Are you in the US or the UK? Sounds like UK to me when you say Aptamil and C&G?
Anyway, he can have soy formula, it is suitable from birth. Not sure who has told you not until 1 year? I know there is some controversy over soy formula and the hormones in it, but I had a long chat with our paed GI about it and he's said that studies are 50-50 and nothing is proven, and that for that matter the level of hormone is SO low that in his opinion it's not worth worrying about. In the US, soy formula is used for appx 25% of all babies.
So, that aside, I would suggest that you keep a log (or take whatever notes you have) of your DS's symptoms, and even take photos of his poop (I did!) to your GP. Your GP may be comfortable making a diagnosis of milk allergy/intolerance or may prefer to refer you to a paediatric gastroenterologist for a diagnosis. The Paed GI will discuss the options with you. My GP put DS on soy until we had the paed appointment, and by that time he was only starting to show signs of soy allergy as well. A week later we were given Nutramigen.
Yes, the Nutramigen is nasty tasting, but we were just very patient with DS. He was on 7 ounce bottles so we started with 5 ounces of his soy and 2 ounces of Nutramigen mixed together. Every 3 or 4 days we reduced the soy and increased the Nutramigen. I think it took 3 weeks to get him on full Nutramigen and now he slurps it back without any hesitation.
Also, remember that your LO's formula is most important for his nutrition until he is one year, so don't try to cut back on his milk to replace it with solids. Solids will be a complimentary food for him, just learning to taste and eat for the first while.
Oh - and finally, lactose intolerance is VERY rare in babies (although common in adults) and milk allergy/intolerance is much more common for infants. Not that lactose intolerance is impossible for a baby, but it is quite rare, and my thought is that for that reason alone, it is probably a dairy/milk allergy or intolerance rather than the lactose. Hypoallergenic formulas are also lactose free, however. And in the UK, they are prescription (soy is as well) and so the extra cost will not be preventative. In the US and Canada, I know you can apply to have them paid for and it depends on your insurance provider; if that is the case there are others on here who can help you with advice on that front!
