Hi all. I am so sad to be posting this, but it looks like we are going to have to go to formula for two weeks. LO has a possible food allergy (green watery stools and severe eczema) that we haven't been able to figure out yet--I eliminated dairy and soy to no avail. The gastro recommends the formula route rather than more elimination diet for me so that we can be sure there are no allergens getting in his diet. This would at least diagnose a food allergy although we'd then still have to figure out what it is, assuming I want to continue breastfeeding (which I do!). I am so frustrated and sad this is happening but also trying to stay positive. Did anyone have success continuing breastfeeding after taking a break? Any recommendations for a pumping schedule? The LC says 6 x a day. Does that sound about right? Ugh.
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Good Luck! We didn't start formula until our little one was 9 months old. But I swear the hypoallergenic formula was a godsend for my little dude. He got better with one week of that and then dual. For me I had to go on a work trip and it just made sense. I pumped as many times as I would typically nurse so essentially every 3 or 4 hours while I was away. We did make it to 2 years old nursing.
I did a total elimination diet before we did the formula. That was very very very difficult but totally worth it for my situation. You can do whatever it takes I am sure.
Food issues are the absolute worst.
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My GI doctor recommended the same thing--switching 100% to Neocate for 2 weeks to see if some of LCs feeding issues improve. BUT, she wouldn't (and still doesn't) take the formula. We tried mixing half and half, then mixing just 1 oz formula to 1 4 oz bm. She wouldn't drink it.
Finally, I gave up. That was when she was 7 months old.
Now, she's 9.5 months old and I recently started trying again---1/2 oz to 5 oz Bm. She'll take that amount, but every time I try to increase the formula, she refuses it again.
I think the recommendation to give an elemental formula to see if symptoms improve is pretty common. Good luck!
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yes like @Anagram: my little guy took too it like water for 1 week (like 9 oz per feeding) and after I got back, he would not drink it at all ever again. At 1 year old we got the Splash and he drank that with no problems.
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I sorta took a break just last week because I was hospitalized for pacreatitis and gall stones. I went 4 days of M drinking formula and me having to pump and dump. My supply took a huge hit because of a couple drugs, but since I've been home on Friday, M and I worked together to bring my supply back up. M did fine on formula for a few days, although he didn't like the change in his tummy.
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Our GI recommended augmenting my diet to a greater extent before switching to formula. He didn't want me to risk losing my supply. He said the three most common sources of intolerances in wee ones are dairy, soy, and wheat. When I cut out wheat, I instantly noticed a difference in my LO. The next three after those are eggs,fish, and nuts. Thankfully cutting out wheat (as well as milk and soy) in addition to introducing probiotics, made enough of a difference that I didn't have to switch to alimentum or augment my diet further. Just my personal experience. Good luck.
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Thanks, everyone. It's good to hear I am not alone. I can't help worrying that we are not doing the right thing by trying the formula. Just so nervous that he will forget how to breastfeed.
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@raintreebee: If you are worried about that (and it's a valid concern!) I would talk to the Ped again. I think doctors are approaching it as a problem to be solved the simplest way--which is to give baby a totally elemental formula. Then if there's a big change, you'll know it's a food sensitivity...if there's no change at all, Mom doesn't have to endure months of diet restriction for no reason.
I understand that POV, because I think diet restrictions are the new trendy thing that moms try when they have fussy babies.
BUT if you are BFing and want to protect that relationship--then you should! Just tell the doctor you are worried about that and say you are willing to do an elimination diet instead.
For me, it wasn't an issue, because I'm an EPer. But my baby wouldn't drink it anyway.
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