Soy baby formula?

Question

My baby had awful projectile vomiting with regular milk base Similac. After trying it twice, the doctor said to switch to SOY. I have heard something about a link to peanut allergies in babies that were fed Soy Formula. Does anyone have any reputable infomation on this?

I had good luck with the Nestle Good Start Soy and have stocked up on it...

And for those who want to bash formula feeders... I breastfed exclusively until I returned to work this week. I AM pumping when I can at work, but wanted the babysitter to be able to supplement with formula in the event that she feeds him all the breastmilk I gave her and he still wants more. He eats more some days than others. And i don't see anything wrong with giving a baby some baby formula....

Answer 1

I have four children and all of them were on soy formula for different reasons...vomiting, reflux, and so on. Not one of them has an allergy to peanuts or anything. I do have one that has an allergy to shell fish, but that runs in the family.

Speaking from experience, you have to do what works for you and your child. Breast feed if you want or bottle feed if that works. Feed regular formula or soy if you like. Some people have never had to live with a child that vomits, really vomits, after every feeding. Go with what you and your doctor decide and do not worry about what others have to say.

Good luck!

Answer 2

This was the reccommendation I found from the manufacturers website - Good Start Supreme Soy is a routine formula containing partially hydrolyzed soy proteins. If you suspect your baby is prone to allergy, use only under a doctor's supervision. As with any powdered infant formula product, use with immunocompromised infants is not recommended.

There should also be a hotline number on the product that you can ring and ask about adverse reactions etc.
Good luck - I had a similar experience with a projectile baby, the solution back then was to make-up a formula using reconstituted carnation milk,water, adding sugar and vitamin drops *painful*!

Answer 3

If soy works, go ahead and use it. I don't recommend it as a the only source of nutrition as soy isn't as healthy as milk based formulas, but since your breastfeeding and supplementing with breastmilk a little soy won't hurt. To get babies used to formula its good to mix a little in with breastmilk so their tummies can adjust. If you look on the national la leach (spelling?) website you will find that anything besides breastmilk can make a baby more prone to allergies, be it soy or milk based. Congratulations on breastfeeding, it takes a lot of dedication!

Answer 4

I use the Gentle Ease because of WIC also. I know that I tried feeding my son the Similac stuff awhile back and he didn't take to it at all. You may want to contact WIC and let them know what is going on. They pay for a different formula. Talk to your doctor first, but maybe you should just put your baby on the regular milk formula to see if she can handle it now. If she can't then maybe Similac has a Lacto Free formula or something.

Answer 5

You may want to check out this link. I wished i would have read it before my daughter (6 weeks) had been put on it. She's been dealing with pooping problems off and on since she was born. This is the fourth formula she's been on (she's on Enfamil Gentlease now) and the jury is still out because she's also being tested for Hirschsprungs and CF. This link says that a days worth of soy formula is equal to 5 birth control pills! Good luck! :)

Answer 6

I have no links...but I do know that soy and peanuts aren't even in the same 'family' so getting an allergy from one by consuming another isn't going to happen.

I do know that if you continually feed your child something they are allergic to, or have an intolerance to, they will most likely develop multiple food allergies. Due to a weakening of the intestines and immune system.

I'm glad you're breast feeding. It does help cut back on dietary allergies when the child gets older.

Answer 7

i fed my son soy formula exclusively b/c the milk-based formula made him spit up and he's almost 3 now and has no allergies whatsoever. my doctor encouraged me to use soy since i was unable to breastfeed and he would spit up more than half of what he ate with the milk-based formula. and he can drink regular whole milk with no problems now. i hope i was some help. good luck!!

Answer 8

Ihave three girls 9,6,11mon.old so I understand feeding problems you can get wal-mart brand Soy formula and it has allthe ingredits of name brand. My first daughter looked like something out of a scary movie the way she got sick.So we tryed everthing,even goats milk.I could not feed her in any other way.Sounds like you are a great mom,and by the time your baby starts sitting up on her own this getting sick should stop. Best of wishes to you and your little one.

Answer 9

1) Here is some excellent information about the different kinds of formula from a doctor:
http://askdrsears.com/html/0/T000100.asp

2) You already answered what is wrong with giving *your* baby some formula. IT IS MAKING HIM SICK! There are lots of things you can do to increase your supply while pumping. I'm not trying to bash you, I know you are just trying to do the best you can, but if it is making him sick then maybe it is time to try something else?

What can cause a decrease in pumping output?

First, consider the possibility that baby is being overfed when you're apart. If this is the case, you may actually not need to be expressing as much milk as is being requested. This is certainly not always the case, but it is not at all uncommon. See How much expressed milk will my baby need? for additional information.

When you do need to pump more milk, the first thing to check is your pump:

* Are you using an appropriate pump for the amount of pumping that you do?
* How old is your pump? If you have an older electric pump (particularly older than a year), or if you are pumping more often than the pump was designed for, the motor may be wearing out.
* Many times a decrease in pumping output is because pump parts need to be replaced. Have you checked your pump and replaced any parts that are worn or that haven't been replaced in the last 3-6 months?
* Do you have a type of pump (like the Avent Isis) that benefits from occasionally boiling the boilable parts?
* Switching to a larger pump flange makes a difference in pumping comfort and/or output for some moms. See Choosing a Correctly-Fitted Breastshield for more information.

Supply-demand cycle:

* Have you reduced the number of pumping or nursing sessions recently, or cut back on nursing/pumping in other ways? Milk production is a demand-supply process. More nursing/pumping results in a greater milk supply. If you consistently decrease nursing or pumping for several days, your overall milk supply will decrease and you can expect to see a decrease in pumped amounts.
* Has baby started solids recently? As baby eats more solids and takes in less milk, overall milk supply naturally decreases and you may see a decrease in pumping output. You may not notice a change in nursing pattern, as some babies nurse just as often, but take in less milk during those sessions. If baby started solids early (before around 6 months) or is eating lots of solids early on, you are more likely to notice a drop in supply. A very gradual start to solids around 6 months or later is less likely to affect milk supply.

Hormonal causes of decreased milk supply:

* Have you started hormonal birth control recently? Hormonal birth control, particularly that containing estrogen, can significantly decrease milk supply.
* Are you expecting either ovulation or your period soon, or has it recently started?
* Are you pregnant?

Taking care of mom:

* Have you started a strict diet? Are you getting enough calories? Snacking during the day on healthy, protein-rich foods may be helpful.
* Are you drinking to thirst? Some moms, particularly when they are at work, will get busy and forget to drink enough fluids.
* Are you getting enough rest? This can be hard to do when you have a baby. Try to go to bed a little earlier and to take a nap each day on your days off. Consider co-sleeping so you can get more sleep. Just a little added rest may make a big difference.
* Have you been under an unusually large amount of stress? Stress can affect let-down and pumping output.
* Have you been sick? Illness, especially if you have a fever, mastitis or get dehydrated, can result in a temporary decrease in milk supply. Some medications can also decrease milk supply (hormonal birth control, pseudoephedrine, ethanol/alcoholic beverages, bromocriptine, ergotamine, cabergoline).

See also Hidden Hindrances to a Healthy Milk Supply

How can I increase pumping output?

To speed milk production and increase overall milk supply, the key is to remove more milk from the breast and to do this frequently, so that less milk accumulates in the breast between feedings.
Increasing frequency

* Nurse more often when you are with your baby.
* Are you pumping frequently enough? Is there any way you can add a pumping session at work? If necessary, when pumping times are very limited, adding even a short 5 minute pumping session is better than not pumping at all.
* Add a pumping session or two outside of work hours or on the weekend. Try pumping after baby nurses, or pump one side while baby nurses on the other side. You might also try pumping while baby is napping, at night, or when baby goes longer than usual between nursings.
* Does your baby complain about slower milk flow when you pump between nursings? If so, try single pumping between nursings, instead of double pumping. Although single pumping is not as effective for increasing milk supply, this leaves one breast more full, so the milk will flow more quickly. See also these tips for babies who want a faster milk flow.
* Try cluster pumping, instead of a regular nursing/pumping session. Sit down with your baby and your pump, and nurse and pump every half-hour to hour for several hours.
* Some moms find it helpful to do a 2-3 day long power pump every couple of weeks to "super charge" their milk supply. This is simply a nursing vacation with pumping added in. On these days, get lots of rest, nurse very frequently and pump after as many nursing sessions as possible.

Removing more milk from the breasts

* Are you pumping long enough? When pumping to increase milk supply, it's recommended that you (double) pump for at least 15 minutes; to ensure that the pump removes an optimum amount of milk from the breast, keep pumping for 2-5 minutes after the last drops of milk. If you don't always have time to pump this long, remember that adding even a short pumping session (increasing frequency but perhaps not removing milk thoroughly) is helpful.
* Use a good double pump. Double pumping generally results in better pumping output and is better for maintaining milk supply. Pump quality can make a huge difference in pumping output, and different moms have better results with different pumps. However, some moms with abundant milk supplies do not respond well to pumping (even using the best of pumps) and do not get much milk when pumping. These moms may get better results using manual expression.
* Use breast massage (see "Assisting the Milk Ejection Reflex" toward the bottom of the link) and breast compression.
* If your pump has a soft shield or shield insert available (for example, the Medela SoftFit breastshield or the Avent "Petal" massager insert), then try using the pump with and without it. Some moms have also found that they can use the Avent "Petal" massager inserts with other brands of pumps (for example, Medela or Ameda). Some moms get better results with the softer shield; some get better results without it.
* Switching to a larger pump flange increases pumping output for some moms.

Galactagogues

* Many working and pumping moms have found that eating oatmeal is very helpful for increasing pumping output. It can also be helpful to snack on protein-rich foods during the day and to have something to drink every time you sit down to pump or nurse.
* Many moms have gotten good results using fenugreek or other herbs to increase supply, either on a short- or long-term basis. This is most effective when combined with increased nursing/pumping.

Other things to try

The following things are useful for maximizing nursing and minimizing the amount of expressed milk that baby needs while you are away.

Nurse right before you leave baby and immediately after you return from work. Make sure your care provider does not feed baby right before you are due to return.

Has your baby started solids? If so, have your care provider offer all (or most) solids, and only (or mainly) breastfeed when you are with baby. By doing this, baby may need less milk when you are apart (due to the solids) and will nurse more when you are together. This can both help your supply (more nursing) and decrease the amount of pumped milk you need to provide.

Encourage baby to "reverse cycle" - reverse cycling is when baby nurses frequently when mom and baby are together (usually at night) and takes little milk when mom & baby are separated.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumping_decrease.html