Help with plan to intro milk

[deckchariot]

ditto to that - if she's ok with what you've done prior to this, I'd go back to that place, and then wait at least a month before trying any new dairy.

[green100]

Tried again, DD didn't react as quickly this time. No spit up until the next day and the day after that.  I'm in my last month of mat leave and would like to wean her to either goat's milk OR a coconut/almond combo. Any suggestions on what to try? I'm leaning towards goat's milk just for ease, no mixing required, but read that the goat's milk protein is similar to cow's milk but is more easily digested. The goat's milk would be pasteurized as that is all we have access to in Canada. If going this route should I try it myself first to see how DD manages it through the breast milk?

If we went the coconut/almond milk mix, obviously we would try each milk seperately before the mix. Due to DD early onset of eczema I've read that introduction of peanuts should be delayed, I know that peanuts are actually part of the legume family not a nut, but would there be any issue with the introduction of almond milk?

When would we try introducing milk or milk products like cheese and yogurt? I'm going to continue with morning and night time BF for at least a little while once I return to work, but don't plan on doing it long term just as part of the transition to daycare then stop once she is settled in, so I won't be able to test it through my breast milk much longer.

Wishing our family MD was more supportive. I've really felt like she is brushing off my concerns, so I've had to just kind of make my own way.  Our next appt is her 1 yr well visit which is at the end of the month and I want to have weaned her to something before then. I don't want to be weaning and transition to daycare at the same time.

[deckchariot]

the slower reaction I would think is a good thing....

I introduced goat's milk into my diet when dd2 was 6 mos old, and she was fine.  We just introduced it to her last week and she's been fine.  That's her first direct "dairy".  She's been drinking coconut milk since she was 10 mos, but having it in her cereal since she was 6 mos.  She's had some almond milk, but mostly just coconut. 

My plan has always been to try stuff myself first and then give it to dd2.  So I began with goat's milk/cheese when she was 6 mos, then I did yogurt (around 8mos), butter/milk in baked goods (9mos), then hard/aged cheeses (10 mos), and then small amounts of any kind of cheese (11mos).  I accidentally had some milk in oatmeal about a month ago and she reacted to that, so I've not had any more regular milk and I'm probably  not going to until she's weaned, it's just easier.

We've just started introducing goat's milk/cheese with her and I'll give that probably 3-4 weeks, then do yogurt, then butter/milk in baked goods etc. all very, very slowly - maybe every 3-4 weeks if she's doing well.  She's been doing so well I just don't want to go back to the awful place we were in before the MSPI was diagnosed.

[green100]

I struggle at times because we don't have a Dx, just my observations. I had a glass of goat's milk today...but haven't breast fed yet so we'll see.  I was looking at my options for coconut milk and there were 2L containers in the organic dairy section, but when I looked at the ingredients there seemed to be a lot other ingredients one of which was sugar. It was actually called coconut milk beverage. Or in the asian food section there was coconut milk in a can, but I feel like we would go through a lot of cans of coconut milk in a day. I was hoping to go organic but couldn't find organic coconut milk. I might have to source out some health food stores...but that would certainly be much less convenient when it comes to grocery shopping.

Fingers crossed that DD doesn't react to the goat's milk. We are lucky that her only reaction is spitting up, she's super happy and doesn't seem bothered by it at all. In fact loves playing with the spit up..."finger paint"!

Thanks for sharing Michelle!

[deckchariot]

it's always good to have a happy spitter   I hope she does well with goat's milk!  We use the Silk brand of coconut milk, it is exceedingly sweet, but it's got good fat in it and loads of calcium, and it's cheaper than goat's milk here.  I've been told the coconut milk in a can is good too, but I'm with you, we'd go through it so fast.

[green100]

So far so good...I had goat's milk yesterday and today with no spitting up yet. Assuming all clear I'd give her some next week...should I try goat cheese first or would the milk be okay?  I know the general idea is to give more processed items first, but with the cheese being soft I wasn't sure if it would matter. I'm not super excited to finish the goat's milk...it's okay but I prefer it in the cheese form!

[deckchariot]

we do it in cheese form here - because it's soooooooo yummy!  I'm glad she's doing fine with you having goat's milk!

[green100]

Now I'm beginning to wonder because she was sleeping fitfully last night...she woke later in the evening and needed settling and then woke at 4:30am and I made her wait until 5am for a BF. We've just worked super hard on EW and she was waking at 5:30 - 6am. She also didn't have as good of an afternoon nap...this also could be related to the 2:1 transition and we just kind of plateaued at a new routine and really we should have kept capping and moving the am nap...
 
Yesterday she also had some crusties on her ear when she woke from her am nap, which may or may not have been spit up, it could have just been drool. I couldn't see any obvious signs on her crib sheet, but it is cream in colour so wouldn't show up very well.

What to do...wish she could just tell me if it was the goat's milk or not! I'm eager to do whatever it takes to not wake up at 4:30am, but we also need to figure something out for "milk" ASAP as it's 4 weeks today that I return to work. I was trying to avoid formula, but i might have to get Alimentum for now.

[deckchariot]

it's so hard to know exactly what the issue is, isn't it?  That 2 to 1 switch messes things up, as can teething.  I'd say if she's not spitting up (that you can tell), I'd try goat's milk again and see if the fitful sleep continues.  You could also try changing the routine and see if that helps.  How old is she now?

[green100]

DD is just over 11 months old. Yesterdays schedule was all wonky as we had a playdate with a friend, bedtime was extra late but she slept well...I didn't have any goat's milk yesterday. I'll try a glass today and see what happens. She also developed a pretty extensive diaper rash yesterday. I'll watch that too. I never counted diaper rash as a symptom though we did have issues with this when she was young...I thought it was associated with our cloth diapers as we were having some washing issues with them and I think she was reacting to the detergent build up. I feel like that did clear up before I stopped drinking milk when we switched detergents.

[green100]

When I was researching whether it was okay to introduce almond milk to DD, i've found that because she had eczema (and both DH and I do) + she has a food sensitivity, that tree nuts (including coconuts) should be avoided until age 3, I was already aware of this for peanuts but didn't know it applied to tree nuts too.  I also never thought of a coconut as a tree nut, but i guess so! So if this next goat's milk trial is unsuccessful I'll proceed with alimentum or nutragen. 

[deckchariot]

I'm not sure why coconut is considered a tree nut, but it is, so yes, probably best to wait on that.  Do you have oat milk or hemp milk available?  I know some MSPI moms who use those.  Of course if the goat's milk works, that gives you an option too.  The eczema could likely be caused by her milk intolerance.

[green100]

Well I've finished off the carton of goat's milk and I've seen no signs. That bad night, might have just been a one off.  Fingers crossed things continue to go well over the next couple of days and then we'll let DD try some goat's cheese.

[deckchariot]

So glad things are going well!!  I know it's such a relief when you find something that works!  Good luck with the goat cheese.  K is doing great with it here.  I'm planning on trying yogurt in another week or so.

[green100]

That's a negative on the goat's cheese BUT only because she was turning her nose up at it. We'll keep plugging away at it. In the mean time, I looked in to hemp milk and we've tried it over the last few days.  Only thing I'm noticing is a diaper rash...not sure if it is her cloth diapers or the hemp milk. We'll try disposables with lots of bum bum balm to see if it clears up. Only thing is it has less fat than whole milk so we'll have to be extra dilligent with ensuring she gets enough fat from other sources. She loves avocado so that is helpful.

Frustrating is that our families keeps saying why don't you just try giving her some milk? Clearly they think I'm crazy too.  I'm glad to have a place to vent and explore options! Thanks!

Michelle, did you trial yogurt? hope it was successful!