Dairy Vs. ?

When I quit breastfeeding my daughter, she was just over a year old, I started her with a little rice milk on her oatmeal or cereal for breakfast. I also used black strap molasses in recipes and on her oatmeal to add more calcium. We ate broccoli (trees), spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots & oranges to get more calcium. One of my daughters new favorites is bagged cole slaw sauteed in olive oil for about 10 minutes on medium heat (very sweet). I found a link to non dairy foods that are high in calcium you might like to print out their list
http://www.dfwnetmall.com/veg/plantfoodshighcontentcalciu...
I wish you the best of luck,
J. S- Health Coach

I know you asked this a while ago, but I don't think anyone mentioned Oat Milk yet? Pacific brand is sold at Whole Foods and Central market, and it's vitamin D/calcium-enriched.

I avoid soy, my children didn't like rice milk, and they're allergic to dairy. I do find I can give them goat milk cheese though.

By the way, oat milk is less watery than rice and less chalky than soy. I was always nervous about almond milk because of my oldest's peanut and walnut allergy.

Hope it helps!

I was in a similar situation and used almond milk. You can buy it almost anywhere and it comes in a couple of flavors. It has more of all the good stuff!

I think you are making a good decision to also avoid cow's milk for your daughter for several reasons:
1. Allergies tend to run in families and cow's milk is one of the top allergens
2. Humans are actually poorly designed to digest cow's milk (i.e., we've only got one stomach) and humans are actually the only mammal that consumes the milk of another mammal.
3. Cow's milk is believed to be a trigger for diseases such as diabetes and Chron's disease - there's lots of recent scientific/medical research on this topic.
4. And, finally and perhaps most importantly, it will be easier for you and your son if both kids get the same kind of milk. It can be h*** o* kids to deal with allergies and not having the same foods as other kids. But, if the whole family tries to follow a similar diet, life is so much better for everyone. They make decent rice based ice creams (and coconut milk based) and rice milk can be replaced in every recipe that calls for cow's milk.

Most rice milks are fortified with calcium, so that should be more than sufficient for your daughter. If you're worried, they make some fairly healthy gummy vitamins with calcium that you can buy at Costco.

There is also a potato based milk that is also fortified: Vance's Dairy Free (www.vancesfoods.com). Later you could try almond milk which IMHO tastes better and is naturally more nutritious, but they generally recommend you keep kids away from nuts for at least the first 2 (if not 3 years) due to the allergen potential of nuts.

Definitely use Soy Milk...it has some great benefits and has no dairy products in it.

We are in the same boat! My son, age 15 mos. is allergic (yes, actually allergic, not intolerant-it was made evident by skin prick test) to cow's milk! We didn't know what to switch him to after formula/nursing.

After doing a little bit of research, I found that Goat's milk is the best alternative to cow's milk and actually, it is better for you than cow's milk. And like you, I am now affraid of Soy milk, though we gave it to our daugther 2 years ago, because of the new evidence of all the hormones in it that are esp. bad for young kids.

The only probs for me with Goat's milk is that it is very thick, pretty expensive, and only carried by a grocer that is 30 mins. away from my house but I live very rural! Currently, we are giving it to him mixed with rice milk (about 50/50)! Make sure to buy a good brand though, because cheap brands can taste "goaty"! And it is also available in powder form (from a health food store)-like baby formula-that we use when on the go!

As for added calcuim, my son loves brocoli and we supplement calcuim wherever else we can (it is in certain foods and we sometimes go ahead and buy Step 2 formula just as a supplement-(ensure products, lactaid, yogurt, and the like have milk/whey in them so they won't work for milk allergy)!

And FYI: if someone suggest almond milk, almond milk is actually made of almonds so I would hesitate giving that to your young child because of the possible devlopment of nut allergies-they tell parents not to give babies nuts for a reason-possible allergy!

I am very interested in what others tell you here just to get other ideas for me as well! I'd also like to know some secrets of what to feed a child (and stay away from) with milk allergies-milk seems to be in everything!!!!!!!!!!

Good Luck

Well I'm not sure what your pedi says, but I wouldn't worry about your 16mos until/if she shows signs of an allergy to dairy. Start her on milk and see how she does.
My son showed signs early on with a fine rash all over and bad diaper rash and loose stools.
We have him on Lactose free milk and he does fine. It has the same calcium too!
Hope this helps.

Horizons just came out with a lactose free organic milk. Not sure if you were wanting to stay with organic or not. I just had it for the first time last night and it was good.

My son has an allergy to soy and is lactose intolerent his pediatrician said to give him Goat milk. He says that is the closest thing to cow milk. My son is 16 months also. I too am not a fan of soy - my brother-in-law is an internist he says soy has too much estrogen for boys.

J.,
Have you talked to your pediatrician about this? Honestly, just because one child has a specific allergy, does not mean that the next child witll. For instance, my sister is allergic to penicillin and has been since she was a little little girl, I did become allergic to penicillin, but not until i was an adult. I would try to keep the 16 month old on regular milk for now and just watch really closely. Otherwise, maybe try the rice milk that you have been using for your older child. I know you said that you are not a big fan of the soy milk, but the brand SILK has a chocolate soy milk that is actually quiet tasty, I think. (I have not tried any other types of soy milk or flavors). I hope this helps some how. Good luck to you and your family!

both my kids are non milk kidos.. it stinnks! we do soy milk for both of them. i know you are not a fan what about goats milk?! also there is almond milk!

Almond milk is high in calcium as is brocolli. Look for other ways to get the calcium.

I wish I had known a long time ago about milk. It is not necessary or good for humans to have. Visit www.notmilk.com

A serving of pinto beans contains more calcium than a serving of milk. You can make it yourself or purchase organic vegetarian refried beans. They are great with a little smear of avocado on top. My daughter loved (actually still does) them.

J.,

My daughter is allergic to milk and has been since birth. Her pediatrician told me just to give her apple juice, watered down. Another sign for milk allergy is purple under the eyes like when you or i get tired. I did give her soy milk for her first 10 months. She is now eleven years old and healthy. Just talk to your daughters pediatrician.

I was allergic to milk too as a kid.. I didnt find out until I was 5 though.. when I went into shock! It was crazy.. anyway...

First this is just a thought but I use to drink Lactaid. It sounds nasty but it really isnt that bad. Especially with cereal.. you barely can tell the difference.. just a suggestion.

The other thing is..after we found out I was allergic to milk we soon found out I was allergic to 175 other things too..you name it I was allergic to it.. but in regards to the milk allergy.. I wanted to for warn you that if at any time in your kids life he drinks anything with neuta sweet (I am sure I spelled that wrong) in it.. it is a milk product. I use to drink Diet Coke like crazy and then found out that neutra sweet was made with dry milk.. just an FYI!

I dont know how serious his reactions are.. but I took allergy shots for a while and I am not longer allergic to ANYTHING! ITS AMAZING! They arent like actual shots they just barely go under the skin ... thats my last suggestion.. good luck!

Hi J., I didn't read all of the post, so not sure if someone suggested Goats milk? My son was allergic to milk protein, not lactose intolerance. The Goats milk has no hormones but has the same calcium as cow's milk. The colories and fat are little lower than cow's milk however. Walmart and Krogers now carry it as does Wholefoods. So I breastfeed my son for 1 year (we discovered his allergies at 8 weeks) and then switched to the goats milk at 1 year old. It comes in liquid and powder(just add water) which is great for traveling. Hope that helps

If your baby has a milk allergy, it will show. If she doesn't, it won't be an issue... my oldest is SUPER lactose intolerant. Just a little bit of dairy and he poops like he has rotovirus.

My two year old - not a problem. So there's two different kinds of milk in my fridge.

S.

My sister's midwife told her to mix rice milk and goat's milk together. It worked well for my nephew. Also, when my 4.5yr old lost weight due to soy products(and a milk allergy) I put him on straight goat's milk and it helped him ALOT!! Hope this helps. You can find goat's milk at your local grocery store.

try organic soy milk from cosco

Both of my sons have milk allergies. We give them both soy milk and soy dairy products. I have a 4 year old and a 19 month old. You can get them allergy tested - blood test is typical for the younger ones and my oldest just had his skin prick test last week. I know that the soy is sufficient for clacium, but I would ask your pedi about the rice milk. Did you have your oldest allergy tested or did your doctor just assume that this was the problem? We see Dr. Tanna in Fort Worth and he is FABULOUS! He also did immunology testing on my oldest and discovered that his Prevnar vaccination did not take. I would be certain that your get both children allergy tested. Just because one has the allergy does not mean that the other will. Good luck and PM me if you have any questions...we have been dealing with the allergy issues for a while!
****Just a side note - lactose intolerance is COMPLETELY different from a true milk allergy. Also, pediasure is a milk based product, so don't do that!

broccoli, spinach, calcium fortified oj, even 1/4 of a TUMS

Hi J.. I'm not sure if being Lactose Intolerate is the same as a milk allergy. But my son has been lactose intolerate I guess since birth. After trying the soy milks and such, (which he did not like) his doctor recommended Lactaid Milk. Which tastes like milk itself. Good luck w/ this issue.
God Bless.

My daughter will be 3 next week. We have given her Rice Milk (original enriched) since she was 14 months old. We have not seen any issues with her not getting enough calcium. She is allergic to milk, eggs, and nuts. I would not recommend almond milk as some have suggested, due to the nut allergies that can sometimes go hand-in-hand with milk allergies. Keep close tabs on any symptoms your child may have when you change their milk - dark circles under the eyes, lips swell, hives, hyperactivity - these can all be signs of an allergy. Good luck!

Try GOAT milk...many times they can handle goat milk
it is better suited for our digeestive systems. It
could be he would do ok with it as opposed to cow milk.
May be worth a try. Not sure now where you can get
goat milk..they have gotten it so restricted on buying
from individuals anymore which is a shame. Hunt around
and see if you can find someone who you may be able to
buy some from..and warning..it isnt cheap. I raised my
son on fresh milked goat milk when I couldnt nurse and
he was healthy as a horse...never sick..and fed good
vegetables ,natural diet..no junk. He has never had
any child illneses..I can count on onehand the timee he
has ever been sick and he is 16 now.
T.

Hi J.,

My son vomited and broke out in hives from cow's milk. We switched to goat's milk (available in the refrigerated section of Whole foods, carton not the can) and a calcium/vitamin fortified Soy milk. We blend them together for him in equal proportions and it has been working well. When he gets older we'll give him Calcium fortified almond milk by Blue Diamond that's what we drink and it's delicious.

How about goat milk?? Check into it, your son could just have an allergy to cow milk. Goat milk is much easier to digest and great for sensitive stomachs. I have stared my son out with goat milk vs cow milk on advice from a nutritionist and will introduce cow milk after he turns 2.

We have cow's milk allergies here, we use goat's milk occasionally. However, I just didn't wean until closer to two years. I know it's a hassle to have them that old and still nursing twice a day, but it's the cheapest way to keep dairy in their diet. If you have a good pump you could give it to them in a cup if you'd prefer.

Our son has a milk allergy as well. We give him Goat's milk. It's not as easy to find, but you can usually get it at Whole Foods, Central Market, Sprouts and some Krogers. It tastes pretty much the same and we noticed a huge different right away.

i would have the dr test her. im told its a simple blood test. cows milk will be the best for her if she can handle it

Whatever you decide, I think you should run it by the pedi first. Good luck!

Goat's milk is great! YOu can get it in the same section of the grocery store as the milk (get the full fat, she still needs it). It tastes great, and it's the closest thing to breast milk and doesn't carry the same allergic reaction. At 16 months she's already eating other foods so you don't have to add extra carbs to it. I bet your son would enjoy it too! I you want to get more bang for your buck, you can get it dried in a can. Mix 8 scoops with 2 bottles of water (reg. size 16 oz.). I doesn't taste as fresh, but she won't know the difference. My son loves it. Meyenburg in the purple and white carton/can is the only brand out their right now. You usually can find the fresh in most grocery stores, but the canned is found at Whole foods, Sprouts, vitamin shoppe.

My nephew was allergic to soy and milk, his parents used goat milk. It is more expensive, but you should be able to find it at any grocery store. FYI a lot of kids outgrow their milk allergy as my nephew did, now he loves milk.

Goat's milk all the way. It is chemically different from cow's milk and much easier for humans to digest. My 2yo couldn't drink cows milk for a while (she's grown out of her sensitivity to it) and the goat's milk was a life saver. Rice milk and soy milk do not have enough fat in them for a baby that age. But I would definitely get the fresh milk in the carton and not the dried milk to reconstitute - we tried that and I thought that it was awful but the fresh milk is good. I was able to find it at Target and most other grocery stores as well as Sprouts. Good luck!

How about goats' milk? It has worked great for this family!

My son is 5 and highly, highly allergic to milk. We took him to an allergist to discover that it was an allergy and not an intolerance. It makes a huge difference in what you can give your kids. It's unusual to hear about a child who suddenly became allergic to milk at that age but I'm sure it could happen. Usually kids outgrow it by that age (although we are the exception). Have you had him tested to make sure it isn't a lactose thing?

There is no guarantee that your 16 month old will be milk allergic and I would not treat her as if she is unless you have reason to suspect otherwise. Has she shown any problems in tolerating your breast milk? Has she had any problems with the foods you are giving her?

If you have reason to suspect that she might be I would take her to an allergist. We have a great one if you need a name. If not, honestly, I would let her have milk. If you don't want to do that you might do well to consult with a nutritionist. Your pediatrician should be able to give you a referral.

I would absolutely get your son to an allergist and get to the bottom of his allergy situation. If he's lactose intolerant instead of allergic you have tons more food choices.

Good luck!

I have three children and only one is allergic to milk. I wouldn't worry about your younger one having the allergy until you have symptoms appear...they probably never will! I would go ahead with normal dairy until you know you have a problem.

VickiS.

Dear J.,

NAET(allergy elimination technique)will help your 4yr old son with milk allergy.
I am an NAET practitioner and we have been able to eliminate any form of allergy for all age groups.
You can read more about it by going to NAET website:
www.naet.com

Please feel free to contact our office for more information
at: ###-###-####

F.

Sometimes just switching to organic will solve the problem. Or at least buying a brand that does not have artificial hormones. Schepps says on the label that it is free of hormones and Horizon is an organic brand available at most grocery stores.

Try goat's milk---it does wonders and is very nutritious---You little boy should be able to drink that also----

ME: Mom 0f 2, grandmother of 3 and friend of a lady whose sister has a goat farm---so I have heard of goat's milk for years---people come from all over to get milk from her (she lives in Denton) but you can get it other places also!

Try goat milk. As I worked out breastfeeding issues I needed to supplement. I tried soy formula first. The soy gave my son horrible gas and constipation. Our ped. said try goat milk. It works great. I still use it for his cereal if I haven't pumped. They sell it in powder form, which my little guy like least or by the quart at Vitamins place in Drug Imp., Walmart, Kroger and Albertsons, not Target. Its all natural unlike what is in formulas. Check it out. Good luck.

J.,

I have a daughter on a dairy-free (casein-free) diet and she drinks a milk I make from a powder called Dairy-Free. It can only be mail ordered. Check it out at www.vancesfoods.com. It has the same nutritional value as dairy milk but lacks the fat content. She's been drinking it for 5 years (since her second birthday) and is very healthy. There is also a chocolate version which my older daughter (who can drink and loves dairy milk) absolutely loves. The Dairy-Free version is her chocolate milk of choice. Our experience with both has been good.

Both of my kids are lactose intolerant. Our pedi told us to try Lactaid. It has all of the benefits of milk without the problems of milk. You may just ask your doctor to see what they think.

We have done rice milk with our kids. When they were weaned, we supplemented their fats with an Omega 3 oil. You can purchase them at Herb Mart, Whole Foods or Mikes Health Collection. They usually have a flavor added to them. We put a tablespoon in their juice and shake it up. Our doctor was absolutely fine with this. We also gave them the whole milk yogurt (with the cultures in it, it did not seem to bother them). You will have to try and see if you can do that as well. Good Luck!

Have you tried Goat's Milk?? You can usually find it at grocery stores in the section with the milks. It has a different makeup than cow's milk. Also, what kind of milk are you giving your baby? Have you tried organic milk? It could be she is allergic to the chemicals they put in the cow, ie.. anitbiotics, growth hormones, pesticides etc.. Try Horizon Organic. it is without the use of antibiotics, growth hormones or pesticides. You can even buy it at WalMart. Hope that helps.

There are lactose free products to replace the milk. My brother's family loves the Silk Soy Milk and I recently had to get it and try it with my nephew and niece and it is great. My niece loves the extra vanilla one. Also, they use light country crock marjorine cause it doesnt't have the milk products. When the kids are having something with dairy they chew a chewable fast acting lactaid tablet that helps their little bodies. Ask restaurants not to put butter on the pancakes or cook with it to use olive oil on pasta. Hope this helps. A.

I agree with the poster who says we don't need milk. The focus is really the result of a marketing campaign. Anyway almond milk and potato milk called darifree are both available.

J.,
When I was preparing to wean my daughter from breast milk I heard and read that goat's milk is very nutritious. It can be kind of costly if you have a heavy drinker like I do. It's worth looking into since you're having problems with dairy.

My kid's were lactose intolerant an babies and my daughter couldn't digest the soy either. She was on special formula the 1st year of her life and as a toddler and now a teenager won't drink milk. My son was breastfed and as a toddler wouldn't drink milk, soy or dairy. Our pediatrician told us to give calcium fortified juice, snacks that were calcium fortified and tums or viactin calcium chews. Since this was many years ago, you might check with your pediatrician and see what the recommend these days.
Jen D.-Frisco

I also agree Goat's Milk We gave it to my son now 3.

Get the book: Don't Drink Your Milk

You can google it for the author.

It explains that humans are the only animals that continue to give milk to their young after weaning. Milk is not really necessary. It will explain what you can give her to supplement calcium, etc.

I hope it helps. :o)

Blessings,

P. <><

I've heard that orange juice is just as high in calcium as milk. But they need the fat from whole milk until they are 2years.

Hi! My daughter is on Rice milk, and she has been since she was 13 months, she is now 5!!! She has Galactosemia, and cant have any dairy. Not being a fan of soy myself, I tried the rice milk and just stuck with it. I just make sure she takes her daily vitamin to insure sufficient nutrients! I hope this helps!

I have three in my family that are allergic to dairy and we use the goat milk. It is a great substitution as well in recipes.

Hi J., have you thought about goats milk? You can buy it at the store in cans. 30-40 yrs ago before there was soy, babies with milk allergies were put on goats milk.It is high in protein.

Try goat's milk. They even sell it at my Kroger. My dd gets eczema anytime she has uncultured cows milk or milk products. After doing research I decided to try goat's milk. It does not make her eczema flair up.

Do you know that humans are the only mammals to drink milk after they are weaned? I don't think that you need to give your kids any milk. My son is lactose intollerant and has an intollerance to soy. We do eat on occasion some ice cream, but I don't make my children drink any milk products. Calcium and vitamin D are found in many other sources including orange juice. I try to keep them away from anything with additional sugar added, but we drink lots of water as well.

There is always Rice Milk, but personally, I am completely satisfied by not giving my kids any milk drinks.

Was your 4 yr. old constipated?

Goat's milk. Sounds discusting, and strange, although when my friends kids had a milk allergy, they started giving them goats milk and they can drink that and get the calcium they need without any reaction. I don't know what the difference is, although I know it works. You can find it at any supermarket, although my friend lives in the country and decided to buy milk goats instead of continuing to buy the market milk. More power to her, I won't own a goat. You might want to ask your doctor about it and see what he/she thinks. Hope this helps.
A.

I agree to stay away from soy products. Soy contains an estrogen-like substance that I don't think is good for babies (especially girl babies).

Have you tried Goat Milk? I've read that many people who have cow's milk allergies can have goat milk. You can get it at Sprouts, and there is a farm here in Keller that sells fresh organic goat milk: Homestead Farms. (its a fun place to take the kids, Farmer Michael is very nice and will answer any questions they may have). He also sometimes has fresh eggs, gorgeous grass fed organic beef, and produce. The goats are healthy and well treated. http://www.sbrowning.net/homestead/

Also try cultured dairy products like Kefir and Yogurts. The culturing process breaks down a lot of the milk sugars that cause tummy problems. And the probiotics contained in them (the good bacteria) might help his tummy out. My three year old just LOVES Kefir, its a yogurt like drink. You can get Kefir at Kroger (by the organic dairy in the produce area) and also at Sprouts. It is made from cow's milk, so go easy if you try it out. YOur son might even be able to have a little of this, since the allergenic compounds are usually broken down by the fermentation process.

Other good sources of calcium are green leafy vegetables and broccoli, goat cheeses like feta, and there's always vitamins. More resources are here: http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfile68e.stm#hf003
Humans are the only mammals who drink milk after they are weaned. I don't think there's a biological need for it, and there's lots of other ways to get calcium (but getting kids to drink milk is easier than getting them to eat kale, swiss chard and broccoli!).

Also, be sure your kids are getting at least 10 minutes of sunlight exposure each day, without sunscreen. With sunlight, our bodies make our own vitamin D. It helps with calcium absorption (and a host of other things). Cows milk is vitamin D fortified, so if they aren't taking the cow's milk, you'll want to be sure they make the vitamin D naturally.

Hope that helps your little guys out!

My son is 5 months old and is allergic to milk. I didn't find out until I took a dirty diaper to his pedi. They checked it for blood and found some. It was sent out to a lab to check it. You might see if they can help you that way and maybe get it early. I know my pedi said if you stop the dairy early then they might out grow it.

YOu can go to your ped and get a RAST Test (blood test) done to see if he has dairy allergies.
Rice milk, unless is the enriched kind, does not have enough calcium. Also, it does not have fat that is needed for your child's development. Consult your ped about it or get a dietician or nutrisionist

Dairy is NOT the only way to get calcium.

First, I recommend you visit an allergist for a RAST test for your son. That is the best way to determine that what your son has is an allergy or lactose intolerance. There's a significant difference. PLEASE do not skip this.

My oldest, 5, has a dairy allergy. She was diagnosed at 1. We've been giving her enriched rice milk (be sure what you're getting is enriched!) since the diagnosis. Between that, the occasional multi-vitamin, and lots of veggies (which she loves, fortunately) she's been fine-growth is normal, dentist says teeth look fine, etc. We get orange juice with calcium, hershey's syrup with calcium (we add it to our rice milk for a treat-you need to check whether it will work for you) and whatever else we can find.

My 2-year old daughter is not allergic. She gets little bits of dairy from time to time. We introduced it just like you do baby food-a little at a time with no new foods for a few days. She drinks rice milk because of spills, but she enjoys cheese and other bites from time to time. She, too, is thriving.

As for people who recommend goats milk...I understand that some of the proteins in goats milk can still trigger a true allergic reaction in those allergic to cow's milk. I'd be very, very careful going that route for your son.

The big worry I had with #2 was that cross-contamination. If she gets dairy while sister is around, she gets lots of handwashing, tables get scrubbed, etc.

J.,

I haven't read all the responses, so Almond Milk may have already been mentioned. It tastes a lot like milk and comes in different flavors like vanilla and chocolate. I'd check with your doctor before giving it to your baby though.

My son was allergic to milk and soy from birth. When he was about one year old I discovered the wonderful world of accupressure (no needles, no drugs). We did one treatment for milk/dairy/calcium and he has been drinking milk ever since. He's 4 1/2 now and has never had an adverse reaction since we had the treatment. I think it's more efficient to get rid of the problem than keep working around it, but that's me. Most medical doctors (including mine) don't realize or won't admit that accupressure works, but it does.

If you want some references, let me know.

If your 4 yr ds has blood in his stool - then the RAST (Immunocap) WILL NOT detect his allergy - if he is having gastrointestinal symptoms, then that is not the right test for him. Reaction trumps test! If you see a reaction - then go w/ that.

I'm in agreement w/ the poster(s) who mentioned looking up why people shouldn't drink cows milk. For convenience sake - it's ok to give both the kids enriched rice milk.

My 6 yr old outgrew his dairy allergy, but he still drinks rice milk since he has been on that for so long that the cows milk tastes "weird" to him. My almost 4 year old is still allergic to milk and has been drinking rice milk since he was 10 months old (which in many ways is too early - but he had allergic reactions to nutramigen).

The enriched rice dream has as much calcium as most cow milks, and honestly it's better for a human body than cows milk. My almost 4 yr old is also allergic to soy, so we don't do soy products either.

If you decide to not give your 16 month old dairy along w/ your 4 year old, make sure you are checking for "whey" and "casein" as well. Lactose free is not the same as dairy free. Also don't be fooled by "non-dairy whipped cream" or things like that - it's dairy!

I actually wish I could get my older two off of cows milk! But they've been drinking it all their lives and are used to it :)

Rice milk is also great in recipes, we make everything w/ it so my youngest can eat it also - breads, muffins, cakes, mashed potatoes, potato soup, etc - all w/ rice milk. The only thing we can't make w/ it is cook and serve pudding and bread/rice pudding (they won't set w/ the rice milk).

Good luck to you!

try pediasure or Wal-Mart has a generic brand. It comes in different flavors.

Good morning J.,
My daughter has recently been diagnosed with autism. But every disorder these days seem to all have symptoms of autism. She had a food allergy test so we would know exactly if she was allergic to any foods before her doctor would put her on a gluten/casien free diet. She ended up not being allergic to cows milk but was allergic to 13 other food products that turned out she was eating / drinking since birth like soy , wheat, peas, mustard etc. Her doctor informed her to drink rice, goat or almond milk . Almond is strong so it needs to be watered down. Rice works better for my daughter. It seems to be easier on her stomach and has extremely helped her reflux. I give her flinstone vitamins to give her back what she is not able to take in. I highly recommend a food allergy test b/c it may not be just the milk that is causing your concerns for it may be within what he is eating as well. But if you feel changing the milk is what caused this moms know best + your pediatrican recommend it was the milk :) Hope you have a great day and hope everything goes well with your son :)

I have 2 kids that drink Rice Milk. One since 18 months old and the other since a year old. i just make sure to get the Rice Milk that says it is enriched with Vitamins A, D, B12 and Calcium. My Pediatrician said that was fine.

Personally, I don't think dairy is necessary. Most alternative milks are fortified with Calcium and Vitamin D. There are Almond Milks, Rice (which you are already familiar with) various nutmilks, and of course soy.

Vegetables that are dark green have significant amounts of calcium. OJ can be fortified with Calcium. Unprocessed sesame seeds have a lot of calcium and can be added to baked goods. Surprisingly, a lot of beans are high in calcium as well. Dried agar, a thickening agent and carob powder contain a lot of calcium. Other foods with calcium include: figs, rhubarb, blackstrap molasses,spinach, collards, canned sardines, oysters, almonds, oatmeal...

If you do a little research, you'll find that there are a lot of calcium sources beyond cow milk.

Besides, where do cows get it from? The food they eat, grains and grasses.

My 14 month old has a milk allergy. He was diagnosed by blood test at 6 months when he stopped gaining weight. He was EBF at the time, but I was a heavy milk drinker. I weaned him at 1 year but had to exclude all dairy from my diet until he was fully weaned. There is a quick blood test that can be given to check for all major food allergens, but in our case even when he was nursing there were signs.

Also, our ped recommended Calcium Fortified OJ. It is safe for them to drink at 1 year. According to our doc, the calcium in the OJ is better absorbed than that in soy milk so we give him both.