I have a 3 month old daughter who WAS doing well on her formula, but recently, when she graduated to 6 ounces every 3 to 4 hours, she has stared having issues. She fights the bottle, hungry and wanting it yet pushing it away. Fussy, and she is NEVER fussy or cries. Acting like her belly hurts. Spitting up that has graduated into not keeping anything down when she NEVER really spit up before. Dr told me I was crazy, that I was over feeding and force feeding her, but sitter has same issues w/ baby. Dr refused to listen to me, or any ideas to fix problem, even told me that since baby is in 90th percentile for weight, it would be ok if baby lost weight. This is my 6th child and while Dr was told that, she refused to listen to me and insisted that the problem is baby is over fed. Sitter and I believe that it is the formula and baby needs a change to something w/o milk or lactose. Dr strongly disagreed w/ my assesment. I think I should try baby on soy formula!
What do you think?
2007-01-19 06:25:58 · 20 answers · asked by imaniteangel 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
To answer some of the responses....I am lactose intolerant, have been since first baby (he is now 20 yrs old). I cannot eat/drink much dairy of any kind w/o getting sick. I have one other daughter (13 yr) and she was fussy and didnt sleep well the first 2 1/2 mo so I put her on soy and she was totally diff baby in 24 hrs! She no longer has milk issues tho!
We did switch nipples for baby, but the problem persisted or worsened a little. I told Dr baby had been on cereal for a few weeks (2 oz - 1x a day) and she told me it was the cereal, but another Dr in that office told me to put baby on cereal 2x a day. This was before she started w/ the idea I was over feeding baby and it wouldnt hurt baby to lose some weight!
I think I am going to try the soy and see how she reacts. It really couldnt hurt any for a few days. I also will NOT let that Dr near my kids ever!
Thx so much, I didnt think I was a crazy or hysterical mother like she made me out to be yesterday!! Nice to know
2007-01-19 07:08:32 · update #1
Give soy formula a try. If that doesn't work, go to a doctor who will listen. This does not sound normal at all. Have you checked the nipple? Sometimes the opening on the nipple is too small or large. My nephew had that problem. When the opening is too small, it takes too much effort to eat so he stopped eating. When it's too large, he choked.
Best of luck to you!
2007-01-19 06:33:22 · answer #1 · answered by HW 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Obviously loosing weight is not a good idea for a baby. Equally obvious is that I can't really tell you what is right because I don't really know what is wrong. However I have some information for you so you can make a more informed decision.
1) Check your formula and see if it all has the same lot number on it. If it does try buying some formula with a different lot number. Preferrably VERY different. Formulas have been contaminated before. It isn't terribly common BUT it has happened and it will be easier on baby than switching formulas.
2) It isn't colic. These are the signs of colic:
Begin within the first three weeks of life
Last at least three hours a day
Occur at least three days a week
Continue for at least three weeks
Seldom last longer than three months
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/t051300.asp
3) It is possible it is a temporarly lactose intolerence due to some sort of intestinal damage. This would not be permanent. Primary lactose intolerance is extremely rare and would have caused failure to thrive since birth. Read more:
http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/lactose.html
http://users.bigpond.net.au/allergydietitian/fa/inflact.html
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/lactose-intolerance.html
http://www.cryingoverspiltmilk.co.nz/Food/LactoseIntolerancevsMilkProteinAllergy.htm
4) Regarding Soy formula:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/0/T000100.asp#T031004
Please go read that. It is a fairly well balanced look at soy formula written by a doctor. It is a bit too long to copy/paste.
5) If your doctor does not respect you you need a new doctor. End of storey. Particularly as this is your 6th baby.
2007-01-19 06:43:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before making a major switch to soy formula, try going back to the way she was being fed. What did she graduate from? When she began getting more formula did you have to switch the type of bottle or style of nipple she was used to? Go back to the same amount of formula in the same bottles with the same nipples since that is when you noticed the change in her. If that doesn't do anything, try switching formula to another one that is non-soy first. Sometimes it is just the brand of formula that sits badly with the baby and doesn't have anything to do with a milk protein allergy or lactose intolerance. Listen to your mom instinct, it is usually right. Make a change, but nothing too drastic until you try a few simple changes first. Find a different pediatrician if possible, too.
2007-01-19 07:16:32 · answer #3 · answered by sevenofus 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just had the same problem with my 4 month old. First I think you might want to get another doctor, but I guess even doctors can think hey are smarter than they are. I was breastfeeding but had to use formula because my milk was getting low. Its totally a milk allergy!! First I was using milk based formula cause its cheaper but she started have really loose stools, lots of spitting up, crying all the time and didn't want to eat at all. Well I got her back on breast milk and it got better. Then I started to drink more milk for calcium but it started happening again, just less extreme. Well to make a long story short She only get soy based formula and I have started drinking soy milk to. It took a few days but now she is like a different baby. She is gaining weight to,
thankfully. My doctor also agrees it a milk problem, my doctor says she will probably get over the allergy when she is older. We also think this might have been a problem for her older brother but i just didn't catch it. He has no problem with milk now, but he like soy better anyways. Hope this helps, good luck, and remember it took my daughter like 2-3 to start feeling better. Oh and by the way don't start giving you child food until you have the tummy issues worked out just in case there are more food allergies.
2007-01-19 06:43:29 · answer #4 · answered by swtdrms81 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My first response is that you need to find a new doctor. If you feel there's something wrong and your doctor isn't taking you seriously there's a definite problem there. Even if everything is ok, your doctor needs to listen to your concerns and at least look into the problem. Beyond that, I would try different types of formula and see if that's the problem. Soy would be the first option, but if after a few weeks that doesn't work, there are other things to try such as Similac Alimentum. If you can't figure it out by trying other formulas, you may want to bring your baby to an allergist and see if the cereal may be a problem.
2007-01-19 15:58:14 · answer #5 · answered by irishitalia 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I was a child, I reacted the same way as your daughter. I turned out to be lactose intolerant (which I grew out of) and it was easily resolved with switching over to soy formula. It's worth a try!
2007-01-19 06:35:50 · answer #6 · answered by future_paramedicheather 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It wouldnt hurt to try her on soy.
Find another doctor. It may not be the formula. . It may be something else. With six kids, I would assume that you know what to look for. And I am sure the doctors dont see anything wrong because the baby looks healthy and has a good weight, but they dont see how she acts. So screw that doc and get a new one.
2007-01-19 06:32:55 · answer #7 · answered by Mystie 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Please trust your instincts, my son didnt have problems with his formula until he was about 2.5 months and now he is almost 5 months. we just got him on the right formula. Hes was on similac advanced with iron and had to be switched to Nutagimen. The doctor first said that i was over-feeding him also but i knew that wasnt true and pushed the issue more to him. After a reflux test and 3 formula changes he is finally happy. I know what you are going through. Good Luck and go with your instinct.
2007-01-19 12:10:29 · answer #8 · answered by twinmommi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
trust your instinct...and just try it see what happens my daughter had this problem for the first two months of life and i was breastfeeding! its really hard to watch what has milk in it and what does not, i kept telling the doctors something was wrong they kept telling me it was colic it was my second child i usually feel that because of my age doc thinks i dont know what i am talking about i am 20 but after two months of dealing with a baby that would not stop crying no matter what doc suggested nutramigen and she was a completely different baby in 24 hours
2007-01-19 06:30:40 · answer #9 · answered by Nicole 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your doctor sounds like a jerk. I would get another pediatrician. but I would try a little rice cereal now, These doctors are insane to tell parents to not feed the babies until they are so old. just use the formula and make it really really runny and use a spoon. But 6 ounces that often sounds like quite a bit. Remember that sometimes babies get a little picky at times and as long as they are healthy in weight and size and have nourishment I wouldn't worry. She'll eat when she is hungry.
2007-01-19 06:34:20 · answer #10 · answered by JENNLUPE 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋