Formula making baby sick?

[MurtleTheTurtle]

I have a 6 week old baby. He has been bf from birth with no issues at all - he feeds well and regularly. Unfortunately I need to return to work when he is 3 months old (reduced hours but still a sizeable chunk of the day) so I need him to take a bottle.

He will drink from a bottle but when I have tried formula it makes him very sick. I have used ready made Aptamil as the HV recommended it and I found it worked well with my other son. Do you think it's just a case of him needing to get used to it? Is it worth trying a different brand of formula?

I also wondered about expressing for when I have to leave him but I'm just not sure I could express enough milk for whole feeds and manage to feed him at the same time.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

[NotADragonOfSoup]

You can express enough for a full feed and still feed him - your supply will adapt. Also, I used to express before going out (to avoid the huge pair of melons look!)

If you do want formula, you can just try another brand - DS1 used to throw up on a particular version and not on another by the same manufacturer.

Or is the bottle teat too fast for him? Does he throw up right away?

[MurtleTheTurtle]

Thank you for replying. He throws up a couple of hours later but I'm sure it's the milk, he doesn't do it any other time.

With expressing, do you think it would be best to express at the end of a feed or between feeds! I am so clueless and I actually have 3 children!

[NotADragonOfSoup]

That's what DS1 did - throw up after a few hours. It took me a while to twig it only happened when he had this particular type of milk (in his case it was a follow on one). I'd just try another brand or formulation.

My expressing days are a long time ago! Um... I think I expressed kind of between feeds... maybe. Or if they'd had just one breast full, I'd express the other. It's amazing how quickly you forget some things :o

[nickelbabe]

could you express from one breast while feeding from the other?
or inbetween feeds, or at the end of feeds.
whenever you feel you have the time!

try to get as much of a supply for the freezer as you can while you're still on leave.

plus, when you're at work, they HAVE to allow you a place to express and somewhere safe to keep your milk once it's expressed (like a fridge)
then you can express during the day and take it home for the next day's feed.

[JennyC80]

It's worth trying different brand of soy based formula. Or check if the tit on the bottle is the right one for your baby's age as he might just be swallowing too much air with the milk.

[nickelbabe]

you're not supposed to give boys under 2 soya.

[MurtleTheTurtle]

The teat does seem to be correct for a new born.

Some great suggestions, I'll try a different brand of formula and also look at breast pumps.

Thank you.

[MurtleTheTurtle]

I wouldn't give anything soy based unless prescribed, my dd was lactose intolerant and prescribed nutramagen milk as a baby - I was later told (by the hospital) that soy based products could cause genital mutations!

[ChairmanWow]

If none of that works maybe have a chat to your GP/health visitor. My DS used to do horrendous projectile voms and it turned out he had reflux. Infant Gaviscon powder really sorted him out.

[HerrenaHarridan]

Hi op

Wrt expressing, the best times to express are first thing in morn and last a night. Definitely not after feed as you will most likely get nothing.

However if you express before feed your baby will continue to get as much a he needs.

Other tips for expressing are after / in bath. Miss a side switch and expressing while feeding on other side ( takes practice!)
Also do not be disheartened of at first you don't get much. It took two weeks twice daily for me to get any more than 5ml.
There is plenty of advice available if you choose to

[MurtleTheTurtle]

Thank you so much for all your responses, really helpful suggestions.

[Indith]

If he throws up a couple of hours later be very careful, there is an intestinal allergy that causes that. it is rare. The reaction occurs a couple of hours later when it hits the intestines. If it is that it can get worse now the allergy has been triggered. My CM's dd has it. First time she was sick lots. Second time she was sick and sick and sick until she passed out and was blue lighted to hospital.

FPIES

I know it is rare but it is worth thinking about considering the timing of the vomit.

[MissUnderstood1]

Is it def just after formula, my daughter was sick constantly after feeds. She was diagnosed with gastric reflux wrongly on 4 occassoins. Turned out she was suffering from pyloric stenosis which required her stomach being operated on.

[ariane5]

Is it really true about boys under 2 and soya??

Bit worried now as ds1 and ds2 both have had soya milks/yogurts from 6 mths of age as part of weaning (cmp allergy).
Is a small amount ok or shouldn't it be given at all? Gp told me the 1+ alpro is fine for babies?

Sorry to hijack a bit just worried

[MurtleTheTurtle]

Thanks all. No sickness after breastmilk so I do think its the formula. My first baby who was lactose intolerant was very poorly from a few days old and couldn't even tolerate breast milk - this does seem different, no green poos either which I had last time!

I don't know for sure ariane5, the first I heard was when I took DD to hospital to check her allergies and they said they had to check for genital mutations as it could be a side effect of soya based products. I have a vague recollection of being told to only give her prescribed products (I.e. not soy products from the supermarket) but nothing concrete. Also, this was advice in relation to a newborn and so their sole source of food - I'm sure a small amount is ok in any case, especially as a small part of an overall diet.

I will check out FPIES and perhaps try the powdered formula. I had been told that the pre made was somehow easier to digest but on reflection it does seem very thick and rich.

Lots of really helpful suggestions, thank you.

[McBaby]

We have projectile vomiting from formula but she is fine with breastmilk. The doctor suspects its cows milk protein allergy.

[noselimit]

Reported this one too

Do fuck off.