Is there any way I can continue to breast feed my lactose intolerant 3 month old baby?

Question

My doctor would like for me to quit nursing my baby as she feels that is what is causing his extreme gasiness and intestinal discomfort, along with trouble sleeping and fussiness. I had never heard of being intolerant of the lactose in mothers milk. I was thinking maybe I could formula feed him for part of the time as he seems to feel better before noon, I think because he goes for longer periods of not nursing then.

Answer 1

Sigh.....
You need a new doctor. One who knows something about breastfeeding.

First off.....has anyone checked your latch? Best if a Lactation Consultant or a La Leche League Leader do this. They are more experienced than doctors when it comes to helping nursing mothers. If your latch isn't good, he could be swallowing a lot of air, which could be causing his problems.

Do you have a really strong letdown? Milk spraying all over the place, baby comes off the breast sputtering or choking when you letdown? This can cause gassiness.

Also, you should look at your diet. Maybe something in your diet is causing his discomfort. The most likely culprit is dairy. I'd suggest cutting out all dairy for 2-3 weeks and see if that makes a difference. (You need to wait that long for it to get out of your systems so you'll know if it made a difference or not.)

Check out the links below. Talk to an IBCLC and/or a LLL Leader before you do anything differently.

Answer 2

Speak to a IBCLC FIRST....i think what may be going on here is a 'foremilk' problem...a baby can develop lactose intolerance (not this early though) because his mom is a big producer of foremilk and baby gets filled up on the watery, lactose -rich part of her milk and doesnt have room to top off with the rich, creamy lactose -free 'hind milk' - this a brief description...please do some research, call a IBCLC, read through some LLL articles.....a baby like this ...usually has green poops, very loud gas, and can be very fussy...they way to correct it is to feed only one side at a time until the milk supply has evened out a bit ...this also ensures baby gets the good, fattening 'hind milk'
A DIFFERENT explanation of what might be going on is that the dairy products YOU are ingesting are bothering the baby. dairy and wheat are the two biggest allergens in the American diet...so a quick test would be to stop eating dairy and wheat products for a week or two (i know, easier said than done...) but if that helps, then you can continue to nurse, have a happier baby, and in time...you will find you can bring these foods back into your diet and it wont bother the baby once she is older. sorry for rambling..hope this all helps....

Answer 3

having a senstivity doesn't mean he will be lactose intolerant to dairy product and milk when older. My uncle had to be put on formula because he couldn't handle his mothers milk either. He is fine with dairy.. and is not lactose intolerant. I don't know the answer to continue breast feeding, but maybe you can add a gentle supplement or gripe water after or during a feeding. But before I quit something like breastfeeding (as that is important to me), i would get a second opinion (without telling them what the first doctor said). My daughter was colicy and gasy, but so are alot of babies on formula. And alot of formulas make babies constipated. I would see another doctor and not tell him that what the first one said.. I have never heard of a doctor recommending that you quit breastfeeding due to gasiness, trouble sleeping, fussiness, and intestinal discomfort. Just sounds like normal colic to me.. and the cause for that is unknown.. they think it COULD be gas. And is common in formula babies too. Wow, taht was long, lol. Excuse the rambling

Answer 4

Two of my three children are lactose intolerant. When my first child was born he had all the same symptoms of your child. I continued to nurse my son until he was a year old. Your baby gets all the nutrients from what you eat. I took all dairy out of my diet. You could give it a try. I also relived his gasiness, and discomfort with Oval drops, they are great and can be given at any time. Even with all your doctors suggestion, you know what is right for your child. Give it a lot of thought, try different things with your diet. Ask you doctor more questions.
I hope this helps.

Answer 5

It is very, VERY rare for an infant to actually be lactose intolerant. That is probably the least likely possibility. It is more likely that he is allergic to the cow's milk protein that you may be consuming in your diet. There are many other possibilities as well. You might cut out dairy from your diet for about 2 weeks and see if that helps.

I suggest that you contact a lactation consultant or La Leche League leader as soon as possible, and find yourself a doctor that is more experienced with breastfed babies.

Answer 6

Sometimes babies are sensitive to things that their mothers eat which then pass into the breastmilk. Some babies are very sensitive to the protein in cow's milk. Have you tried cutting dairy out of your diet? Other possible culprits are caffeine, soy and wheat. Perhaps you can try eliminating one at a time and see if you notice any change. Most babies with stomach trouble have much more trouble with formula than with breastmilk so I'm puzzled that your doctor would suggest switching him to formula. Can you get a second opinion?

Answer 7

It's very rare for a baby to be lactose intolerant and be affected by mother's milk. I'm surprised the pediatrician came to that conclusion just based on a feeling and without suggesting a change in the mother's diet. I would seek a second opinion.

Answer 8

I have heard of this and would suggest you cut out ALL dairy from your diet, even if it's cooked in something like pizza crust. It may take awhile to "detox," but it should help with the problem. Go to this site for more information and visit the article links listed at the bottom.

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/lactose-intolerance.html

I forgot to say that both my breastfed children had issues with milk, although I didn't have to cut out all dairy. I just had to quit eating dairy products and drinking milk until they were older. They would get really gassy and fussy when I ate certain foods. Just try to figure out what the trigger foods are and cut it out of your diet. Good luck!

Answer 9

It is really really rare for an infant to be lactose intollerant. You would have noticed it a long time ago and she would have labeled "failure to thrive".

You may try cutting dairy and/or soy out of your diet and see if there is improvment within a few weeks. Its very common for an infant to be allergic to dairy or soy proteins and that should be the first thing checked.

Breastmilk actually contains lactase (the enzyme to digest lactose).

Also, find a new doctor and get a second opinion.

Answer 10

Stop eating any and all dairy. That includes hamburger buns that have been buttered and grilled, some breaded chicken patties, anything with cheese, etc...

Read lables and you can do it. I know 2 girls who are completely milk free because one has a daughter with a milk allergy and the other has a son who is lactose intolerent.

I commend you for trying to keep breastfeeding your child.