Is it enough?

[Tecike]

Hi all!

I had to wean DS2 from BFing 2 months ago and we went on to HAF. At first he didn't like the taste, so it took him a while to get used to it. Now, I'm not sure if he has enough HAF or he should have more??? He's 1 yr and 1 wk old and has a morning bottle of 150 ml, a pm bottle of 100 ml (I am offering this only because I feel he has to have more, but if he skips it occasionally, he's fine with it) and a BT bottle of 200 ml where he drinks 150 ml and then I offer the rest as a NF when he wakes in the night. So, all in all he has 450 ml or less a day...

Otherwise he eats solids fine. He doesn't eat much at a time, but eats more often smaller amounts. Maybe he's like that with bottles as well?
My DS1 had a morning and BT bottle by this time, so I'm a bit confused with him now... 

[Lemonthyme]

I think you are meant to look at about 3/4-1 pint per day so that's in the right range but that includes milk in food.  I think kids vary but my son was having a morning and night cup at that age.  I was worried as well about how much milk he was having at that age so I used to give him lots of cheese, yoghurt, milky sauces etc.

[Tecike]

Oh, I forgot to say we went dairy free with him 2 months ago due to his sleep issues. Sleep is fine now, and I'm trying to give him more calcium-rich food, that's why I am worried about HAF intake...

[Lemonthyme]

Ah sorry!  I didn't know what HAF was and I assumed it was a formula.  Tinned fish can be good as that has calcium in it?  Can you use HAF in cooking?

[creations]

Like LT has said, the amount is well within the guidance (350ml - 600ml per day) so I wouldn't worry
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=67569.0
We all do worry about these things though, it's understandable when your LO can't have dairy.

[Tecike]

LT, yes, HAF is hypo-allergenic formula. Good to know the amount he drinks is fine! I do give him tinned fish a lot and other calcium-rich food. Unfortunately I don't use the formula in cooking as it's too pricey... 

Do you think it's fine if he drinks smaller amounts more often? Or should I somehow *make* him have a morning and BT bottle only? I don't really think I can *make* him drink more at a time, but I could try... 

[creations]

I don't think there is a problem with the amount he is taking in a bottle.  A cup of milk is say 150 - 190ml and two per day plus solids dairy would be normal.  In the absence of solids dairy you could just go with the two bottles (the morning and BT) and a sippy cup of milk at another time in the day.
I think it's fine what you are doing whether or not he has that extra pm bottle in the afternoon.  You can't (and wouldn't want to) force a LO to take more in one go, it's not like he's snacking on 30ml at a time.

[Lemonthyme]

Daft question; the HAF is due to sleep issues, why was milk affecting sleep?  If it's due to lactose intolerance you might find hard, aged cheese to be tolerated pretty well.  It might be worth checking with someone who knows as I blatantly don't lol!

[*Kara*]

HAF is used when LO has a milk protein intolerance, not a lactose issue   So all dairy is a no-go for this LO.

Just a reminder that LO's do not need milk to survive   Us momma's like to see them drink loads, but it isn't needed.  The key thing from milk is really the fat and that can be through other foods like avocados/olive oil etc... The calcium in milk isn't easily absorbed... fish with bones and broccoli are better food sources... if you are worried, you could try a fortified coconut milk (good medium chain fatty acids) and a calcium supplement.

[Tecike]

Thanks Kara, for all that info! Here in Serbia even drs don't tell you all that - my dr said it can't be MPI because he doesn't have skin issues, but on the food allergies board there were ladies who had experience with MPI affecting sleep only... And there really is a huge improvement in his night sleep - from 10-12 NWs we're down to 1-2! 
Unfortunately coconut milk isn't available here, so I'm sticking with calcium-rich food.

Creations, thanks for reassuring me that what we're doing is fine!  Sometimes I feel it's just what I need - someone to tell me my mummy instinct is working... 

[Lemonthyme]

Ah now I understand!  Sorry for my lack of knowledge.  Is he ok with soy, nut or oat milks?  Some of these are fortified and you can cook with them.

[Tecike]

I haven't tried any milk yet, but I think it's only soy and rice milk that can be bought here... I did wonder the other day if they can be used in cooking... 

[Lemonthyme]

Yep they can, although you may taste a difference with some meals. 

Here are a few resources for you:

http://www.sogoodbeverage.com/recipes.cfm
http://www.alpro.com/uk/cooking
http://voices.yahoo.com/8-ways-cook-rice-milk-4008805.html
http://www.tastethedream.com/recipes/index.php

Also it's worth looking at vegan websites and recipes as they will often use rice and soy milk.

[*Kara*]

I would avoid rice milk as it can contain arsenic...  and I would also avoid soy as most LO's sensitive to milk protein also react to soy protein as the two are very similar.

my dr said it can't be MPI because he doesn't have skin issues

That is odd - MPI rarely causes skin issues... it causes gastro issues.  Milk allergy will cause skin issues like excema... allergy is generally outgrown by school age but MPI never really goes away - it just gets better with less symptoms.

If you are worried about nutrition, I would just keep him on the HAF for now and transition him to a sippy when you are ready... no rush at all - he's just wee still!  I believe UK docs actually recommend keeping LO's on HAF until age 2 for nutritional reasons.

I feel it's just what I need - someone to tell me my mummy instinct is working...

We all need that from time to time... and we all need to learn to trust our instinct more often

[Tecike]

Oh, thanks ladies! I will check the recipe sites for sure!
For now I think I'm sticking with HAF as to try other milks he has to be dairy free for a few months still...

Kara, I'm so happy I have an expert to talk about these things, YK! The drs here seem only to believe in visible symptoms, she actually said MPI should cause either excema or rash in the armpits... If I didn't have this forum, I would never have tried dairy free and we'd be struggling with NWs for ages! 

[*Kara*]

That's awful hun... so sorry that the doctors are lacking good information over there!