What's inside (Contents)
Milk protein allergy is something we as moms didn't know about years ago. But thanks to advances in science and the miracle that is called Pinterest. We have communicated, and resources are available. PRAISE GOODNESS! It's a steep path to navigate when your whole world consists of cheese, right?
Also known as MSPI or Milk Soy Protein Intolerance. It means that your baby can not process or digest protein that comes from a cow's milk or soy-based products. A milk protein allergy or intolerance doesn't work like a "normal" allergy that would last the baby's lifetime. It usually gets better by a year of age or a little bit older.
Greyson outgrew his milk protein allergy by 14 months. THANK JESUS UP ABOVE, cause I missed my cheese! A milk protein allergy can be closely followed by other more severe GI diagnoses. Again Thank you, Jesus, that Greyson hasn't appeared to have any other issues since the first year. I want to believe I helped in prevention by strictly adhering to the rules of the dairy/soy free game. Unfortunately, his older brother Elias (19 years older) didn't have the luxury of a Pinterest searching mom with texting capabilities. Looking back, what was called Colic, was most likely a milk protein allergy. It's very common for it to run in families and for you to have more than one child with a milk protein allergy. Elias has struggled with GI problems from day one and still does. I just took him to the ER last week. That's a whole different blog post entitled, "Getting your young teen/adult to follow a restricted diet is nearly impossible."
I've included links to some of these diagnoses as I do not consider myself capable of explaining them fully.
In my case, A friend recommended I explore it and I then combed Pinterest and the internet.
An official diagnosis is hard to come by and would involve blood tests, skin allergy testing, stool analysis, and more. These tests can be inconclusive. Most pediatricians, including mine, suggest an elimination diet. The elimination diet will give you the best answers and possibly your baby some peace.
This one is pretty simple. Cut out all milk products and soy. Yes, I mean DAIRY! We were living in Chicago when I started eliminating. Did I mention, we were living in a hotel in Chicago with a screaming baby? Chicago has pizza. Pizza and more pizza. But, I was desperate for my little one and the rest of the family to get relief.
I cut out all visible milk and dairy products. Within a week, Greyson was a different baby. By two weeks, he was a HAPPY baby full of content. He started to gain weight slowly (due to my breast surgery, which I'll address later) but surely.
At the two week mark, I discovered that I knew absolutely nothing about milk protein. It is in EVERYTHING. From apparent products like cheese to less evident like food seasonings.
I sought help on social media forums, and a wealth of recipes and ideas came pouring in. Thank you social media. In 2014 there was a lot less readily available information.
So fast forward to 2017, my grandson had all the same symptoms, so Anna started the elimination diet, and Asa was much better. She has a much better understanding thanks to bloggers, Pinterest, and Google.
I've included links that Anna and I found helpful. Then you can save our post and in it will be valuable resources.
I mentioned before that due to my breast surgery things were all bonked. So at the same time that we figured out the milk protein allergy, we had to explore supplementing. OK, so if you knew me, you would see that I am a die-hard breastfeeding advocate. I'm the labor nurse who fights for your skin to skin and first breastfeeding experience in the labor room. So, having to supplement was sucky, primarily because it was due to me having my boobs done. Granted, I thought I was done having babies and wanted my boobs off my hips for my exciting 40's!
I decided to use a Supplemental Nursing System, which is incredible but also incredibly time-consuming. However, I wanted to combine formula with the precious amount of breastmilk I was able to produce, and I accomplished this goal using the SNS. However. I won't tell you about the time it slipped out of my shirt in Carrabas, which I'm pretty sure stunned our server.
Ok, brace yourself. These suckers are expensive. I mean really pricey. HOWEVER! Insurance should reimburse. I sent a letter from my pediatrician to Blue Cross, and they reviewed it...for months. I finally got it all back.
Another tip: ASK FOR SAMPLES. I got tons of cans from my peds office. ASK!!!!
Nutramigen by Enfamil*I used this one
I hope this helped you find some answers and pointed you in a helpful direction for answers. If your baby has a milk protein allergy, you need lots of information and support. Be sure to comment, sharing your questions and experiences. Anna is in the throws of breastfeeding a baby (my sweet grandson Asa) who has a milk protein allergy. She would be happy to answer your questions!
Just a little Disclaimer: As always, I am just writing my thoughts and learnings. Although I am in fact a labor and delivery RN, this is not medical advice. You should always seek and follow the advice of your caregiver.
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