Soy Milk for My 17 Month Old

My daughter is alomst 19 months now. We had a blood test done recently that tested for all sorts of food & environmental allergies. You don't need to go to a specialist if you just want to find out if she is allerigic to milk. We are going to go to a pediatric specialist as well though b/c her father has a long laundry list of allergies. She is lactose intolerant & drinks soy milk. We don't have any problems with mushy bowel movements.

My son is 18 months and has had the same problem since we put him on milk at 1 year. We switched him to lactose free and he still had problems, so we switched him to Soy and then I was told that's not a great idea so now.... he's on Rice Dream Enriched Vanilla. It has all the vitamins, no dairy whatsoever. He is much much better now. No squishy stinkin' diapers. Also, I would try the Rice Dream before taking her to a specialist. It will be cheaper and less tramatic for her. Best of luck to you!
Jen M.
Mom of 3 boys ages 5 years, 3 years, and 1.5 yrs

We are not soy fans for a whole host of reasons, including the GMO issue. Rice and almond milks are great. Raised my son and now my grandchildren are being raised on both. All are very healthy. If you have any questions about this, email me. This will prove to be blessing in diguise for Olivia - such a beautiful name!

my daughter is 30 months and has been on soy milk since 12 months when i stopped breastfeeding...she is doing great! I am very conscientious(sp?) about any extra soy being in her diet. My doctor has always told me "everything in moderation". if she is doing well on soy and all her tests are negative...don't poke the bear

Hi C.,

Soy mimics estrogen in the body so should only be consumed in moderation (once or twice a week) in any form for children (see the article at the link below and look for a more detailed scientific review in Well Being Journal) as it can lead to early maturation which is one of the suspected precursors to some forms of breast cancer. Check with your ped but our daughter has been on goats milk since she was weaned and it apparently does not have the same lactose reaction as cows milk so may be worth a try.

http://organicwinds.blogspot.com/2009/03/controversy-over...

try almond milk. it would turn out that soy milk, (which is produced/ held in huge aluminum vats)has leached aluminum into the soy. This is no good for baby or us for that matter.
I tried the soy milk for myself and wasn't too fond of it. My son (almost 2 years) took a sip from my cup and made a face and said eww, and then proceeded to give it to the dog.
Our dog (a large husky/ shepherd mix) only got about a lick or two before I could leap over the coffee table to salvage my drink.
Our poor dog...
She had the worst gas and wet-farts for a little over 24 hours. OMG it was horrible.

Try out the almond milk. The dog hasn't but it's apparently not eww from Jameson.

I agree with the goat milk idea! It's readily available in the grocery store and much less long term side effects than a diet high in soy.

Hi C.,
Well, my son had an allergy to dairy (not lactose intolerant)and we put him on Goat milk or almond milk. The problem with Soy for children is that it is very high in estrogen and you don't want to give that to your baby. Also, the problem with cow milk is that it is very high in protein because the animal is so big which MAY be the reason your child is having a hard time digesting it. Try goat milk (smaller animal) or rice milk or almond milk and if the stool improves you know its the protein levels. If it doesn't improve then she may be lactose intolerant.

Have you investigated probiotics?--Acidophilus as in yogurt? They are necessary for life!!!

i've heard and read that soy is not the best because it has extra estrogen in it. especially not that great for boys. however if it is a milk or lactose allergy and you don't want to give her soy. my friends sister is and has been a vegan and breastfed her girls for a long time and then after that she put the kids on what she has been drinking for years and that it Rice Dream. its a rice milk. supposed to be sweet and very good. i'd research soy a bit more, the pros and cons. and then look into the alternatives if you don't like what you see.

I had my daughter tested for food allergies and she is allergic to milk, beef, and eggs--so she drinks soy. The doctor suggested that she take a multivitamin daily as well. You can't tell what it is for sure until you speak to an allergist. Imagine my surprise when I was told my daughter is allergic to beef of all things! Good luck.

Good-morning,
I have only my experience. I was so happy to take my son off formula because of the expense and i didn't want milk because of the congestion. Well what a heartache! he was about the same age. He developed the most foul smelling stool!!! I took him to doctors, did stool tests. I thought he had an infection called c-diff. for over a month I tried all kids of things. I noticed him with a paleness to his complexion and his legs started to bow. I put him on goats milk, forget the expense! Everything went back to normal. He was able to tolerate soy milk (silk) by about 2+. He's now almost 5 and thriving.

hi there!
the most likely culprit would be milk PROTEIN and not lactose, which is milk SUGAR. She could very well have an INTOLERANCE and not a full blown allergy. A large percent of babies/toddlers w/ issues w/ milk protein ALSO have issues with soy.

there are many kinds of 'milk' you can use...

i always seem to 'blame' milk... Has she had a history of infections (chest, sinuses, ears)?? If yes, this can also lead me to believe she has a problem with milk.

try cutting out ALL milk products for a good month and see if she improves. Remember, if it does nothing, you can always add it back. But check everything - bread, baked goods, soups, sauces, snack foods - these can all contain dairy. The only way to know for sure if milk is a culprit is to remove it ALL.

this means even milk as an ingredient 'hidden' in things. google 'hidden milk ingredients' and you'll find the names of what to look for like whey, rhennet, etc.\
if sleep improves, you'll know it was milk.

but what will she drink?
there is rice milk, hemp milk, almond milk, oat milk, potato milk (don't try soy bcse about 60% of those who cannot tolerate milk protein cannot tolerate soy either).
Rice milk is a good sub, but it doesn't contain enough fat or protein for a toddler. I would likely mix it half and half with hemp milk. Hemp is a great source of protein and omega fatty acids, which are essential for little ones.

You should hopefully be able to find milk-free margarine in your local grocery store. Also I know that coconut yogurt and coconut ice cream is available, but it might only be in specialty store, like Whole Foods.

MAke sure to cook foods in a lot of olive oil (or even try some avocado oil) to add some GOOD FATS into the diet while she's not having milk proteins (lactose free is NOT the same thing; lactose is milk sugar and what you're trying here is to avoid milk PROTEIN).