Seeking Advice on Formula

Hi J.,

I have a 6-month old baby and we started her on Similac, which also constipated her. I decided to try the Enfamil Lipil and she does much better on that. I don't know if that will help your little one, but maybe it's worth a shot!

B.

Hi J.,

It sounds like you have received some good advice already but I wanted to add my thoughts and suggestions. I tend to agree with a former response about avoiding soy as much as possible and would also recommend the westonaprice.org and Nurishing Traditions book. Mercola.com is also a good reference. Once I weaned my son from breast milk, I transitioned him to goat's milk doctored up with a good probiotic, folic acid and fish oil. The goat milk molecules are closer to the size of human breast milk and tends to be better tolerated. You can get a qt of goat's milk at Trader Joe's for 2.99. It pricier than cow's milk and over the counter formulas but well worth it because in my experience it led to a happy baby who had a healthy, regular digestive system. Goo Luck!

All 3 of my children were lactose intolerant (1 still is at 2 1/2 yrs old) and had to be on soy based formula. I never heard that soy was bad for them from their doctors either. There are 2 things that I can suggest. 1 is that it may be she can't handle the iron. My oldest son had contipation problems still after switching to soy, but not as bad as while he was on milk-based formula. We made sure to give him a bottle a day of just water and sometimes had to use glycrine suppositories. I was a new mother and no one had suggested to me he may just have needed a low-iron formula. The other is that you may have to switch to Nutramigen. It is expensive, but if it is the only formula that works, some insurances will pay for it if the doctor gives a prescription. I know a few moms that had to put their babies on this because they couldn't tolerate anything else. Good luck!

You need to get her on enzymes and probiotics to help her digest and stop gas build up!!!(this are two key ingredients in breast milk) Or look for a good Homeopath to assist you on this issue!!!And the added IRON makes it worse!!!

Love, G.. :0)
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"I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin." ~ Jerry Newport

My experience was like Lisa T's. She said her doctor recommended Dark Karo. So did mine. Yes, it worked! There was a time when I would put 2 ounces instead of 1 1/2. After we got our daughter going good, we kept it up until she was off the bottle. Keep trying, don't give up.

Have you tried to water it down or warm it up? If that doesn't work, try some "solids". There are some foods like smoked salmon that are okay to feed babies, and in fact very good for them. It might sound like it would make things worse but if there is something in the formula that just isn't working, then reduce it and supplement. Can't hurt to try. I assume you have tried gripe water etc.

Soy formula typically dehydrates the body. It's difficult to digest, but then again any formula is because it's synthetic.
I personally don't like Nestle ANYTHING because of the underhanded practices they have in 3rd world countries.

try adding prune juice to the formula, start with an oz. and see if you need more. Now my baby is on cows milk (14 months) and I still have to add about an oz once or twice a day for consipation. Good luck.
M.

my pediatrician said that soy can cause constipation. With the okay from your doctor, you may try regular goodstart and add 1 extra ounce of water to a couple of the bottles a day, with the same amount of formula. Also, ask about using probiotics--goodstart sells some with it in the green can but, you get much more benefit from going to wholefoods and getting the probiotics for children in the frig. section. this really helps to regualte the digestive tract.

Your daughter is probably allergic to cows milk protein and soy protein. Forty percent of kids who cannot have cmp cannot have soy either. This is different from the sugar (lactose) in the formula. Humans are the only mammal to drink another mammals milk...no wonder we can't digest it without problems. I am currently breastfeeding my 2 month old and she also cannot tolerate any cows milk protein in my diet. My 2 1/2 year old has been on goat milk since she was one. No problems at all with constipation unless she is at someones house and accidentally gets some food with milk in it. Then we have constipation problems. They both have reflux and since being off of cmp, we have had no problems at all! I would put your daughter on a hydrolosate formula such as Nutramigen or Alimentum. These are not cmp or soy based formulas and the proteins are already partially "digested" so it is much easier for the stomach to digest it. The difference between the two is Alimentum has no corn protein in it and Nutramigen does. Of course, discuss this with your pediatrician. Your daughter is too young to use normal therapies such as extra water, juice or syrup in the diet...do not let him tell you that it is okay. Lastly, check for a red ring around her anus...this is a sign of inflammation in the bowel from allergens. If you notice it then chances are pretty high that the soy is irritating her whole digestive tract thus slowing down the motility in her bowel. If the motility is slow, the body absorbes all the water thus causing constipation. If you switch to a non-cows milk/non soy formula the redness will disapear with all the gas and constipation. Good luck!

My suggestion and what worked for me was infant massage. It worked wonders for my children. I was introduced as my Aunt is an instructor. Definitley look it up and see what you think. Also mylicon drops and chamomile tea were my best freind. I would make the tea and do half formula and half tea or just give my son tea in a bottle and it HELPED big time with his gas. Its very calming and soothing. Goodluck.
S.

J.,

I would switch to Similac with DHA &ARA. It comes in a blue can and it is the only formula that my son was able to handle-- he had really bad tummy issues too. Give it a try~ Good luck.

M.

Hi J.,

I had the same problem with not producing enough milk for my son. I used the similac and it ould make him so gassy. The pediatrician gave me a sample of the enfamil nutramigen (sp?) and that worked for him until he started drinking milk. Mylicon works too to help with gas. I would also push his legs to his chest or move his legs in a bicycle motion to help him get relief.

Good luck!

H.

I had the same problem and my doctor told me to start giving her a few ounces of prune or apple juice between feedings and it worked great! good luck

Please take your daughter off of soy formula, it is incredibly bad for her. Soy causes all sorts of hormonal problems, intestinal problems and it blocks nutrients from being absorbed. I have a much better solution. Buy a book called, "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon and in there are recipes for what is best to feed your daughter. In the meantime, go to westonaprice.org and type in baby formula in the search and there should be some good information and recipes that you could use right away.

M. S.

Hi,
I had the same problem with my son who is now taking Good Start Soy Formula and still had very hard ball like stools. The Dr suggested Dark Karo Syrup 1/2 teaspoon mixed in his bottle twice a day. It seems to help just make sure you use the DARK syrup. Good luck! It is so hard to see them struggle...

Hi J.,
Interesting reading all these responses on formula. Here is my situation. When i was a baby I was allergic to milk base formula, dr told my parents to put me on soy. Im super healty adult and in great shape. When my first son was born I put him on the basic simulac after breastfeeding for 3 months. My milk supply was so low and he was not getting enough as he was 9lbs at birth. He was so unhappy on that formula. He went from sleeping through the night at 7 weeks to screaming all night. Dr told me to try Simulac Alimentum ready made. NIght and day. He stayed on that till 1yo. He did get constapated a lot so I would give him a glycerin suppository from time to time and it worked like a charm. Dr told me its really safe to give. He is a super healthy bright 2.5yo now. I have a 3 month old son that use to have major gas issues. I breastfed him for 2 months and put him right on the Simulac Alimentum ready made. He is worse then his big brother was with the gas and constipation. Dr told me to give him a little prune juice in a bottle or Kero corn syrup in the formula. Both of these work great. Formula all has a ton of iron in it which is why babies are constipated. Dr said the can go up to a week with no poop. I also give my baby pedilyte at times. My dr is big beliver of ready made formula's because if the powder base isn't mix correctly that too can cause baby digestive issues and discomfort. The formula game can get crazy. Call your dr if your still not sure.

Good luck. Enjoy the time, it goes by in the blink of an eye,

SAHM, 39 with a fun, happy 2.5yo son & 3mo son who is all smiles. Im blessed to be a full time mom. Love to cook, boating, waterskiing.

Formula is VERY hard for little babies. The marketers would have you believe differently. If you don't have any breastmilk left, you may just have to try as many brands of formula as you can before you find one that her tiny tummy can handle o.k. It will be a really hard process if you can't find the one that will work for her right away, or if there isn't one that will work for her. There are also milk banks in the Bay Area- you could purchase some breast milk just to give her relief for a few days while you continue experimenting.

Try Similac Sensitive - it is a milk-based formula that's lactose free. It's for gassy babies. My daughter started on it when she 2 months old until she was 12 months old. It's worth a try.

J.,

I would talk with her pediatrician to see if there could be other issues. For the gas you might to check out Mylicon (http://www.mylicon.com/) for infants.

Should you decide to use it I would also suggest that you try heating her sheets at night prior to putting her down. This will soothe her and help her sleep through the night.

Good Luck!!
Connie

Hi J.,
I had the same issue with my baby's formula. My baby is 4 1/2 mo. and I started him off with the regular stuff but changed him over to soy because his stomach was sensitive to the regular one. I give him Similac soy the one in the magenta colored can(they sell it @ Costco) and he took it really well. The only issue that I still have, is that his stool is sometimes hard almost like clay(it's because of the iron in the formula). What I've been doing for over 2mo. now to help him stay regular and so that it doesn't hurt him to go is that I give him a teaspoon of castor oil with his first bottle in the morning. He doesn't like it(who would) but I bought a bottle that has a syringe in the middle and while he's drinking his formula I push it in every few sips and he doesn't even know that he's taking it in! I bought it at Walgreens for $15 they have a cheaper one at Wallmart(for $10) but it doesn't work as well the $5.00 difference is worth it. I hope this helps your baby and makes you feel better knowing that she's not in pain anymore.
ps. the Dr. also told me to give him apple juice. You can give it to her on it's own or mix it in with the formula. My baby likes it both ways. If you put it in the formula and you give her for ex. 6 ounces, only give her 4 of water and the rest juice. Gerber sells it and it's cheap.
Good Luck!
~H.

Check with your doctor first, but you may need a low iron formula. We had very similar problems with my daughter (now 8). The iron constipated her terribly. Once we switched all was fine, and she is healthy and happy today.

There's a lot of different formulas to try. Just take it slow with the transitions from one to another. There is one called Nutrimigen (or at least there was 11 years ago) if your little one is lactose intolerant. Just keep trying.

I had to resort to goat's milk with liquid baby vitamins and dark corn syrup for my youngest. She had a hard time digesting the potassium (to the best we could guess) which was in every formula. If you get desperate I will do my best to recall the goat's milk formula I made. My aunt who was a nurse many years ago recommended it to me, and boy was I ever grateful! Nothing else was working and she suffered terribly, poor darling. She was a very happy, healthy baby on goat's milk!

My last thought would be to consult with a homeopath who specializes in little ones. I would imagine they would be able to figure out what's causing the indigestion and give remedies. In the meantime, massage is wonderful for helping with bowel movements and gas. I used to massage my babies' bellies, legs and feet with their diapers off. Ohhh they loved that! Especially bringing their knees to their chest and back out during the massage.

My heart goes out to you and your baby girl. Just remember, this too shall pass.

Hi J.,
My daughter could never tolerate Nestle GoodStart formula. She is lactose intolerant and we used Emfamil Soy with better results. Make sure you are not shaking the bottle to mix as it mixes air into the formula (per pediatrician's advice) and try a little Mylicon in her bottle. I ended up using glycerine suppositories each night after her bath for the first 4 months as she had a hard time pooping too. Also make sure you are measuring the water BEFORE adding the powder or you won't be using enough water. You might also try probiotics, I found that they helped my daughter's gas better than anything else. I found them at Whole Foods. Paige is now 3 yrs old and still has problems with hard stool. I make sure she eats plenty of fruits, veggies and whole grains. She is also the only child in her pediatrician's practice that he recommends giving diluted juice to. Good luck.
Sincerely,
L.

Formula can be hard for some babies. If you are breastfeeding at all, you could try doing it more as breast milk has a natural laxative effect. Otherwise, ask your doctor about goats milk. When I was a baby I couldn't tollerate formula and ended up on goats milk and did fine.

T.

My daughter has always had "tummy issues" as I call them. I would agree to try different formulas, but take it slow and give it a couple weeks with each one. I understand your pain. My daughter turned 15 months today and she still screams when she poops, it's heart breaking.
Best of luck!

Try a lactose free formula. I have one daughter who has been lactose intolerant since birth. It took a while for us to switch so many times to differant formulas. Finally we tried a lactose free one and she was fine.

Hi J., You can try formula that I found for my baby, if nothing works call me.916 944 46 75. A..