Let me preface this by stating that I am asking a question... Please don't post if you are going to reprimand me for considering all of my options for my baby...
I have a 8 week old son with Colic. He crys anytime he is awake. I am not physically able to breastfeed, so I have been using formula. He spits up ...curls up from gas and breaks out in hives with every formula I have tried. They include Nestle Good Start with Probiotics, Nestle Good Start Soy, Similac Soy, and Nutramigen. Nothing works.
Our Pediatrician is stumped as is our Chiropractor, except to say that our Chiropractor suggested we reseach raw Goat's Milk as an alternative to formula.
Does anyone have experience with Goats milk for thier infant? What was your experience. How does it compare nutritionally? I've heard that it is closest to human breast milk in composition, but I am concerned because I don't know how to prepare it or if it carries enough nutrients.
I am willing to take suggestions on how you have handled colic with your infant... I know that I can "wait it out" but I believe that he is hurting and I want to help. I would prefer to stay clear of prescription meds unless as a last resort. The med that has been suggested to me is Zantac... Any side effects out there? Or any success stories with this as an option?
Also, how often is your son being adjusted by your chiro? Our kids where initially adjusted 3x/week for 3 months and are now adjusted 2x/week. We've really found they are much healthier.
I don't have any answers in regards to goat milk and infants. I have only known older children that have been on it due to lactose intolerance. In regards to Zantac my son was on it for almost a year and it worked well for him. Good luck, I hope you find something that works.
This may sound strange, but my grandma has talked about when she was a young mom a friend of hers couldn't nurse and the drugstore supplied goat's milk and it worked fine. Back then they had to mix it with sugars and other ingredients, but I believe now there are actually goat milk formulas out there. I wouldn't hesitate to try anything that will help your little one--especially if your doctor is supportive too! Good luck!
By all means, try it!! A generation ago, goat's milk was commonly used for babies who could not tolerate cow's milk and whose mothers were not breastfeeding. I give my 10 month old goat's milk, as he can not tolerate cow's milk, I'm done breastfeeding, and I feel any "real" milk is superior to formula.
I have a 45 year old cousin who had only goat's milk as an infant--never breastmilk, cow's milk or formula--and she is just fine.
There's a bit of sticker shock, but perhaps you can find a goat farmer who can sell it to you in larger quantities for a lower price. And I really don't know if it's more expensive than formula + prescription meds.
If I were you, I would give my baby goat's milk, and then a liquid vitamin. There are vitamins out there for infants who are breastfed, and they would be as beneficial when coupled with goat's milk, too.
I don't know what you mean by "use and preparation", but feel free to send me a private message if you need more help.
Good luck!
P.S. The book "Nourishing Traditions" has homemade recipes for formula--you might want to check it out.
I used goat's milk as supplement to breast feeding. You can purchase it at whole foods stores in the dairy department, evaporated in a can & in powdered form. It was not his sole form of nutrition so I am not as clear on that as i could be.
There is a website colichelp.com that talks about goat milk & gives a link to goat milk formula recipe.
There is also a toddler's goat milk formula by Genesis Organics but is is recomended for children 1 & older.
What type of bottle do you use? The ones with the plastic bag insert (not the preformed shape type) offer less air than regular bottles. Sometimes it's as simple as that.
I don't know anything about goat milk, but if your doctor is supporting it, go ahead and try it. My daughter had colic, too. Her pediatrician gave us a prescription to baby Zantac, and it worked like a charm!
My Godson was allergic to milk. He ended up on goat's milk and did fine. I don't know how they prepared it though.
I have watched several children who have been on Zantac. Some kids it works for and some it doesn't. I really didn't notice any side effects. I do know that with one of them was really allergic to peanuts and he had colic each time his mother would eat peanuts. When he was about a year and a half they took him to a chiropractor that did some adjustments and he can now have peanuts with no reaction.
You sound like a good Mama. I wish more mothers were as concerned for their children. I hope you get some good advice and this all gets worked out.
We switched our daughter to Alimentum (made by Similac) which has no milk products in it at 8 weeks. Within 24 hours it made a dramatic difference. Our daughter was on Prevacid for a year. She had reflux which when we had an upper GI and video swallow done you could you her food coming back up so she obviously needed something and made me feel so sorry for her because she had a reason for being so fussy. Both worked well for us and may be worth a shot for you. Good Luck!!
i dont know about goats milk-but my son had the same issues-we finally put a mix of carnation an skim milk together,with a pinch of liquid peppermint(kills gas)then he got liquid vitamins as a supplement to the formula-dont let anyone tell you that the lack of right formula/milk etc.stunts your childs mind-my son is a genius....good luck..i know its hard...
Holly - I wish I had experience with goat milk that I could share with you. Unfortunately, I don't. I just want to applaud you for trying alternatives instead of drugs.
I don't have much experience with goat milk but wanted to say good for you for trying to find what works for your child. There are many cultures around the world that use goat's milk so there is nothing wrong with you trying it. I have seen goat's milk at health food and alternative grocery stores - have you done any research about it online? "Ask Dr. Sears" does suggest a MEYENBERG recipe using powdered or evaporated goats milk (which you can order online) read more here http://askdrsears.com/html/3/t032400.asp
It sounds to me like your infant may have a soy and dairy allergy. My 2 1/2 year old has food allergies and we give him goat cheese as a substitute for "cow cheese" that our older son can eat.
When our daughter was 6 weeks old, she started crying all the time, and when she fell asleep she would wake up about 5 minutes after I laid her down. I figured it was colic, but went to the doctor to be sure. His initial thought was colic, but then he asked a few more questions (Does she arch her back a lot, especially after sleeping?, etc.) and then mentioned acid reflux. He gave us a prescription for Zantac and she was a brand new baby after the first dose. But, she didn't have the extreme gas and hives, like your baby does.
It looks like a vitamin supplement may be necessary if feeding goat's milk formula. But it sure seems worth a try to see if it would relieve your baby.
My son was also allergic to alot of the same things. I was told by a natural pathic(spelling) that goats milk is very close to cows milk so told me to use ric milk.. I did this and it made a world of difference in my son in 2 days, you will need to also use vitiams for the baby so they get all they need. Please feel free to email me or call me with any questions.. I went through a lot with my son and will be glad to help you out. 701-361-7785 is my cell and [email protected] is my email. Good luck to you. I bought the rice milk in the natural section at my local grocery store.
Holly,
Good for you for keeping your options open and trying various things for your child. My oldest son was quite premature and did not tolerate formulas either. We also tried all the soy, Nutramigen, ect. There are other formulas out there where the proteins are even farther broken down for sensitive stomach. I cannot remember the name of the one we finally used but we had to have a prescription for it and it had to be ordered through the pharmacy. It was a formula often used in tube feeding but Kaleb took it through a bottle. It was very expensive but worth every penny because he did not suffer. I will try to figure out the name of it and e-mail it to you. As for the Zantac both of my sons and one nephew and one niece were on it as infants. I did not see any side effects, but I did not see much in the way of results either. As for the goats milk, my sisters and I all grew up on it as we were allergic to cows milk. We were much older when our mother started giving it to us. As a Registered Nurse, I don't know that I would advise anyone to use it in someone as young as your son because of it not being pastuerized? Good luck! As a mom who had 2 kids with stomach problems, I understand how fustrated you must be. There are answers out there somewhere, it just takes time to find the right one for you.
Kelli
I have heard that anything except breastmilk and formula is not nutritionally adequate for a infant. So I agree w/ you I would be concerned about him getting what he really needs. Have they tried testing him for dairy, soy and wheat allergies? That would be worthwhile. If he has these problems it sounds like it could be an allergy. There is one formula out there for babies that can't handle the typical proteins; Alimentum. It's not cheap, but if your DS is in pain then IMO well worth the $$. My friends baby just went on it and it's helped alot so far. Here's a website describing symptoms of allergies; http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=1098
Another avenue, have you tried getting a referral to a GI doctor or Allergist?
And about the Zantac, both my kids take it. I have not noticed any side effects and has worked wonders to calm down their tummies. I agree w/ you that script meds are a last resort, but i just couldn't give up all spices, caffiene, chocolate, tomatoes, all citris fruits, garlic, cucumbers, broccili, cauliflower and still eat anything decent. That's like everything I eat! But to me it sounds like you have more then just reflux since you have hives, and constant crying.