Lilymax Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I'm trying to figure out if my son has a true milk sensitivity or if I'm totally off base. I've been trying to find answers online, but haven't had much luck. His next pediatrician appointment isn't for several weeks, so I thought I'd ask if any of you have experienced anything similar with your children. Ok, just a bit of background... My almost 18-month-old has had a combination of breastmilk and soy since birth. I have PCOS and never could maintain a full milk supply. He is still nursing 3x/day, though, so I feel good about that (even though I wonder how much he actually gets). At different points (and at his ped's suggestion) we tried weaning from soy to milk formula, but he always seemed to sleep worse when he had cow's milk formula. He'd wake up crying, and pass huge amounts of gas. However...I've never had to modify the dairy in my diet. It was only when he had the milk formula that he acted like that. Now that he's a toddler, we've tried twice switching him off soy onto whole milk. The last attempt was over the past week, gradually making the switch. Saturday was the first day he had straight whole milk. And he was a monster all day long! He's not the best sleeper at night, but always takes a great 2-hour afternoon nap. He just would not go down for his nap even though he was totally worn out. I got frustrated and told DH that I think it's the milk and sent him out to buy some more soy milk. Baby J still has a couple of 4 oz. bottles each day and he asks for them, so I'm reluctant to eliminate any type of milk completely. (Yes, I am one of those moms that lets them use bottles, nurse, etc. til 2 or beyond--whenever they seem they don't need to suck anymore.) But here's the thing: J loves cheese and yogurt, and doesn't seem to react to those. Is it possible to be sensitive to just milk itself but not milk products like cheese? That is why DH thinks it can't be the milk making his tummy hurt, because he can eat those things and be just fine. I don't know what to think...I just know that there has seemed to be a link in the past. Anyone have a similar experience? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2J112903 Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Yes, it is possible for the actual milk to cause problems and not things like some cheese and yogurts. Only way to tell is to completely elimate milk (in every form-even milk *in* things like breads) for both you and him. Then introduce one thing at a time once every few days and watch for results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilymax Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Thanks, Crystal...that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 One of my daughters tested positive for a milk allergy but can eat yogurt without a problem. I don't know why but this has been true in our case. Milk really bothers her though and most cheeses do too. So I limit her dairy to yogurt but only on occasion. She has had goat milk in the past and does ok with that. She drinks almond milk and rice milk currently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret in GA Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Yes, it is possible for the actual milk to cause problems and not things like some cheese and yogurts. Only way to tell is to completely elimate milk (in every form-even milk *in* things like breads) for both you and him. Then introduce one thing at a time once every few days and watch for results. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Lactose intolerance will often allow eating yogurts and hard cheeses. An allergy usually does not discriminate between dairy types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I dealt with a true life threatening allergy with my son for years. He could not tolerate any amount of dairy in any form. Because my ds was so severe in his reactions, I chose to not have any dairy in our home. Both kids still choose to not drink milk. DD loves dark chocolate almond milk, and ds drink vanilla soy milk. There are different proteins in dairy, and while they can't be completely separated, in some foods one protein may be "stronger" (for lack of any words at the moment) than another and your ds may tolerate x protein but not y protein. I hope I'm making a little sense here! I guess I'm attempting to say that yes it is possible to have "issues" with one type of dairy and not another. I would also not think it is a ture allergy. I would honestly just go with what works. If he's fine on soy milk, and can tolerate yogurts and cheeses, then stay that way. Of course always check with your Dr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 A friend's son had some kind of sensitivity to milk--it would make him short-tempered. This normally nice kid would fly off the handle over little things. It was a long time before they made the connection to milk. They cut him off from all dairy and noticed an improvement in his disposition. I don't think they did allergy testing. After a couple years they reintroduced milk products and he's been fine. He seems to have "outgrown" it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilymax Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 Thank you so much for all the feedback! Now I can tell my DH I'm NOT crazy! (Well, in regard to this issue, anyway...LOL) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I have a friend whose son cannot take dairy in any form. When he was little it made him flip out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Liquid milk is the hardest for little ones to tolerate. Cheeses and yogurts for been cultured. Enzymes and bacteria have been introduced, partially digesting the milk and changing it's makeup. It certainly sounds like a milk intolerance to me. 2 of mine have had intolerances to both dairy and soy. One was quite severe, the other, mild. With the second, it wasn't until I gave him bottles of soy milk (we don't use cow's milk) that he had an obvious reaction. The diary and soy in my breast milk were not enough to cause a noticable reaction. Once we eliminated all dairy and soy products from his diet (he was weaned from the breast by that point), his behavior improved immensely, his persistent diaper rash disappeared, and he was generally a MUCH happier child. My advice is to continue with the soy milk until he no longer needs it. or you could try switching to almond, hemp, or other milk if you have concerns about soy. humans do not NEED cow's milk, or the milk of any other animal. A balanced diet, rich in whole grains, fruits and a variety of veggies will provide everything he needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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