Food Instead of Milk?

amother

Coffee

Tue, May 26 2015, 4:17 am

I have a baby who is almost one. She is allergic to milk. Milk formula and regular cows milk can't be used unless she outgrows her allergy. The doctor told me not to give her soy formula either. I'm currently nursing her. My supply is not the greatest. My letdown is slow and she often doesn't have patience to just suck and suck for the delayed reward. (I doubt the reward is that plentiful in any case.) I started giving her water in a bottle b/c I've noticed that her diapers are often dry. She's drinking the water nicely. She also generally eats nicely. She enjoys eating heavy fleishig foods like meatballs Wink

She will not let me feed her so I can't really get her to eat foods that are not "finger foods" though.

My question is if I can stop nursing during the day and feed her 3 meals a day + water and just nurse before bed and when she wakes up in the morning so she will get some nutrients from nursing or should I try everything I can to increase my supply?

**The doctor has said that if I stop nursing she will give me a prescription? (not sure if it's OOC) for a formula. I'm guessing that my baby won't drink it. (She has refused soy formula in the past. Doctor had said I could try it and see if she reacted at one point.) It is also likely not Kosher. If she were younger and had no other option, it would be a different story.

amother

Pewter

Tue, May 26 2015, 6:54 am

Where are you planning for her to get her calcium from in the future if she can't have dairy? How about greens, fish, nuts, eggs? Does she have these foods? Make every bite you give her really nutritionally worth it... not too many grains, more nutrient rich veggies, lots of healthy fats (coconut oil is very good, canola oil - terrible)

2 feeds a day at 11 months is great - not for hydration but for nutrition!

From 1 onwards she doesn't need formula or breast milk, but needs some form of milk (homemade nut milk with added blackstrap molasses perhaps?) or something that contains whatever fats, minerals and proteins that she NEEDS. And yes, plenty of liquids. She should be having enough wet diapers and not strong smelling ones if she's drinking. It's easy for a little one to dehydrate (been there done that Sad

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amother

Coffee

Tue, May 26 2015, 7:03 am

amother wrote:

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Thanks for your helpful response! I guess I would do research and try to give her the best possible diet. Calcium-wise, one idea I have thought of is sardines. She likes strong tastes so there is a chance she would eat them. I could look for more options.

I don't think I could afford to make nut milk. Nuts are a fortune. I don't have any other ideas of what to do for milk.

einstern

Tue, May 26 2015, 7:21 am

Have you tried ready made nut milks? ALPRO (I don't know if you have it where you live) sells almond or hazelnut milk.
Also for hydration coconut water (not milk) is very good - my 11 months old son LOVES it. Same goes for watermelon juice.
I am not so sure about the calcium thing. I guess I would try to feed things like broccoli.
I am still breastfeeding and don't feed my baby any dairy products on the side (yet). I would address this problem with a nutritionist, maybe they can help you out better than a doctor.

amother

Pewter

Tue, May 26 2015, 7:36 am

Be wary of the sugar content of some of the bought non-dairy milks. How about tehina? Does she like that? You can make sesame milk from it, just thin with water. Blackstrap molasses for nutrients. Peanut butter is good too.

einstern

Tue, May 26 2015, 7:40 am

amother wrote:

You are right! The almond milk you can get plain without any sugar or sugar substitutes.

amother

Coffee

Tue, May 26 2015, 7:44 am

I live in Israel. Store bought non-dairy milks are pricey. I could buy some almond milk for occasional use, but I can't afford to give her more than a cup a day of it.

She likes techina. I'm not sure if she'd drink it. She is more picky about drinks than food. (I guess b/c she's used to sticking everything in her mouth regardless of what it looks like. She's not use to drinking funny tastes.)

She eats chicken and meat (when we have) so I am assuming that would give her fats. I need to look into the blackstrap molasses next time I go to the healthfood store.

nylon

Tue, May 26 2015, 7:49 am

The ready made nondairy milks, aside from soy, are much lower in fat, protein, and calories than regular milk or formula--not an option for infants.

You really need a doctor or dietitian to answer these questions.

I had an allergic son but we used Nutramigen.

amother

Coffee

Tue, May 26 2015, 8:00 am

She does like avocado. In fact, it was her first food Very Happy

. The problem is that she doesn't like it when I feed her and if I let her feed herself something very mushy, not very much gets inside of her.

I have given her techina in the past and she liked it. I could get more. PB, I was afraid b/c of the consistency. Is it a chocking hazard? She probably would enjoy it.

I wonder if there are any pediatric nutritionists. Do you think a regular one would work? My doctor would probably just tell me to get a specific formula. I don't feel like spending the money when she is able to eat almost everything. I doubt my baby would even drink it at this point. (I once tried soy formula which baby would not drink.)

amother

Coffee

Tue, May 26 2015, 8:07 am

mo5 wrote:

You mentioned she's allergic to cows milk- what about goats milk?

Never tried it. At one, the doctor said to try a tiny bit of yogurt and see if she reacts. If she doesn't, I have to give her some for 2 more days and then she could start eating dairy. If not, we wait until she is 2. If she has a reaction at 1, I could ask the doctor about goats milk.

water_bear88

Tue, May 26 2015, 8:30 am

amother wrote:

She does like avocado. In fact, it was her first food Very Happy

What if you mash the avocado and put it in a sandwich?

Smooth peanut butter should be fine, I think. If you can find the green-lidded B&D peanut butter in your area, that's pretty similar to tehina in consistency and is definitely ok.

amother

Coffee

Tue, May 26 2015, 8:33 am

water_bear88 wrote:

Great ideas!

amother

Coffee

Tue, May 26 2015, 1:11 pm

amother wrote:

Peanut butter is definitely a choking hazard. I know someone who's baby died after choking on a peanut butter sandwich, but I had already heard that it's a choking hazard before that.

I also thought that. But, the PB here in Israel is very thin and watery and comparable to techina. (Unless you put it in the fridge which is my trick to make it less messy and more spreadable.)

water_bear88

Tue, May 26 2015, 1:31 pm

I found this on choking hazards- they mention peanut butter:

http://www.webmd.com/parenting.....ticed

Quote:

Only serve peanut butter spread thinly on bread or crackers. A spoonful of peanut butter can block the windpipe.