When a toddler on a bottle can't have dairy

[425lisamarie]

I've posted random thoughts about this on going problem I've had and I think I've come to the conclusion that I really need to limit dairy for my 16 month old. I don't even want to go in to why she is still not breastfed, it's a tough subject. My 3.5 year old has no milk allergy and I breastfed him for over 2 years....but anyhow

She still likes her bottle, I don't blame her, and i'm not making her get rid of it. She doesn't really eat a steady diet, but she does love her bottle of raw milk. That is really her staple food still obviously being so young.

I had her drinking raw goats milk but there is no chance I am doing that again, she and I both got violently ill on two occassions. That and she actually does better all around on cow's raw milk so I don't think that makes a huge difference, even though some have told me goat's is probably better.

When she was sick with diarhea and vomiting for 3 days, she didn't really want to eat much anyways and puked after milk, so we took her off for 2 full days. No eczema. None, not even a pink spot anywhere on her skin.

I am in denial about this because it is first of all devistating that I am not breastfeeding, and now I really don't think she can drink milk.

So what the heck can I give her in a bottle?

Oh, and I don't think it is a terrible allergy/intolerance whatever you call it. When she drinks a TON of bottles in a day, it's worse it seems. And she eats cheese/yogurt no problem. I don't know what to do

[newcastlemama]

Maybe water down yogurt a little and cut the hole bigger in the bottle nipple? Makes it into a yogurt drink. Maybe she is just having a hard time digesting the lactose.

Maybe you could add lactase to her milk bottle?

Jen

[Meg_s]

can she eat egg yolks? I like to make drinks by separating the yolk from the white, putting it in a blender with very warm water, butter oil (because my son can't eat dairy, this is just butter that I've cooked to get rid of the proteins) and just a LITTLE sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg. It is delicious and refrigerates well.

[425lisamarie]

Originally Posted by newcastlemama

Maybe water down yogurt a little and cut the hole bigger in the bottle nipple? Makes it into a yogurt drink. Maybe she is just having a hard time digesting the lactose.

Maybe you could add lactase to her milk bottle?

Jen

I really don't know what it is, because it's day to day, and days she doesn't drink so much, it seems better. I watered down all her bottles by 1 ounce for her middle of the night bottles.

I'm not an allergy expert, I know that if it's an allergy and not a lactose problem that is when you get the rash from it...I think. I should just have her tested once and for all and see. I just don't trust any homeopath I've talked to in this area, and I don't know where to find a good allergist or whoever does that sort of thing.

[newcastlemama]

I have heard (and experineced) testing is very inaccurate for small children. My son gets a rash from any kind of cow milk and an allergy test came back negative. At this point I find it more effective to just obeserve and trust my instincts.

I would just try only giving her yogurt and cheese for a while and see how things go. If she eats lots of those with no issue then it was probably just the lactose.

s Jen

[425lisamarie]

Originally Posted by newcastlemama

I have heard (and experineced) testing is very inaccurate for small children. My son gets a rash from any kind of cow milk and an allergy test came back negative. At this point I find it more effective to just obeserve and trust my instincts.

I would just try only giving her yogurt and cheese for a while and see how things go. If she eats lots of those with no issue then it was probably just the lactose.

s Jen

Thanks, and yes I totally agree which is why I have kept her away from any practitioner. I sort of feel like I am experimenting on her when someone may be able to give me a simple answer, but I'm sure no one could...

I may try to start just culturing the milk with kefir and making it drinkable. Not sure if she'd go for that and I'm not going to give her sugar in a bottle. I really feel like she still needs her bottle, especially since she can't nurse as my son did, and he needed it well after 2 even. It's just so frustrating

ETA: what would adding lactase to the bottle do? Would it taste bad? I know she doesn't need a homemade formula anymore since she is older. The homemade formulas call for lactose, among water cream and other things I guess to balance because infants need a different amount of water/protein/carbs etc. Ugh

[quietserena]

can she tolerate really 'young' kefir, like 12 hour one? that might be thinner than yogurt. also, cultured goats milk might be something else to try though if you got violently ill...

i know it's hard when your kid seems to be reacting to a food that is something kids are supposed to be able to have.

other thing to consider would be a nut milk, but made with soaked nuts. there are recipes on the internet for making almond milk. this obviously isn't as nutritiously balanced as cows or goats milk but it's something in the bottle when a bottle is needed.

lactase in the homemade formula is to help with the lactose in milk since there is more lactose in cows milk than human, iirc. imo, 16 months isn't too old for formula since she could still be nursing, you know? the digestive system is still setting up at that age.

Is relactating at all a possibility? You could pump and give her breastmilk in the bottle and not have to worry about a lot of this.

I'm sorry that this is so hard on you. The stress of thinking about what your kid can eat is something that has been eating at me lately. (Hah!) Since ragweed season started, and I've been watching DH's whole face start itching him, I've been worried even more about what to give DD and whether that might bring on an allergy. It was so much easier while she was in the womb!

[Ruthla]

I wouldn't try her on goat milk again since she had such a horrible reaction to it. Have you tried sheep milk?

I'm trying to think what else you could fill her bottle with. There's certainly the option of just using water in the bottle- for fluids and comfort, but get her nutrition elsewhere. Or maybe use bone broths in her bottle instead of milk? Wasn't there a meat-based formula recipe in NT? IMO, formula is appropriate for any child under age 2, although it's not as necessary after age 1.

[dawn1221]

We had the same problem with DD. She tested negative for a milk allergy too.

She is on plain organic soy milk. I buy the refrigerated kind because I am sure the ones on the shelf have a lot of preservatives in them. As soon as I put DD on soy, she stopped getting rashes. We don't do the sweetened ones (DD is heavier already and DOES NOT need the sugar).

Have you had your baby tested for a corn allergy? I ask because mine tested positive for that (but negative for milk). We have to be so careful as corn products are in EVERYTHING! HFCS, Corn oil, Corn starch, etc. are all off limits.

In some ways I am glad she has this allergy. It has opened my eyes about what is in our food and really changed our eating habits. DD won't eat something different than us so we have to eat healthier too. Heck, I lost 10 pounds without dieting just but eliminating HFCS in our food (but I still drink soda daily). They hide it is the weirdest places.

[425lisamarie]

so what would you do? Put her back on formula? Make homemade formula? I have a feeling it's just the fact that she is drinking SO much milk, that it's too much for her body to handle. I think formula has more water in it then straight milk right? This really is her main nutrition right now, and I can't imagine trying to wean her from a bottle right now. That would be like thinking I could have weaned my son from the breast! Or maybe I should try to come up with some way to make cultured milk formula:

Thanks for everyone's help though, it makes me feel a little better to hear something besides if you won't relactate or get donated BM you might as well give up and sign her life away.

[applecore]

I've heard that the skin prick tests for allergies/sensitivities is quite inaccurate, but that the Eliza (blood sample) test is usually right on. That might give you a bit of help.

I also just wanted to say that I'm sorry people have made you feel crappy about not being able to breastfeed your daughter. That's what I got from your post, at least. That's one thing that sucks about the natural community sometimes. It's like it's a competition to see who's the crunchiest. :