Formula Intolerance?
 

Hey guys!

I'd mentioned in my previous thread that I think my son is lactose intolerant. Doc says that if he was, he wouldn't be able to breastfeed and that some babies are just 'formula intolerant'. He said something about it being due to the iron and all the extras that get put into formula that breast milk doesn't contain.

Have any of you dealt with this in particular? I'm trying to keep my options open, because as much as I'd love to stay at home and have the baby on breastmilk only, I don't know how possible it's going to be once I have to go to work.

Have you considered expressing your breastmilk into a bottle and sticktly bottle feeding him?

You should be able to work up a pretty good supply untill you have to go back to work.

There is no substitute for mother's milk; if you think he might not be able to breastfeed, I would see a nutritionist, preferably one specializing in infant nutrition. I want to make sure my kid gets gets all the advantages they can, especially in those first few years of life. After reading about Nestle, I'm extremely wary of any kind of baby formula.

I know you mentioned it in passing, but could you give us a bit more detail as to why you think he's intolerant? It'll help to frame our responses.

Let me be the first to advise you that it is highly likely that your child will be just fine if s/he isn't breastfed and that there are many things that are much more important than breastfeeding as far as your baby's health goes.

That being said, if you're going the formula route you can get lactose-free soy-based formula. I don't know if you can find any formula nowadays that isn't fortified with iron, which i think is mainly because a lot of iron is thought to be essential to a baby's development.

I think either Isomil or Enfamil is soy-based

I was lactose intolerant right out of the womb. My mom says when she tried to breastfeed me that I would just puke it up or get the runs really bad. So she took me to the doctor. This was 30 years ago so she didn't have the option of soy products. I was put on rice milk since I couldn't do the regular formulas either. I turned out just fine. Though I wonder what effects not getting breast milk may have had.

Well, he'd just been really gassy after having the formula, and this is after lots of burping, etc. He'd had some upset stomach, etc. My mom said that when my little brother was like that, the doc had said he was lactose intolerant, but the same doc yesterday told me that he wouldn't be able to breastfeed if he was intolerant. He also told me that he may just be formula intolerant, because a lot of babies are due to all the extras put into formula.

//too tired to make sense

our first got really constipated from Similac but not from Isomil. Our second was the other way around. Before cutting off formula, try switching brands. Nestle has a formula now too

Formula will really be a last resort for me. I just know that if I have to work out of the home full time, at some point I'll end up switching him to formula to mkae it easier for the person taking care of him.

Just get a breast pump, and make sure you pump enough ahead of time for there to be breast milk instead of formula. Most good childcare providers won't be squiffy about it, and baby still gets all the benefits of mother's milk.

That's what I'm trying to do while I'm here at home. The issue that I see myself running into is that I have to go back to work full time and my employer a) hates kids and anything to do with them and b ) wanted to fire me when she found out I was pregnant

I just don't see it being okay for me to pump while I'm at work, and there's no way I could go that long without pumping and not leak all over the place.

Can't you go into the bathroom to pump or something? Doesn't your employer have this, oh, NO DISCRIMINATION thing hanging over her head? Seriously, if your employer is giving you greif because you are/were preggers, that's a deal you can take up with someone, somewhere. Don't just let her walk all over you!

I work in a small animal hospital and we have one bathroom that is to be used by staff and clients. Also, it's been made very clear to me many times that "in this business, we don't get fifteen minute breaks" (even though my immediate supervisor somehow always has time to take a smoke break - no matter how busy it is).

I'm actually looking for something else so I don't have to go back there, but we'll see what happens.

My daughter was forumla intolerant if it wasnt a low iron one, she'd have the worst diapers you'd ever seen and fussy...ooo she was fussy....she did fantastic on Similac Low Iron...ALL her stomach problems went away. I have hemochromatosis (which is too much iron...the opposite of anemia...my body stores iron, it doesnt get rid of it) and when I had her tested as a new born her iron was off the charts (much to the dismay of the stupid baby doctor that told me I was causing her brain damage by cutting her iron intake). I had to lay off the baby cereals that were iron enriched as well.

I didnt breastfeed and Amanda has not, other than a few colds in 13 years, been REALLY sick at all. No ear infections either.

and I just looked....they still make Similac Low Iron (wasnt sure since its been so long lol)

There should be rules and regulations for most employers depending on the state that would allow you some sort of break. Also if you are working a certain number of hours, regardless of how you want to use your break, you are supposed to be allowed at least a 15 min break. I THINK the number of hours is 6 hours. Look up the regulations in your area. Also if she refuses to help you find a place to pump, could you pump in your car? I know in Wisconsin that could be a bit cold on some days. You could throw a blanket over yourself for those 10 or 15 min you need to pump. I never actually tried pumping with a blanket over me but I nursed OFTEN with a blanket over my chest and became quite a pro at it.

If you aren't happy with your job though, it would be in your best interest to find something else. It sounds like your boss would (and already does) cause you a lot of tension.

NO matter what. Don't stress over not being able to pump. Some mothers pump part time at home as well as nurse at home. Or they nurse at home and feed formula at childcare. I am partial to the Soy formula's without added Iron. I have seen too many babies with hard stools due to the extra iron, and too many who spit up a lot until they're switched to soy. My nephew, and several daycare kids went through the trying regular formula (which btw is usually COW'S MILK based) and then switching to Soy formula and eliminating diaper and spitup problems quite rapidly with just that change.

Shani - the hospital I went to gave my daughter Similac Low Iron when my milk wouldn't come in for a week because of my meds. She never had any trouble with it. That was 6 years ago.