Looking for Soy Formula Alternative

Hi J.:

I still nurse my 9-month-old, but I had an emergency appendectomy 3 months ago and was never quite able to get my milk back on par. (Pumping at work doesn't help either -- not quite the same as a baby....) So I like to make sure with the occasional bottle of formula that my son is getting enough to eat. Although I have found that I still usually do produce enough milk for him, it makes me less stressed to "double-check".

My mom used a goat's milk-based formula for all five kids in our family -- it was what our pediatrician used for his kids. My mom breastfed all of us for 3 to 6 months, then switched us to formula, except for me. She was hospitalized with a blood clot when I was 2 weeks old, so I did just fine on a goat's milk formula from almost the very beginning.

She used a product called Enzilac (sp?) which was delivered to our door in Chicago. I doubt that product is still around, but my mom still swears by goat's milk formulas. I know that goat's milk has less lactose than cow's milk. It does require additional iron in the formula, but most other formulas do too....

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

My daughter also has allergies to milk, it can be hard, hang in there.
I would recommend uping your milk production, by pumping and taking fenugreek and blessed thistle. There is also a drug called domperidone, you have to get it from Canada, but it works wonders.
You can take your expressed milk and put in those over the counter lactose intolerant pills, just let it sit and most the lactase in your milk will be broken down. Then you can feed it to him through lactation aid at the breast (this will help produce more milk too) or in a bottle. Then you will know how much he is getting.
I would assume he is on solids now also? You could try, more protein and fatty foods such as avacados or ground up chicken. This might help boost his weight a little.
As long as he is healthy and happy, you are doing great.

Have you tried the hypo-allergenic formulas? My daughter, now 14 months, was also allergic to dairy and wouldn't take soy. I BF until 9 months, when I dried up. We used Similac Alimentum and she took it just fine (the only one she would). Try the hypoallergenic formulas (also Enfamil Neutrogamin) and see if you have luck there. To start you out, ask your dr. for samples to see if your son will take them.

Children come a wide range of sizes, and being below the growth curve doesn't necessarily mean sickly or abnormal. My son was small, too. And he grew into a healthy young man. My advice: Leave the boy on breast milk and do those things for yourself that help produce a bountiful milk supply: rest, eat well, plenty of fluids, reduce your stress level, etc. Best of luck!

My son is allergic to milk and soy. He is also small for his age, in comparison to his sister who was always in the 90th percentile. I have tried giving him rice milk - or horchata - but he didn't care for it too well. After looking at the cost for other "milks" - he drinks mostly water. He has been very healthy - including his short time in daycare. I would just try different things (almond milk also), and if he likes it - great. If not, try something else. Before you buy in bulk, however, make sure he REALLY likes it. I bought rice milk in bulk for my son, at about the same time he stopped drinking it. I have several cases left.

Try mixing the Soy formula with breast milk and then decrease the amount of breast milk and increase the formula until he accepts it. Maybe try a different brand. Hives can be an indication of fodd allergy not just lactose intolerance. I would get this further evaluated with a pediatric allergist. I would avoid goat's milk if there is a dairy allergy as the make up is very similar and there is a high likelyhood of more hives. I have a child with multiple food allergies (dairy as one) that started with hives.

My daughter has been allergic to dairy based formulas since she was 4 months old. At the same time we also found out she was allergic to soy as well! We tried the formula called Nutramigen and it has been the only thing that she could tolerate. They generally have it in most grocery stores or Walmart. Although it is a little bit pricey, about $28 a can. We would go through 2 cans in a week, so you can imagine it gets expensive. I know that in some cases WIC will give up to 10 cans in a month, something to think about. I've heard goats milk is great as long as the child is eating a regular diet to get all of the nutrition. Also in stores they sell rice milk, again not as cheap as milk. But with a kid with food allergies you have to find what works and get it no matter what the cost.

Look into Raw Cow's Milk. It is much easier to digest even for those who are lactose intolerant. I was sceptical at first, but i did a lot of research and now our whole family drinks raw milk. Great resourses are: http://www.westonaprice.org and http://www.realmilk.com

Jennifer,

In my opinion, you should find a formula that your son can tolerate if you are going to wean. 8 months is WAY too young to go to straight goats milk. There is a good article here about the topic http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032400.asp

My son is allergic to dairy and soy. There are hypoallergenic formulas you can get at the grocery store. There is both Nutramigen and Alimentum. If he can't tolerate those, there are "more" hypoallergenic ones you can special order. They are Neocate and Elecare. Personally I think weaning him is a bad idea. I've been completely dairy and soy free for my son for over a year now (he's 14 months). He's only now starting to be able to tolerate goat's milk (the proteins are still similar to cow's milk and there is no guarantee your babe will tolerate it). Both of my kids have been on the small side (absolute bottom of the growth chart). As long as they are otherwise healthy, act satisfied and are reaching their developmental milestones, that may just be what is normal and natural for them. You really should talk to your pediatrician before making an big nutritional changes at 8 months old.

:-)T.

My son is allergic to cow's milk and so he drinks goat's milk. He's an extremely picky 10 year old...if he likes goat's milk it must be pretty good. We use it to make homemade yogurt, cook his oatmeal in it. One of his favorite things is warmed goat's milk with a touch of vanilla and honey. I've also made ice-cream with it and used it in baking. You can find it in WildOats or WholeFoods...you can also find some really good cheeses made from goat's milk (not just the typical "soft" log-style cheese). Just this morning we had Goat Brie (absolutely delicious) and Goat Cheddar. I used goat's milk and sharp goat's cheddar to make a really awesome mac and cheese. But if your son is "dairy" intolerant, doesn't that also include goat's milk? I would check with your doc first.

J.,

I like the ideas that people have posted. I would add almond milk to the items already mentioned; you can purchase it at the health food store or make it yourself. I have a good recipe for it on my website www.elanaspantry.com.

Hope this helps and good luck.

E.

Hi there - My daughter seems to be lactose intolerant and I gave her the Lactose Free formula, and now I give her the Lactose Free Milk they sell. Not sure if maybe your son is allergic to all dairy, or just to the lactose...but that's what worked for me! You could try actual soy milk too - my nephew who is also lactose intolerant LOVES it! I'm sure it tastes better than the soy formula. Good luck!

I highly recommend La Leche League. Please go to http://www.lllusa.org/ and click on Find a Local Group. You will find a very loving and supportive group of mothers who will have useful suggestions for you. Bring your daughter to the meetings as well because there will be other children her age there.

Maybe you could rent a baby scale and weigh him before and after feedings? Then you would know how much he is taking in.

Or, you could pump between feedings (or first thing in the morning, that is when my supply was always highest) and give him the bottles later, since you know he likes and tolerates your milk. Your supply would catch up with the pumpings within a few days.

Just a couple other suggestions!

My daughter has been on whole goats milk for almost a year now for the same reason. I buy the Myenberg Ultra-Pasturised Whole Goats Milk, you can find it at both Smith's and WHole Food's. She absolutely loves it, is thriving and has done great at maintaining her weight.
The only thing I did at the recommendation of our family practice doctor was lightly boil it before giving it to her. Daries are not the cleanest places and even being ultra-pasturised you never know. To make my life easier I just bought a couple of glass pitchers with lids and would do a couple of containers at a time. We did this for the first four or five months and then stopped.
Good luck & feel free to email me if you have any questions!
J.

Oh and ps...the goats milk can also be bought in powdered form and mixed exactly the same as formula!

Try Nutramigen. It is made by Enfamil. 3 of my 4 children had to be on it and did great. Also get your son tested for allergies,if he is not allergic, he may outgrow this problem with he hives between 1 & 1/2, due to his digestive system maturing. This happened with 2 of the 3 tht were on Nutramigen and then they were able to drink milk. Good luck!

I agree with the previous poster who suggested Similac Alimentum. It worked for us when my little one could not tolerate milk-based or soy. It is a bit more expensive, but it is worth it.

J.,
The ideal milk is breast milk. Wean him when he is ready. I am sure he is getting enough milk but talk to the Dr. or Vitamin Cottage has a nutritionist on staff for free consultation. Rice milk is a great choice also. It tastes good and has enriched vitamins in it. I have 2 children in that boat and they learn to adjust.
C. B

My daughter has been raised on goats milk since she was about a week or two. Dr. Sears really endorses goats milk for children and even has a recipe to make it into a formula for babies(askdrsears.com). The reasons that whole milk is not suitable for babies is because humans just naturally do not tolerate it. Formula is broken down to be digestible. Goats milk does not have that problem. In other countries you can get goats milk formula, but in the U.S., the only reason why goats milk is not considered suitable is because cow milk is such a profitable industry. Can you imagine if the FDA allowed people to say that goats milk was the next best alternative to breast milk? the dairy farmers would go bankrupt.
A big reason why goats milk is better that formula is that it has cholesterol. No baby formula contains cholesterol. However it is an important nutrient for brain development. It is also necessary for the body to learn to process cholesterol while a child is young, so that they dont have bad cholesterol issues when they grow up.
My daughter, who is 18 MO, is perfectly healthy and average in height and weight.

You've got a lot of great advice. I chose to give my adopted son raw cow's milk and many have told me that goat's milk is easier to digest and now we all drink almond milk. BE CAREFUL WITH SOY (ESPECIALLY WITH BOYS) I recommend you do your research as there are many side-effects with the way soy is processed to make milk and other products.

Best wishes and Merry Christmas,
C.~

http://www.TotalWellnessInfo.com

I would call National Jewish. They are one of the nation's best for allergies, and you can call their number 24 hours a day: ###-###-####. You do not have to be a patient to ask a question. My son is a patient there, and is allergic to milk, eggs, wheat, nuts, tree nuts, and more...! {:-]

You need to be careful about exposing him to milk if he is allergic. The goal is zero exposure, to give him a chance of outgrowing the allergy. I think most doctors do not recommend goat's milk as a substitute for a baby.

My son is almost 2 and still on Neocate formula (our insurance covers it). It is made of milk, but it is very broken down (it is called an elemental formula), so that the body does not recognize it as milk. The formula has all of the vitamins he needs. One other factor is calcium. A lack of it is a factor in stunted growth.

There's a great study at National Jewish that we're in. Your son can be in it, since he is allergic to milk. Let me know if you're interested, and I'll send you the info. They'll test him every 6 months and pay you $50 for each visit. It is a great way to stay on top of their allergies.