if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

my son is 12 weeks old..from the day he was born he had tummy issues..he is always constipated,never went on his own and just full of gas

as time went on he got better..we switched to similac sensitive..less gassy but still gassy..poops on his own but every 3-4 days and when he does he strains so much

my basic issue is he just does not seem comfy ever...and he is a happy guy but when his belly hurts or has gas he is miserable

he does not spit up,eats regularly..does this sound like a allergy

we had ped on Monday and i want to suggest switching formulas..maybe soy? my sis said to try nutramagin bc it made my niece a diff baby lol

last appt ped said some babies just go every 3 days,i just think those days he is not pooping he is so uncomfortable and want to try a switch

does it sound like he has a allergy? or he is just one gassy kid lol

thanks

Re: if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

I dont really have an answer but L poops every 3 days and is a fart queen. She used to wail every night in what I assume was gas pain but since we switched to gerber good start, she doesn't cry as much. It could also be shes growing out of it.
If he seems uncomfy id def try switching again.

Message edited 2/28/2013 12:34:20 AM.

if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

I dont know for sure but my dd had a ton of tummy issues since she was about 4 weeks. We eventually changed formulas to alimentum (same as nutramigen just made by similac not enfamil) they are hypoalegenic. I had a brand new baby.

When my dd had issues not only was she gassy but it was obscenely bad smelling. Like not normal. And she had the opposite problem she had 3 very loose explosive bowel movements a day! And was generally uncomfortable. New formula= all issues solved!

I say it doesnt hurt to try. Also nutrmagen and alimentum have a very different taste so i would suggest weaning. I did 75% reg formula mixed wuth 25% alimentum for 2 days then 50-50 then 75-25 then 90-10 then 100% alimentum. The first time i tried to just switch she hated the taste and kept pushing away the bottle.

Re: if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

Go see a GI. my 4 month old has a milk allergy his symptoms where just overall miserable, scrunched face.. irregular bowel movements.. just whiny and miserable..

switched 3 formulas.. nothing helps.. finally went to GI and was diagnosed.. was put on Neocate (insurance covered it 80%) NEW BABY!!!!

GI said if it's a milk protien allergy Soy is justa AS BAD as milk.

I told the ped I was done switching formulas and wanted answers.. so they recommnded my GI.

Re: if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

At 3 weeks I noticed Twin 2 was arching while eating. She was gassy/fussy sometimes but slept mostly and wasnt colicky. I switched to sensitive at 3 weeks and it was better for a week then worsened again, then we switched to aliumentum at 4 weeks and it got better. I went to the ped gastro then and they tested her poop and there were traces of blood which lean towards milk protein. (she had only been on it a week or less at that time so it hadnt healed her yet). She didnt spit up much but when she did it was an entire bottle and it was often out of her nose but I think that was more of a reflux issue. She never had diarea.

if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

that sounds like my DD. We tried soy and no improvement. They tested her poop and sure enough it was a milk allergy. We switched her to Alimentum and she was a totally different baby!! GL!

Re: if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

My ds was diagnosed with this around 4 months. He was an otherwise happy baby but his poops had mucous and were green. I was told for a while that as long as he was happy then he is fine. Then I saw tinges of blood in his poop. I was sent to a gastro doctor and sure enough, he had the allergy. He grew out of it around 9 months. From all that I have read/heard there is so much variation to this allergy, that it is possible that he has it. IMO it is worth going to a specialist to rule it out.

Re: if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

i had the same issues with DS and although he was not officially diagnosed with a milk protein allergy, once i switched him to Alimentum he was a lot better.

if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

Go to the GI doctor right away. They can do a simple stool test. I waited four months with my son. He was such a happier baby once they found a milk allergy.

Re: if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

You mentioned soy, but fyi, most babies with milk protein allergy are alergic to soy also. I cant even give my DD baby cereal with soy.

if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

Ask the ped to test the stools or to to a GI. Dd is now on nutramigen and also has reflux.

Re: if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

My doctors were aggressive with me with switching dd's formulas and by the time she was 1 month old, she was at a GI doctor, dx with milk allergy, and on neocate. Took 2-3 weeks, but she is a different baby! My doctors said there is no reason fir her to be in so much pain. Insurance will want to see that you tried at least nutramigen or alimentum though before they will pay for the rx. Basically, normal formulas have long protein chains of amino acids (about 7 in length). Nutramigen and alimentum, the chains are about 3 amino acids in length. Many babies can digest that. Abou 2-3% can't digest THAT either (like dd), so that's when they go on an rx formula, where amino acids are on a singular level - no chains at all.

Re: if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

DS hasn't been diagnosed with a milk protein allergy but he was really colicky and cried non-stop, always looked like he had tummy pain, and was only pooping every 2-3 days. The ped put him on Nutramigen and he's been a lot better! He doesn't seem to writhe in pain as often and now poops 2-3 times a day ! Haha. I don't think it hurts to try a formula change.

Also, DS took to the change easily. Yes the formula smells (and probably tastes) different, but I just popped it in his mouth and he ate it up! No mixing with the old stuff at all.

Re: if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

A milk allergy is typically diagnosed when there is bloody stool. I would suggest bringing in a stool samole to have it tested. My kids both had milk protein allergies and they had excssive spitting up, rancid smelling mucousy bloody stool. Those are the tell tale signs

Re: if yoyr baby had a protein/milk allergey

both of my kids were diagnosed. my son at 4 months, DD at 3 weeks (she is almost 6 weeks now).

They were the opposite - CONSTANT poop! Also painful gas, fussy, spitting up and my DD would vomit bottles.

My son never complained much and gas was controlled with gas drops in each bottle but then we noticed the mucus and blood in his diaper It just never got that bad with DD, we made the switch before there was enough bowel damage to cause blood.

Take a diaper in, have them test it for blood