Problems with Formula

Hi C.,

I have twins who both had bad reflux and gas as infants. My doctor had suggested that we put rice cereal in their formula. One teaspoon per ounce of formula.
I can't tell you how much that helped. They are on Nestle Good start and we have been doing that since they were 2 months old. They are 11 months and still drink it with the cereal in it.
we also used Dr. Brown bottles which I highly recommend.
Good luck and let me know if you try this and it works.
T.

At a year old most dr's have kids on milk... I would try switching him over to milk - maybe mixed 1/2 & 1/2 with a formula that doesn't make him throw up... do that for a couple of weeks gradually increasing the amount of milk in each bottle/cup. My son was on all whole milk by 10 months (the dr's said at his 9 month check up that at 11 months I could start switching him over to milk - but i was already in the process of that at 9 months)... Figure when a lot of us where babies - anyone over probably the age of 30 or so - we didn't have formula, it was breast feeding or milk. A more "mild" milk to try to switch him to - if you think the lactose in the milk might be a problem - is goats milk (it's a little harder to find, but more "gentle" on their tummies)... a friend of mine had to use goats milk for her daughter (now 18) until she was about 2, then she gradually switched her over to regular milk and had no problems after that.
Good luck!!!

Hi C.,

My son was also diagnosed with reflux. He was in the hospital for a week when he was 3 weeks old because of the reflux and loosing weight. After switching formulas 4 times, the doctors had me try the Enfamil AR. It's a milked based formula but with added rice. You can also add extra rice cereal to it to make it thicker. Is your son walking yet? My sons bouts of throwing up stopped once he was walking and up right much more of the day, so the soy formula may be OK for him now. Hope this helps, I understand your frustration...
K.

Hi Candace! When breastfeeding didn't work for me, I put both of my girls on goats milk. They never had formula. Formula contains soy, which is very hard for humans to digest, especially babies because their gastrointestinal tracts are so fragile and immature.

My father-in-law is a biomedical nutritionist and he was actually the one who recommended the goats milk. My girls never had a problem with reflux, gas, diarrhea, colic, etc.

Give the goats milk a try...it's a lot gentler on the tummy! :)

Good luck! Hope this helps!

PS - Goats milk is sold in liquid form (like regular cows milk) or in powder (which is great when travelling out of the house). I buy it at Whole Foods grocery store. But I'm pretty sure any organic food distributor would sell it.

I started my son on milk at 11 months because I was sick of recurring formula problems. You can also start to cut the Alimentum with milk. It may constipate him a bit at first, but it will level out. You can also try rice milk if there is a lactose issue, or straight soy milk. At a year old I would just switch him over to milk anyway. After 1 yr they don't need formula.

My son had a VERY touchy stomach when he was born. The Doctor tested his stool and he had a milk protein allergy. So we used Alimentum which is the absolute LIGHTEST form of formula you can use(the proteins are broken up in Alimentum which makes it a more tolerable formula than any of the others). Lighter on the system than even soy. Though it's expensive, it's your best bet. I would try it for a little longer...it might just be an immediate reaction to the change. Just keep giving him peialyte to keep him hydrated and see what happens in the next week or two.

Hi C.,

I haven't had this problem. My daughter was on breast milk with soy formula sometimes and since one she has drank soy milk. She's ten. However, since I have an alternative approach to diet and medicine, maybe my little insights can still help.

The first alternatives to soy and cow's milk I would consider are rice milk and goat milk. Goat milk might be a good consideration for you. I think I remember the pediatrician recommending we stay away from rice milk, but I don't remember why. Maybe discuss these two alternatives to cow's milk with your pediatrician. Goat's milk is highly regarded among many health conscious individuals. I have never tasted it, but it is something I'd be willing to try. It is supposed to be much less difficult for the digestive and other systems to deal with and people say it tastes pretty good. You can get it at Whole Foods.

I want to be clear - my suggestion is not that you try goat's milk, but that you discuss it with your pediatrician or do some research on it. Maybe you've explored this already, but if not, I would google it in preparation for that discussion or at least before trying it out on him (and I'd try it myself too).

One other thing, I find it helpful to ensure that my doctor has a respect and appreciation for various types of choices, and not just the western medicinal ones. Some doctor's have no tolerance for people's interests in exploring alternatives to tylenol, for instance, and therefore have a limited perspective. I'm not saying that I want a doctor that hates western medicine, but one who respects and even values other approaches as well, and therefore can offer a more broad range of suggested solutions.

Good luck!
Y.

C. - My boys both were diagnosed with reflux. My Dr. had me thicken their formula with Rice Cereal (milk shake consistency) to help them keep their food down. The medicine that was prescribed was Zantac.

Neither boy had a problem with diarhea like you are describing, but when my older son has an occasional bout with it, I follow the BRAT diet. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast for a few days until it clears up. If you are looking for alternatives to rice cereal try Rice Chex and cooked rice.

For constipation, juices like prune help. And Graham Crackers will also loosen things up.

I know that when a child has diarhea they become very dehydrated. So the pedialite might be very imperative for you to make sure the baby has enough fluids. My son wouldn't drink it so I gave him the pops, which he liked because of getting new teeth around the same age.

I also switched my son from formula to whole milk when he turned 1. (hint - take away the bottles and use sippy cups now or you will be have trouble taking away the bottles later!) But, as far as formula goes, my Dr. recommends Nestle Good Start Supreme, because she says it is easier for the baby to digest when they have AR. I have been adding the rice cereal to this formula in my little one since he was about 9 weeks old.

I hope all of the above helps. Hang in there, he should be outgrowing this soon.

W.

You're baby should be off formula at 1 year. I happen to think that doctors rush to diagnose a baby with whatever they think will make the parents feel better. My one year old threw up after every feeding no matter if it was breast milk or formula or juice for about 6 months. My doctor said that since my baby didn't fuss when it was time to eat he was fine. No problems. As for the diarreah, If it was life threatening your doctor would treat it a bit more seriously.

I hate to say this but if you continue to cry wolf to the doctor he is not going to take something that may be really serious, seriously.

As far as food goes, he can get calcium in other ways, yogurt, cheese even ice cream.

Good luck and please don't think I am being mean, I have experience with friends that run to the doctor for every little thing. So far the kids have seen about 8 specialists and have been poked and prodded in many painful ways. I don't want to see another mother have to go through that pain. I tend to trust my doctor and if he is not openly concerend about something I tend to rrelax about it a little. If you don't feel that way about your doctor, you should find a new one.

Hi C. ~

My son did the exact same thing. We went through everything with changing formula, etc. and had all of our furniture covered in sheets!

Anyway, you may want to try Carnation Good Start or Follow Up. We had the best response to that. I also wanted to let you know that at 6 months, the reflux and vomiting just stopped. Dylan may be past the reflux at this point, but I would definitely try the Carnation. I have recommended it to several other moms and have never heard of a bad reaction to it.

Good luck!
J.