Alright, so here's the story... for the last three months, since James has been on formula, he hasn't been sleeping very great. He was napping awesome though, until about three days ago when he just stopped going down to nap easily. This is when I switched to the 6-18 month formula. Now I fight with him to nap, fight with him to take bottles, fight with him to sleep at least 4 hour stretches at night... fight, fight, fight. He is plenty happy though. He is almost ALWAYS happy. He is just hyper and active, and I feel drained by noon. So, my mom has been telling me that our family has a history of reacting with hyperactivity to the vitamins in formula. She even went to the point of calling the formula company, and asking them some questions. She also did a comparison of the formula to her daily vitamin. James gets almost the same, and sometimes MORE vitamins and minerals per day than my mom's daily supplement! My grandma's kids, my mom, my cousins, my brother and I all went on whole milk (mixed with water, and a little corn syrup) from a few weeks old. Of course, we all are FINE, with no allergies, etc. According to my aunt, when she finally switched my cousin from formula to whole milk at a few months old, she slept for a full 12 hours straight! Anyway, my mom is convinced that James will sleep better, and be less hyper if I switch him over to whole milk now, at 6.5 months. I am SO scared to try, because as you all know, the websites and books say NO whole milk until 1 year old. I just don't know what to do. I feel caught between what "they" say, and what my mom and my family is telling me. If I knew that it would do NOTHING to James, I would try it in an instant - in the hopes that he would relax more, and sleep better. I've prayed about it, and I don't feel like I am getting a clear answer. I haven't been able to get much sleep, as I stay up all night analyzing what I did that day, and what James did that day. I feel like I am sort of teetering on the brink of insanity. What would YOU do? My mom is sort of suggesting doing the whole milk for a 24 hour period to test her theory. Would you do it? I just hate that I am still so influenced by "the experts" to the point where I can't even trust my own mom. I'd love to hear from you guys on this one. I feel stuck.
Friday, June 8
Milk Dilemna
Alright, so here's the story... for the last three months, since James has been on formula, he hasn't been sleeping very great. He was napping awesome though, until about three days ago when he just stopped going down to nap easily. This is when I switched to the 6-18 month formula. Now I fight with him to nap, fight with him to take bottles, fight with him to sleep at least 4 hour stretches at night... fight, fight, fight. He is plenty happy though. He is almost ALWAYS happy. He is just hyper and active, and I feel drained by noon. So, my mom has been telling me that our family has a history of reacting with hyperactivity to the vitamins in formula. She even went to the point of calling the formula company, and asking them some questions. She also did a comparison of the formula to her daily vitamin. James gets almost the same, and sometimes MORE vitamins and minerals per day than my mom's daily supplement! My grandma's kids, my mom, my cousins, my brother and I all went on whole milk (mixed with water, and a little corn syrup) from a few weeks old. Of course, we all are FINE, with no allergies, etc. According to my aunt, when she finally switched my cousin from formula to whole milk at a few months old, she slept for a full 12 hours straight! Anyway, my mom is convinced that James will sleep better, and be less hyper if I switch him over to whole milk now, at 6.5 months. I am SO scared to try, because as you all know, the websites and books say NO whole milk until 1 year old. I just don't know what to do. I feel caught between what "they" say, and what my mom and my family is telling me. If I knew that it would do NOTHING to James, I would try it in an instant - in the hopes that he would relax more, and sleep better. I've prayed about it, and I don't feel like I am getting a clear answer. I haven't been able to get much sleep, as I stay up all night analyzing what I did that day, and what James did that day. I feel like I am sort of teetering on the brink of insanity. What would YOU do? My mom is sort of suggesting doing the whole milk for a 24 hour period to test her theory. Would you do it? I just hate that I am still so influenced by "the experts" to the point where I can't even trust my own mom. I'd love to hear from you guys on this one. I feel stuck.
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15 comments :
Heather, I can really understand your frustration. But if I were in your position I would trust the "experts" as far as the whole milk thing. Your cousins and relatives and yourself are a small number of people and just because you didn't develop allergies doesn't mean that it is good for James to be on whole milk yet. There is a reason that they recommend waiting and that has to do with statistics. But if you believe that the formula is causing problems with James then talk to your doctor about it. If s/he doesn't think that is right and you still feel uncomfortable then ask for a referral to a pediatrician. They will be able to tell you if vitamins or other ingredients in formula can cause excitability in babies and they may be able to recommend other types of formula that James might do better on.
I know you don't want to disrespect your mom and she is making this recommendation but just because it was considered safe a generation ago doesn't mean it is the right choice. You have more information than she did and it wouldn't make sense to disregard it just because you don't want to hurt your mom's feelings. I'm sure if you explain it to her gently she will support your decision. She wants what is best for James, too. And there is probably a healthier alternative for him. Just a few more months and he can make the switch to whole milk. Hang in there!
Hi Heather,
Have you tried switching his formula? That might be worth a try first... at least then you'd know you've exhausted almost all possibilites. Clearly you can't go on like this... As for the milk, if YOU really want to give it a try and YOU think its a good idea, then I'd go for it personally. YOU know James best... not your dr, pediatrician, health nurse, or family... I'm sure you've done your research! You know, it seriously makes me wonder how anybody survied up until the last few years, with all the "terrible" things we ate, drank, etc. as babies!
Elina
Know this, James is NOT going to die from drinking whole milk. So if you do the 24 hour trial your mom suggested, I'm sure he'll live through it! You should however feel at peace about going through with it! People can tell you to NOT do it, or DO it...but it's YOU that needs to feel right with whatever decision. You're a good mom, Heather. You'll make the right decision for James that you see fit. What does your husband say?
I can see the dilemna. Part of the reason for not switching to whole milk too soon is because of brain development. I know that those who were given whole milk early are not less smart than others, in general, but it is worth considering. They wouldn't report it this way if it wasn't an issue.
On the other hand, it might be worth a try to see if it will help. I would suggest talking to a nutritionist to see what the real reasoning is, and what the possibility is that the formula is the problem. They have tons of information on stuff like this. A public health nurse would even know more than the docs in this case, believe me, I've learned this already! Do you go to boundary trails? If you do, call there and ask to speak to Heather Dowling. She's a great person, and knows tons about formula, whole milk/allergy type stuff.
I think the reason for all the vitamins and nutrients in formula is because everything in your son is still developing and growing. They need tons of good stuff to make that happen in a healthy way. As adults, we don't need the same things, or the same amounts as babies.
Wouldn't it be great if this was a solution for James sleep!! Hang in there.
Heather, I would talk to your dr. first. See if they have seen cases of this before and what their thoughts are first. Just my oppinion.
Well I can only offer you advice on what I did with my 2 children. They both drank whole cows milk at the age of 6-to 9 months and no problem. Esp. with Amber who acually does have a little allergies. Now I have her on goats milk [ she's a year and a half now] I never had problems with my 2 children when I gave them cows milk but just to be on the safe side make the milk warm not boiling just warm so whatever you are concerned about that could be in the cows milk would go out and and stay on top of the milk and you can fish it out. It becomes a little skin. I'm not telling you what to do just giving you encouragement that I gave my children cows milk and it worked fine. Hope you'll do ok. Will think of you
I would discuss it with my doctor. Often websites, books, and health nurses are way more uptight than doctors, and once you explain the situation he/she might have some good advice for you.
Then... I'd just do what I thought was best. Maybe give it a trial run just to see what happens.
are there milk allergies in the family? i would talk to the dr. we switched our youngest to whole milk at nine months. i would switch back to regular formula. my oldest didn't react well to the 6-12 mont stuff.
i'm like Teri - Kamryn was on whole milk at 8 1/2 months, and everything went just fine. i know if we have another kid, i'll do the same thing.
just keep in mind...kids go through a change in sleeping habits almost every 2 months (well, mine does anyways)! it might not always be what they are eating, or not eating, or drinking or not drinking. it might just be a PHASE. i think sometimes us as Mom's look too much into things instead of letting them just happen. i can say this because it totally describes me! :) i've said it before, and i'll say it again...TRUST YOURSELF.
My sister was allergic to milk, and thus couldn't have cow's milk or formula. But she could have goat's milk. I would talk to your doctor, but if you do try milk, you might want to go with goat's milk as he could be reacting to the actual formula, and not the vitamins, etc. in the formula itself.
Hey Heather,
There are milk allergies in the family and it's possible that you'd lose even more sleep over the negative potential there.
But, if you decide to do it, I know I won't lose a wink because Mama knows best, even when she doesn't.
I dont know much about all this... but I do know that my friend back in Ohio put her daughter on whole cows milk at 5 months... and never used formula again. Her daughter is 4 yrs old now and perfectly healthy and smart.
So she did fine.
But im not sure what the medical studies show regarding this.
I know there are other formulas out there though.. so look around.
Also if you did maybe supplement some of his milk and put in DHA and ARA rice cereal in a few meals of his. This has some of the vitamins that cows milk doesnt.. but not nearly as many as formula.. Hope this helps!
You said this started when you switched to 6-18 months formula - why don't you go back to the one you used before? If his body accepts it, why not stick with it? Taeya still gets 0-12 month formula, and she's over a year (we're starting her on milk in the next day or so), but if he's reacting poorly to the new formula, just go back to what he's used to.
that's just my opinion though :)
my Brother whent on cows milk at 5 days old bacause he was alergic to all formula and he is now 27 no allergies (not even sesonal)
I put my son Caelan on whole milk at 7.5 months and got in LOTS of trouble from a pediatrician at a walk-in clinic. However, he is COMPLETELY 100% healthy (he is 16mths now) and he reacted very well to the whole milk.
Another suggestion would be just to go back to the regular formula you were feeding James, instead of switching to the 6-12 month stuff. A friend of mine had twins and just used the same formula the whole first year and her kids are very healthy as well. Apparently there is no need to switch formula as they get older, according to public health nurses..
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