, my LO has MSPI, but it sounds like it was more severe than your LO--she had a reaction to Alimentum that was 100x worse than to my breast milk with major forms of dairy eliminated, so my options were to move her to Neocate or to eliminate all forms of dairy and soy from my diet. Neocate was crazy expensive and my insurance wasn't going to cover it ( at first, my doctor thought eventually we could make a case that it was medically necessary, but didn't know how long it would take)--and then I couldn't get my LO to drink it anyway.</p> <p>So I ended up eliminating all dairy and soy and EPing until LO was 13 months old.</p> <p>Honestly, the first month was kinda hard, just because I was sleep deprived and it seemed like all packaged foods had dairy or soy and the idea of cooking 3x a day was so overwhelming. But after that month, it got so much easier. It was a process, but I found a *ton* of packaged, pre-made foods that were safe to eat for the times I didn't want to cook, and I also learned new ways to make things at home that were MSPI friendly (like any regular pancake recipe, using almond milk instead of regular milk--easy peasy.)</p> <p>After 6 months, I cut down to pumping only 4 times a day and that made life infinitely easier and I kept up with that another 6 months. After LO turned 1, I slowly cut down to 3 pumps, then 2, then 1 a day until LO was totally off BM and only hemp milk a little after 13 months old.</p> <p>Either way, you will have a healthy child and you will adjust. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advicecommiseration-re-mspi-pumping-weaning-switching-to-formula#post-2121184 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 11:10:21 +0000 keepcalmcarrie 2121184@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>ETA- maybe this should be in another category? Breastfeeding, pumping, formula, I don't know. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advicecommiseration-re-mspi-pumping-weaning-switching-to-formula#post-2121176 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 11:07:51 +0000 keepcalmcarrie 2121176@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh mamas, I'm at a little bit of a loss. Long and rambling post/vent ahead...</p> <p>My first LO was extremely colicky. At 4 months, his pedi confirmed that he had a milk protein allergy. Until that point he was exclusively BF, but my supply was dropping since returning to work and I was SO done with the fussiness, so I switched him to Alimentum and only continued BFing 2x per day for one more month. He was a new baby on that formula and I was at peace with my decision. But I did hope to BF any future babies for longer.</p> <p>Fast forward to LO2, who is now 10 weeks. I eliminated dairy from my diet when he was born. The few times I experimented with ice cream, he reacted badly. He hadn't been colicky like big brother, but he's been getting fussier with each passing week. From the first week, though, he's had bad gas, reflux, and congestion. Starting around 5 weeks, he's had consistently explosive green poops. His pedi confirmed what I've been suspecting - MSPI. Maybe big brother was intolerant to soy as well, who knows. Anyway, I'm pretty bummed. Eliminating dairy is one thing, and totally doable. Eliminating soy too though? I don't think I want to do it.</p> <p>I purchased a can of Alimentum on Saturday and have started him on that. My original plan was to pump frequently to maintain my supply and to combo feed - bottles of formula during the day and nursing for the dream feed, the overnight feed, and first thing in the morning. But on Monday, he puked the dream feed all over me! Now I'm paranoid to nurse again. So I'm EPing, dumping it out, and only feeding him formula. I'm just pumping because I'm not 100% at peace with weaning yet.</p> <p>He's doing really well on the formula. It takes him forever to finish a bottle, but he drinks 5-6 oz. I'm pumping anywhere from 25-30 oz per day, so that seems about right for 5 feeds. </p> <p>But I miss nursing, and he's always rooting around. But I don't want to continue pumping all the time - I SAH now with a toddler and a newborn, and maybe some can find a way to make it work, but I'm not one of them! I don't want to do an elimination diet.. I can try to limit my soy and continue to keep off dairy, but I'm not doing anything more restrictive.</p> <p>I think I'm probably just going to try to get in one last nursing session so our last time is hopefully better than Monday night, and then slowly wean off the pump and let the Alimentum do its thing.</p> <p>I'm just sad and guess I wanted to vent. He's snoozing right now, but when he wakes up I'm going to try nursing and hope he keeps it down :bummed: Any advice for weaning? </p>