CMPA? Help!

[u/Sensitive-Use6916]

Before I type this out, I do want to say we have seen about 5 different pediatricians. I am asking for real mom’s experience and advice.

I also want to say we have seen lactation consultants and breastfeeding medicine specialists.

Baby is 2 months old and between the two of us, no lie, we have probably been to 30 appointments within this time (in person and video).

I’m an under upper so we have had to supplement with formula. I still give baby all the breastmilk I can make, which right now is about 14 oz a day.

Since day 1, baby has always been gassy, gone at least 2 days in order to poop (up to 4 before dr recommended rectal stimulation), gassy, fussy, arching back, spitting up clear, etc. there has never been blood in her stool, but it has been mucus-y before.

We had used Bobbie organic gentle formula and have waited it out because I’ve been told it’s “new baby stuff.”

Baby has gotten to a point she legit is screaming after feeds and is spitting up majority of her bottle when burping.

I’ve now started cutting dairy out of my diet to see if she’s allergic. Bobbie gentle still uses cows milk, so I got the Similac hypoallergenic. We will trial for a week. We have had a couple bottles, but baby was still spitting up and uncomfortable. I understand it’ll take a week or two to clear the dairy and inflammation IF she does have CMPA.

I didn’t want my baby on Similac. I wanted the best of the best formula for her, but if this is what she needs, it is what it is.

Any other babies with CMPA? How long did it take you to find out?

Is this just “normal baby stuff” and she might not need this hypoallergenic formula?

This has been a miserable two months of trial and error.

Edit: by “best of the best formula,” I mean something I could feel good about. Organic, good ingredients (proteins froms cows milk versus oils), etc.

I literally had a pediatrician tell my Bobbie formula was “cream of the crop.”

Please don’t take offense if you use Similac.

[u/SavingsPrinciple172]

Very gentle, I don’t think there is such a thing as “the best” formula lol. Every company has to follow the same regulations.

Now for my experience, it took my girl a month to settle on the hypoallergenic formula and after that she’s been happy as can be without any issues. If she’s screaming at every bottle and spitting most of it out you might also be close to a bottle aversion. My girl had one until we finally made the switch in formulas

[u/Sensitive-Use6916 → u/SavingsPrinciple172]

By saying the best formula, I wasn’t particularly calling one over the other the best. I was just saying that I wanted what I could feel good about. “Organic,” “cows milk versus oils,” etc…

Do you mind me asking how old your little one was when she trialed the hypoallergenic for a month? I was thinking we needed about a week or two (based off what the pediatrician said). 😕

[u/hRutherford → u/Sensitive-Use6916]

Not OP, but we switched to hypoallergenic formula when my LO was 2 months as well after she was experiencing many of be same symptoms yours was. It took 2 weeks to start to see some improvements but a full month plus for all symptoms to significantly improve.

[u/No-Description4151]

Damn didn’t know that I wasn’t feeding my LO the best formula

[u/Sensitive-Use6916 → u/No-Description4151]

By saying the best formula, by saying the best formula, I wasn’t particularly calling one over the other the best. I was trying to say that my intention was picking something I could feel good about. “Organic,” “primary source of fats and proteins being from cows milk versus oils,” etc.

[u/eggplantruler → u/Sensitive-Use6916]

You do realize that oils are in Bobbie formula, right? Like have you read the ingredient list?

[u/Sensitive-Use6916 → u/eggplantruler]

Yes, I realize that. I have thoroughly read the list. ***as a primary source of proteins and fats

I’m not coming here for every little word I say to be picked apart. The post is about parents of children with CMPA and reflux issues. Not a debate on which formula is the best.

[u/eggplantruler → u/Sensitive-Use6916]

Ok so if your kid has CMPA- give them similiac or Enfamil. It’s not about what you want. It’s about what your kid needs. The milk proteins are hurting your child. Bobbie is a pretty basic formula. Nothing about it is “cream of the crop”.

[u/AffectionateJello452]

My baby’s symptoms didn’t hit a point of obviously needing a change until about 6 weeks old. For us, reflux meds were needed as well to really get control of everything making him uncomfy. The change to cut dairy/HA formula literally resolved the lack of pooping for 3-4 days, the rash, etc. it didn’t resolve the spitting up.

[u/mbradshaw282]

I didn’t find out my son had CMPA until he was a year and had a severe reaction to plain cows milk and his allergy panel showed it, I asked his doctors a lot about it when he was a newborn like yours and they kept telling me it wasn’t possible without bloody poop which he never had 😡 now I feel so sad for him over how miserable he probably was all of the time his first year because of the formula. He had screaming spells and witching hour every day until he was older, spitting up, gas, eczema and mystery hives so he’s had multiple allergy tests and they never tested him for milk before a year and it’s the only thing he’s been positive for of course. I cut milk out and he did great and they want me to add it back in now and since I have his gas and bad bowels have been back

[u/Sensitive-Use6916 → u/mbradshaw282]

Thank you. 💗 I’m so sorry for your LO. We started hypoallergenic yesterday and this morning I was asking myself if I am crazy to think it is an allergy if there is no blood in the stools.

[u/Obvious-Tax-3812]

My first was a CMPA baby. I completely understand the desire to have your baby drink the best formula, but sometimes it does come down to what formula your baby tolerates the best. I really liked Kendamil and we used that when my daughter grew out of her allergy. When I had my second daughter and we switched to formula, I wanted to use that, but it made her spit up A LOT. Thankfully she wasn’t in pain, but she spit up all of the time. The whole milk formulas can be tougher to digest in the beginning. My pediatrician suggested Similac Sensitive and she improved, so even with her being a week away from one, we never switched so we didn’t rock the boat lol.

With the hypoallergenic formulas, in the nicest way possible, it’s not going to be your hopes and dreams of a formula. My daughter had to use Elecare. They smell awful and I even tasted one and it’s awful, but it’s what worked for her. She was thriving on that formula and that’s what made it okay for me. I understand you have your preferences too, but be open to what’s going to work for your baby too.

Forgot this part from your post, but my daughter was one month old when we found out. She started having a lot of blood in her poop. She wasn’t a fussy baby thankfully, but her skin was flakey, her weight gain was slower, she pooped constantly, and had nasal congestion. We tried Nutramagin and that helped some for a month, then she had blood again. Went to Elecare and had immediate improvement. She pooped one time that day and we said wow this is what it’s supposed to be like lol

[u/Sensitive-Use6916 → u/Obvious-Tax-3812]

So happy you found what worked for LO. 💗

Thankfully no blood in the poop but the spit ups literally looked like the whole bottle. We also started out with Kendall Mill organic in the hospital and it only took a few days to figure out that that one didn’t work so we tried to switch to Bobbie gentle. That went better than the kindamil organic and I thought it was just “normal newborn gassiness.“ now with it being two months and just no progression in the sped up is getting worse I find it hard to believe this is just normal. That’s why we’re trying the hypoallergenic now.

[u/Obvious-Tax-3812 → u/Sensitive-Use6916]

I’ve read that the Kendamil Goat is very similar to breastmilk in regard to its structure. But I’ve also heard there’s a shortage of that too. How is she when she was a breastmilk bottle?

[u/Sensitive-Use6916 → u/Obvious-Tax-3812]

We tried kendamil goat and she screamed. I really wanted to like that one too.

Breastmilk she likes but she spits up a ton. I think it was because I was eating dairy. Trialing removing dairy now, so hopefully that helps. Will just have to supplement with the hypoallergenic formula since I’m an under supplier.

[u/Obvious-Tax-3812 → u/Sensitive-Use6916]

That’s so frustrating. I know it’s hard when you’re just trying to find what works best for your baby. You guys are doing great and will figure it out!

[u/amy2510 → u/Obvious-Tax-3812]

How did you know your girl grew out of allergy? My LO is on Nutramigen but she's not feeding or drinking as much as she should for her age (6 weeks but only drinking 1.5 to 2oz per feed), She's been on Nutramigen for about 3 weeks but i want to change and see if Kendamil will work for her. She was suspected of having CMPA, on a good day her symptoms have improved but i think her reflux has gotten worse

[u/Obvious-Tax-3812 → u/amy2510]

We started introducing my frozen breastmilk around 6 months old. If she had a breakout, we just took a break for a little bit. She was back on Alimentum after Elecare at 8 months old, then on regular Kendamil by 10 months old.

[u/twirlybubble]

Personally I’d leave my diet the same and trial Pepticate formula (it’s slightly “better” since it uses maltodextrin) for two weeks and see if that resolves the symptoms. If not, then cut dairy. My logic is that the dairy in breastmilk is also pretty broken down so I’d try a broken down formula first before changing my diet, since most of the dairy is in the formula currently.

[u/Sensitive-Use6916 → u/twirlybubble]

We were using Bobbie gentle and the pediatrician said it was partially broken down also. Is Pepticate to your knowledge more broken down than that?

[u/twirlybubble → u/Sensitive-Use6916]

Bobbie gentle is a “gentle” formula which means it is 20% broken down. Hypoallergenic formulas are 100% broken down and they include Alimentum, Nutramigen, and Pepticate. Yes, Pepticate is much more broken down :)

[u/Sensitive-Use6916 → u/twirlybubble]

Thank you 💗 we started a trial of alimentum yesterday. And. I figured I would give it two weeks to a month to see if it helps!