Milk/Soy Protein Intolerance - MSPI - READ HERE!!!

[First Time Mom]

Hey Steph,
Just thought I'd pass on something that maybe worthwhile for you to try regarding the eczema. Mths ago Milena broke out into a rash after trying organic oatmeal cereal (which I discontinued), it then turned into a bad case of excema and got worse when we tried organic brown rice cereal. I posted and searched for alternatives to cortizone cream and someone suggested giving an herbal bath of Roobois tea. I tried the tea as creams were not helping and the tea worked amazing. I saw a 40% improvement after about 3 baths and within under 2 weeks her skin had totally cleared.

[First Time Mom]

Oh, I forgot, as for the goat's milk, I would stay away from it. My ped said they could react to it the same. Months ago I tried a piece of feta cheese to see if Milena would react and she had blood in her stool and runny stools by the next day. Just our experience. We just had a ped appt this week and I asked about milk alternatives for Milena. Ped said instead to give soy formula as the Milk substitute if I wanted (I'm lucky she's fine with soy). I'm not going to as long as I continue to bf. She also said "extra" calcium was not required as they get lots in their cereal and from bfing. She has never seem a lo that was short on calcium but did see los with low iron.

[SAHNE]

Thanks for the advice on the eczema - I'll have to find some of that tea.  Do you just put the tea bags into the water?  Sounds like a neat trick.  Also thanks for the heads up on goats milk - I was planning to ask our dr. at the next checkup.  Someone should be working on some alternatives for these babies - and their moms!! I think it would be easier just to have a "formula" drink for us!! 

[First Time Mom]

I use the loose tea and just toss it in with the hot bath water before I add cool water, it's messy and can stain (red) but the tub cleans easy. I use rice milk and just bought almond milk to try. I have a local health food grocery store near me which is great, they have all kinds of cookies/squares and other foods that are for vegan diets so they work for my dairy free diet. I bought a dairly free cheese to try once, it was quite expensive, but then couldn't bring myself to try it- the thought of it was too gross so I tossed it!

[SAHNE]

That's so nice you have the health store available - we just moved to central Nebraska (USA) and well... not so many options.  I'll have to load up next time we go to the city.  I tried soy milk once, but ds reacted... haven't tried rice milk - didn't sound to good - I like the rice dream frozen dessert though.  I'll have to try rice and/or almond milk.

[First Time Mom]

Tried the almond milk and it's gross, I think it's an aquired taste but then so was the rice milk. I can't drink any of them on their own (but then I always hated the smell and taste of cow's milk) but it works well in my coffee and I use it for making pancakes, frozen fruit shakes, etc.

Did you know we can eat chocolate?! As long as it's not milk chocolate, has to be the dark real stuff (read the ingredients). Oh, what a treat, I've died and gone to heaven!!!

[SAHNE]

Yes, I discovered ghirardelli chocolate chips that are amazing!!  And duncan hines makes a msf brownie mix... these have definitely been a great treat!!!  I haven't tried any other chocolates yet.

[SAHNE]

First Time Mom - tried the muffins this week -- yummy!  Thanks for the recipe!

We also started solids... only Squash so far - we're on day 4.  He's eaten about 3 tsp. once each day.  He always has eczema off/on and it seems to be a bit worse (not much, dh says I'm way to paranoid) and is a little more gassy and bm's seem to be changing and bothering him slightly - should I be concerned or are these normal transitional symptons when MSPI babies start solids as they have weaker digestive systems??  Just curious.

Thanks,
Steph

[Brit in USA]

Hi there. This is the first time I have posted, I have been reading this thread for a while - great info - thanks! My son Connor is 4 month's old and has acid reflux, MSPI and kidney reflux. The Acid reflux is OK now he's on prevacid and pepcid. We're doing well with Chiropractor treatment and our Ped has suggested Cranio Sacral therapy which we start next week.

Green and Blacks Organic dark chocolate and maya gold (chocolate orange) is also MSP free - it's delicious!

Word of warning - don't buy Harris Teeter Rice Milk - I wondered why my son was reacting badly - it's got soy in it - can you believe it???! I was so angry I called them to complain. Rice milk with soy in it - that's so dumb.

I have totally cut out milk and soy. Here's the weird thing though - we live in the US - our son pukes alot; due to acid reflux and MSPI so we're told. We've just got back from 3 weeks in the UK and he didn't puke at all. Now we're back he's puking again. Strange??

[ks6]

I read in an MSPI book (can't remember the author right now) that MSPI is more common in the midwestern US.  I wonder if that's true?

[First Time Mom]

Steph, I look for zero reaction with new foods/solids. I would say added gas, excema, etc., could be that the solids do not quite agree yet. In what way have the bm changed? Bm's will change with the intro of solids, bf'd babies bm smells like roses in comparison to when solids are introduced! DD's changed to be more "solid" and stinky now that she's on solids. With the gas and excema (depending on how bad) I would stop the squash and try again later. Either wait until 6+ mths or try something else mild- banana, avocado, or rice cereal. DD had reaction to oatmeal and brown rice cereal (both organic) when she was 7.5 mths but I just tried it again at 9.5 mths and she's fine now. Try the Roobois tea bath for the excema, worked wonders for us! Glad you liked the muffins! I just made another batch myself.

Brit in USA, I LOVE that chocolate!! My sis just picked me up the orange one while out for a walk and I'm waiting for her to come visit me!! That's very strange about the not-puking in the UK! Here (in Canada and US) we're into hormones in animal feed, GMO's in our food, etc., Europe seems to be so much tighter with what they don't accept, I always wondered if our allergies are because of this.

[SAHNE]

Bummer - he was just loving the eat thing.. but I was guessing the reaction was no good.  His bm's have been less (possibly a little constipated??) and alternate b/n green and yellow - pretty runny.  Ped said to start on veggies as opposed to cereal.  I have some sweet potatoes for him - maybe I'll try those?? Or do you think it's just the solid thing altogether??

Thanks,
Steph

THanks for the choc. idea Brit in the USA! 

[First Time Mom]

Many babies can get slightly consitpated from starting solids especially if starting with cereal. Can't see it with veggies though, I wouldn't think they'd get constipated. Constipated and pretty runny when he does go sounds like maybe he's not ready, especially when you add the fact that there's green (yet he hasn't eaten anything green). I think I'd hold off until his system gets back to regular and then try again, it'll put you closer to the 6 mths anyways. If his bms are runny I would also be counting his wet diapers (5-6) to make sure he doesn't get dehydrated.

Are you still giving him the other formula that you tried? If so, is he fine with it? I would also just make sure it's from the solids and not the formula, another good reason I guess, for holding off on the solids a bit, to establish if the prob is with the formula or the solids.

[SAHNE]

Thanks for the insight... how is it that you're so wise as a first time mom and I'm so clueless??   Seriously, I appreciate your help.  I just did the formula thing for a couple of days - then decided to go back to bf - however it could be something I ate as I don't think I'm always 100% clear even though I try so hard.  I did try sweet potatoes with him this morning- I guess I'll see how it goes and if same result hold off for a few weeks.  Wish I could figure out what it is that I'm still eating... guess I need to go back to the food diary for a few weeks. 

I was thinking it would be fun/helpful for some of us to post our normal bfast, lunch and dinner menus to help give each other ideas??!! If anyone wants to, I appreciate it!  (also include the foods you're avoiding)

Thanks,
Steph

[First Time Mom]

Hey Steph,
I'm not so wise, I just have 4 months more baby experience than you do . Good for you for going back to the bfing!!!! It took me ages to 100% eliminate all dairy, at first I was clueless when the ped told me to eliminate so I only kicked out the obvious- cheese, milk, etc. Then I started to really read labels and eliminated the rest.

I don't eat out much, I don't trust restaurants unless they're fine dining as I've had 2 screw ups while eating out. My rule of thumb is that if there's a "cook" I won't eat there unless I know 100% what's in my food w/o asking for a substitution, if there's a "chef" then they're more serious about getting your meal 100% to your satisfaction.

Typical day eating at home-

Breakfast- one of my muffins and one fruit shake I make. (shake is- orange juice, rice milk, fresh strawberries, kiwi, mango, banana, and frozen blueberries topped with organic granola that has dried fruit in it. Followed with Starbucks decaf.

Snack- I eat TONS of nuts, so I usually will have sunflower seeds, almonds, or cashews here with another Starbucks decaf and maybe another muffin.

Lunch- Chickpea salad (chickpeas, raisins, artichoke, oil, vinegar, brown sugar, fresh parsley) and pita bread. I usually have this or a salad I make or some veggie mix or stirfry veggies that I make with pita bread. If I'm at the park and taking a "picnic" with dd, I'll make a huge fruit salad and peanut butter sandwich.

3pm Snack- chocolate OR 2 Pop Tarts.

Dinner- roasted chicken breast, salad or veggies, steamed rice OR pasta w/ tomato sauce, salad.

8pm Snack- 2 more Pop Tarts

10pm Snack- an entire honey dew melon in one sitting OR an apple with 2 tbsps of peanut butter.

LOL, I've just realised that I'm on a 3 hour EASY with a cluster feed! What can I say, I like to eat. I eat TONS of Pop Tarts (I buy the 3 box bulk pack at Costco), fruit, veggies, and nuts. The Pop Tarts and nuts have started with the elimination of milk 8 months ago. I used to like desert with my coffee so the Pop Tarts are my replacement. I don't "count calories", never have had to worry about weight, aside from the PT's I eat fairly health- don't care for fried food.

Foods to avoid-
There's a great list on another thread that will tell you the "hidden" names to look for in ingredients. 3 things I messed up with in the beginning were Quaker Oatmeal- I had no idea there was milk, and anything "breaded" as there's often milk hidden, and many breads.