Update- I have a happy baby!!!

[Tanya4beauty]

So if any of you followed my last thread you will know the struggle I've had with Mia and breastfeeding. I moved on to expressing as I have to return to work in around 3 weeks so I needed to make sure she wasn't dependant on me. Mia has been in pain at every feeding since my milk came in. She writhes in agony kicking her little legs and alsmost hitting me with her hands. It's been very upsetting to watch and we tried infacol and formula too, none of which made much difference.
Yesterday I fed her breast milk all day and she took 3oz at a time but was still in agony so I know it wasn't because my latch wasn't good enough like the breastfeeding team suggested.
After a particularly bad day and night I took to the Internet to research colicky babies.
There was a suggestion about lactose intolerance.......... Lactose is very high in fore milk and if a baby doesn't get enough hind milk (because they are full up on fore milk) to balance it out it can lead to gases building up in their tummys and causing pain. However as I had expressed until nothing more came out of me she was getting a good mix of both so I ruled out that being the problem.
It also suggested that lactose intolerant babies can rarely be breastfed due to this. At her last feed last night we had tried formula and she only took 1oz before writhing in agony again and refusing anymore so my husband went to our late night boots for some lactose free formula.
Well I have a different baby, she fed at 2am, 6am then again at 10am taking 3oz each time with no pain and barely any crying. She has also slept properly.
Lactose intolerance can cause babies not to sleep properly, have weepy eyes (she's had one since birth) and also skin rashes which she gets on and off throughout the day. It is also linked to asthma and eczema both of which my husband suffers from.
I've spoken to the midwife today and all her suggestions we have already tried, when I told her about the lactose free formula and the change in Mia she told me to carry on with it and see how it goes. I'm going to make an appt at the doctors for tomorrow hopefully just for reassurance that we have done the right thing.

I am just so relieved that she is out of pain and that we can actually get some sleep. I had 8 hours in total last night! She is like a different baby, happy, pain free and actually enjoying her food. If my milk is not doing her any good then how is it fair to make her keep drinking it?!!

 

[Tanya4beauty]

Just to add I'm still expressing and freezing my milk until I've seen the doctor so I can give it to her if I can x

 

[misscrazycooki]

That's great hun i wondered about those milks but just kept on with normal ones for both my boys even though i always had problems x hugs

Hope it all works out and its not a calm before the storm x

Sent from my GT-I5500 using Tapatalk 2

 

[BevG]

it could be lactose or dairy, if you cut out dairy it can be fine to bf her as i know someone who's baby is allergic to formula milk but is fine on breast milk if she cuts out dairy herself but yeah it could be that she will be better off on lactose free formula and im happy for you if thats the case then yay! as long as you have a happy baby and a happy mummy then thats all that matters. you gave her your immunities already in your milk so if she needs lactose free formula then go for it and enjoy

 

[Lolly85x]

Worth a try - sounds like its paid off hope the doctor confirms it!x

 

[katie_lou]

Awwww am so glad ur LO is happy hun there is nothing worst than seeing your LO in pain , keep us updated xxx

 

[MrsT2011]

I'm glad to hear both you and LO are happy - that's the most important thing x

 

[knopk@]

I wrote on your other thread about excluding dairy, my LO has CMA (cows milk intolerance) which means by eliminating dairy from your diet she will be ok. The best you could do is exclusively breastfeed as it will lower the chances of ezcema and asthma.
I unfortunately couldnt (low supply) and he is on special formula but ended up with ezcema and I suspect asthma too. We are testing him now for other food intolerances.

If you can, continue expressing/breastfeeding and eliminate dairy, see how it goes.

Good luck hun

 

[Princess81]

Great to hear she's getting on well now. Can totally sympathise my lo has a dairy allergy and it was horrendous feeding him until I put him on soya formula then medicated stuff on prescription x

 

[vickib_1984]

Ahhhh so happy she's feeling better and good for you for still expressing if by any chance she can't have your milk what you do have you may be able to donate to a scbu near you which would be awesome!!!! Xx


xxx

 

[Tanya4beauty]

Thanks for your replies, we've had a really good day but this evening we've had her in pain again. I'm not sure if we've sussed the problem or not. Doctors tomz in the hope they can help!! Please god I hope they can!

 

[Princess81]

You could try soya formula also? It could be milk allergy rather than lactose intolerance xx

 

[BevG]

thats almost certainly colic then, the doc can probably give you colief for it hun. it tends to hit in the evening from 4 or 5 ish. it will gradually get better over time as LO grows and is able to get her own wind up. it may be the formula helps a bit and the colic isnt really due to what they eat, just trapped wind, some get it worse than others. im sure someone who'd LO had bad colic can help you out a bit hun with some suggestions. my lil girl only had it mild, we had teething and reflux more than anything else from 4- 10 weeks then it gradually got better and was pretty much gone by 12 weeks

 

[Princess81]

A sling did wonders for us and walking round with him balanced in my shoulder. Initially his bad time was 8pm til 1am, it was a killer

 

[Tanya4beauty]

I'm willing to try anything! Will see how she goes through the night and see what the doc says. I'll be pleased if I can give her my milk again and it is just colic rather than an intolerance. However with her not feeding from me my supply seems to be dwindling
After her pain she has been asleep now for a good couple of hours

 

[BevG]

yeah babys saliva is best thing for increasing your milk supply im afraid hun, tho fenugreek, oats and domperidone can also up the supply if she dosent feed from you then u have to pump every 2-3 hours religiously im afraid. was too much hard work for me and depressing as well to have to try and get my LO to feed from me properly, then top her up with a bottle and then to pump to increase my supply as well as taking fenugreek and dealing with a colicky, teething, refluxy baby lol. i almost gave up bf completely when i got thrush and it hurt so bad i had to take painkillers just to let her latch on. i didnt pump for more than a few weeks as it got too much work but i never gave up trying to get her to feed properly from me, especially at night. i always tried to make the night feed completely bf. i would always offer her a bottle after but id always try and feed her from me first. almost 6 months later and she has 2 bottles a day and prefers boob to bottle almost every time lol. its horrible at the time and seems to take forever but its only a few weeks til it gets better, get the docs advice but know that it will pass. oh and if they say that there are no pills to increase milk supply then they dont know what theyre on about as domperidone is a reflux medicine but it also has the side effect of increasing milk supply. larlybelle has been given it to help her make more for her henry.

 

[Lolly85x]

Wow Bev you did amazing should be really proud!!!

 

[BevG]

lol i just couldnt bring myself to stop completely, its a faff to do bottles but ive found a place i can live in so to speak with it all and think its important to let ppl know they dont have to just do one or the other but can combine the 2 in a way that suits them

 

[Lolly85x]

Yeah, your right. Wish I had some of your determination... xx

 

[knopk@]

I am the last one out my NCT group to BF and I combi fed from 7 weeks. I am just very stubborn and always offered breast first and at night I breastfed too