HELP.. EASY not so easy and also now a milk allergy !!!!!!!!!

[Tracy0306]

Hi all,  I'm new to this forum but have read a couple of the BW books and used some of it with my first DD. She was a great sleeper and slept through the night by about 8 weeks . She was BF for only about 6 weeks as it didn't go very well and then was on formula.We didn't wake her to feed her we let her sleep as long as she wanted and fed her when she woke. Both day and night.

 Now.... DD #2 is 7 weeks and I'm having a heck of a time with sleeping.I've been trying for the 3 hour easy, and I have to wake her during the day for just about every feed ! Then at night she wakes every 2 to 2 1/2 hours to be fed !!!!! Also she seems to go to sleep fairly well during the day but at night it takes forever to get her down. What am I doing wrong?She is BF and we started giving her 1 bottle of formula at night when she was about 3 weeks. I thought the routine would be easier with having a toddler in the house too . But I expected a little more sleep at night.

 And to top it all off she now has a milk allergy and possibly reflux. So needless to say she's miserable, not sleeping well day or night and vomiting lots of what she has eaten.We've been to our Doc. who said to give up the formula and for me to give up dairy as well  . So after a few days there was some improvement but I went out for dinner a couple nights ago and forgot and had some cheese , The next day she was miserable again, vomiting , loose stools etc. I tried giving her soy formula which I maybe should not have because now I don't know if that's bothering her too ! So I thought I'd just BF and see what happens. We do have another Doctors appt. next week.
 
  My other concern is that I really did not want to BF for more than a few months and I'm worried I'm going to be stuck doing it for a year because of her allergy.

  So I guess my question is... should I still be tryig to get the easy routine going or just focus on getting the allergy thing under control?

  I thought the second time around I would be much better at this , But I still don't know what to do and starting to feel very overwhelmed by it all.

  Sorry to be so rambling but I'm desperate ! Anyone else experience anything similar or have any suggestions

[jbepko]

My LO had a MPSI (milk protein soy intolerance) and dairy free was not alot of fun, but it can be done. The Food Allergy forum has alot of good tips- especially on hidden milk products. You probably already know- but if you offer formula use soy free- the intolerance is to milk and soy proteins usually. I would concentrate on the feeds first and then EASY later. I was lucky and my LO outgrew his intolerance around 8 months, so you may be able to introduce dairy earlier than one year, but ask your doc. 
 
  My other concern is that I really did not want to BF for more than a few months and I'm worried I'm going to be stuck doing it for a year because of her allergy.

 
  Please don't feel "stuck"- that's not a good situation for you or for your little one. There are folks here who can support you through your issues. Its hard to see that 6 weeks for now, your situation will be a lot better. The elimination was hard (and I love cheese, ice cream, etc) but once I saw how much better DS was, it become easier than I initially thought. Don't try to change too much at once and take victory in small steps forward.

[motherof3]

I think that I would try to get the allergy problem under control and then consentrate on E.A.S.Y.  My daughter was diagnosed with reflux at 2wks. and a suspected milk/soy protein allergy and is on Nutramigen.  This has really helped along with the Prevacid that she takes.  She is now 14wks. and we started introducing E.A.S.Y. last week and she is doing wonderful  .  Prior to this we used to walk her to sleep and she had inconsistent naps through out the day.  She has adapted so well.  It is much easier to get them on E.A.S.Y. after they are happy.  I hope you get some answers soon.

[Bethan]

I just want to encourage you not to give up. Both my daughter and son had milk soy intolerance and son is 3 now, my daughter is 1 year. I nursed him 15 months and am nursing her now. I am in the process of weaning her. I had to stay away from milk and while it was hard I am thankful I kept breastfeeding because my son has a lot of food allergies and I believe that breastfeeding actually protected him from having a worse problem. It gets better usually between 3 to 6 months and if you stick with it you will find it rewarding. There are a lot of challenges but the benefits are many. It does get easier if you can make it through the first few months. If you find a formula that works for her I am sure that will be fine but if you really want to breastfeed I just want to let you know it gets easier as the digestive system matures.

[sunfish]

I'm also likewise going to chime in and offer words of encouragement. My LO was diagnosed with reflux at about 2 weeks (85% of preemies are like that) and suspected food allergies so I was on a very restrictive diet - no milk, no eggs, no soy... She was finally confirmed with egg and wheat allergies at 6 months (yay I can have milk again!), her rash has gone down somewhat and we are still breastfeeding. I started her on EASY about 6 weeks after she was born and we are coping quite well except for the occasional hiccup. It did however take about two weeks of preserverance. So, whenever you are ready to start EASY with your LO, please feel free to come for support. It'll be worth it in the end.