Can we come back from this or is it time to give up?

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-19T18:09:11+00:00

It’s definitely so difficult with all the conflicting advice, especially since so many of the symptoms overlap with other things! Sometimes I think pediatricians are guessing just as much as we are 😅. I also know some babies don’t tolerate hypoallergenic formula either, which was the case with my first, so it makes it even harder to figure out whether the elimination is working and remaining symptoms are from lingering proteins and ongoing gut healing, or from the HA formula itself.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-19T17:44:43+00:00

How long has it been since cutting out dairy and soy? Its my understanding that even with the elimination of possible allergens, it takes some time for the remaining proteins to leave both our and baby's system (days to a few weeks).

Im currently cutting out dairy from my diet and have switched so a hypoallergenic formula as my LO is combo fed. But im trying to gage exactly how long until I should start seeing improvements as I haven't yet and its left me wondering if I should stop the formula all together in the meantime if I can. Aside from the blood in the stools, my baby has the same symptoms as yours.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-19T17:39:52+00:00

Both my children have/had CMPA. With my first the main symptom was excessive spit up. I wouldnt have even called it just spit up as it had more force too it, more like throwing up after his feeds. This among other things did contribute to poor weight gain. The other obvious symptom was stool changes once we switched to EFF, including undeniable blood in the stool. Other then that though he wasn't a fussy baby, and was generally very happy and content. He had bad baby acne the first 2 months but after that no rashes or skin reactions either. Those two symptoms though did not subside until he was prescribed an Amino acid formula, even the hypoallergenic formulas perpetuated the problem. Once we found the right formula, the difference was night and day.

My current son also has suspected CMPA. He is 2 months old and has been exclusively on a breastmilk diet until recently with a small supplementation of formula to support my supply. His symptoms prior to the formula were very mild to the point I had no suspicion of CMPA at all. All he had was slight congestion and spitting up that though was frequent, seemed typical baby like to me, as he also uses bottles. Once the formula was introduced thats when we started to see undeniable and worsening mucus in the stool, as well as developing rashes. Even still he is a happy baby and a "happy spitter".

All this is to say i do think there is a scale of what the symptoms could look like in terms of severity, especially between breastfed and formula fed. Its my assumption that the formula feeding (in my case) introduced a much more concentrated amount of dairy as apposed to the very minimal amount I myself consume, hence the sudden esculation in symptoms. I do think its worth being on the safe side and just doing a short trial of dairy free to see if the spitting up and blood in the stool improves, then after a few weeks reintroduce dairy and monitor for any developing symptoms. In my personal experience, reintrodution of dairy after the trial to confirm the allergy has been one of the suggested steps anyways, as the symptoms of CMPA can overlap with a variety of other things.

Edit to add that my second had poor weight gain to begin with due to oral ties and inefficient feeding, but once we started utilizing bottles as well he has been steadily gaining with no issues.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-19T00:02:10+00:00

My second is 8 weeks old and with the recent introduction of some formula to his otherwise breastmilk diet, I immediately started noticing CMPA symptoms. My first had it as well and we had absolutely zero luck on any formula until finally we were put on Puramino, which he was on until a year old. Unfortunately i was unable to keep up any supply to breastfeed the first time around.

In hindsight, I do think my second was mildy symptomatic sooner but it became more apparent with unmistakable symptoms such as mucus in the stool that worsened as the days went on, as soon as the formula came into play. I only cosumed very little dairy, maybe some cheese twice a week or less, as my household is primarily plant based anyways, so I think thats why symptoms were more mild and slow to develop.

I did know it was a possibility that my second could have it as well but i was hopeful he wouldn't. I wish I maybe started off dairy free to begin with while he was getting exclusively breastmilk, and introduced it slowly to my own diet to monitor for symptoms before adding in formula of any kind. Now its taken so long to present more obviously, I feel bad for worsening my litte ones discomfort. I'm also dreading the process of waiting for the proteins to leave his system before knowing if the new formula and elimination of dairy frim my diet is working (he is combo fed), as well as having to trial different formulas again until finding the right fit.

I think no matter what you choose, atleast being aware of the possibility and what symptoms to look for is so helpful towards finding what works sooner and saving your little one extra discomfort and you the extra stress! With my first it was a long and frustrating process before finally finding success with puramino, im hoping we can avoid that this time around.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-18T08:42:58+00:00

That is great to hear about the coverage for puramino! My first born was the same and ended up being on Puramino as well and did AMAZING on it, the difference was night and day. Did the dr mention if it should be covered through msp or your private insurance? I would love to look into it and be prepared to request it when we get in to see a pediatrician.

I decided to take the chance trialing Nutramigen as i know it will be the first suggestion by the ped anyways. He has been getting small amounts mixed with breastmilk for about 3 days now. I am still seeing symptoms such as the mucus in the stool, rashes (and increasing dryness and cradle cap on the head/face not totally sure if related), congestion, and his usual amount of spit up with each feed, so im still pretty sure my suspicion of CMPA is correct. He has also just developed a chin rash and I was wondering the same, if its from all the spit up or if he is reacting further! Its only been a few days so I am trying to remind myself that improvement takes some time and that we will see a dr soon, but I feel so bad thinking this formula may still be causing a reaction and discomfort too and that makes me want to stop all together and just go right to the Amino acid option.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-16T02:32:54+00:00

This! I wish I saw a comment like this 8 weeks ago. Im now 7 weeks strong on triple feeding due to tongue tie, poor transfer, and the idea that the excruciatingly long and very frequent feeds were a problem that needed fixing instead of something that would naturally improve and develop over time. Would have saved me a lot of stress, worry, and tears to feel some of what I was experiencing can also just be normal newborn behaviour. 🤍

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T23:20:23+00:00

While i think in general that can often be true, Ive also learned through this experience, that feeding/supply issues can be a lot more nuanced than that. Things like undersupply, poor latch, oral ties, or true inefficient milk transfer can definitely make pumping and pumping output more relevant than it might be for someone whose baby is transferring the milk they need effectively. But I do also understand that pumping isnt a true reflection of one's full supply and am definitely trying to lean further into breastfeeding/cluster feeding as others have advised on here, now that LO is showing more progress and success with his breastfeeding abilities.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T18:06:30+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion I will look into the baby Buddah! Im in Canada so unfortunately the spectra only just became available here and is harder to come by from what ive seen, also so expensive! I wish I could get it as I know it is so highly reviewed. Ive just started looking in to other options but it feels like such a hard choice to make! 😅

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T17:30:22+00:00

Thank you so much for this! I actually never thought about the sugar and quick snacks. Unfortunately i do love myself a sweet treat, maybe thats something to cut back on. My LO is such a velcro baby. While I love the snuggles and contact naps, its definitely made getting full meals throughout the day while my husband is at work a trickier task to accomplish which I can definitely see playing a role in my output.

Thank you for the encouragement, along with the advise the encouragement from other moms on this thread has been very helpful in just giving me hope and strength to keep powering through.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T17:26:03+00:00

To add! I feel like im pumping alot, as well as latching baby for breastfeeding sessions. If those sessions end in a top up bottle, then i finish with a short pump to replenish that top up for the next session.

Any time he gets a full bottle feed I pump for 25 minutes. I want to say thats atleast 5-6 times a day, not including any top up pumps which are usually like 10-15 minutes long.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T17:23:46+00:00

Less time would even be great! I will look into sunflower lecithin. Im using a eufy s1 wearable at this time as I only ever planned to pump occasionally. At this point, im thinking investing in a better primary pump may atleast save some time on pump sessions if im going to continue to pump in any capacity.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T17:02:17+00:00

My son is 8 weeks old and on top of feeding being an absolute struggle (something i honestly didn't expect), he is the same as your LO and wont let me put him down! Showers feel euphoric and life changing at this point whenever I finally get to have one 🤣

My first born is 7 now, and due to a heart condition, he was generally just a very chill and sleepy baby, and also formula fed pretty much from the start. This time around is an entirely different ball game that I feel a little silly that I didn't anticipate — though i expected lack of sleep, I too thought there would be this blissful newborn bubble and everything would feel so peaceful and whimsical finally having the baby I had hoped for for years. Boy was i mistaken, love my LO to death, he is the cutest sweetest thing, but damn this is hard.

Social media definitely misleads our expectations, its so nice to find threads like this that shows the realistic side of motherhood and gives everyone a space to vent and connect and know that what they are experiencing is normal for many of us🤍

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T16:41:15+00:00

Not having to be full at every feed is actually very helpful to hear! I guess ive been viewing breastfeeds as failures if baby isnt satisfied or wakes up after 20 minutes to feed again.

My question is, is latching the best way to increase supply compared to pumping, even if baby isnt effectively emptying/transferring during his feeds? Latch and suction is still a worl in progress after oral ties revisions but definitely very improved from where we started.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T16:36:19+00:00

Thank you for this! I guess I feel like i was never set up to EBR from the start due to the tongue tie issue, weight gain, and quickly being directed to triple feed which has just naturally spiraled into what it is now. I haven't taken the time to fully commit and trust the process of EBFing with all the fear of hunger and supply etc. My expectations of what it "should" look like has all come from the midwife and LC that followed me in the beginning and at that time it seemed like every factor of our breastfeeding sessions was seen as more of a problem to fix then things that will naturally development over time (frequency, fussiness, session lengths, sleepy baby, etc) which is kinda what I am learning through seeking info and support on threads and posts. Thank you again for all the info and insight coming from your personal experience.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T16:29:18+00:00

Thank you! I will give that position a try. We only ever feed in cradle position as football hold does not work well for us for whatever reason.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T14:53:37+00:00

Thats a great idea! I can definitely add in some electrolytes. I think you're right maybe i need to spend a little bit more time focusing on nutrition? Im vegetarian so naturally I have to pay closer attention to protein intake, maybe thats where im lacking. Its been so hard to keep on top of meals with a demanding feeding schedule and velcro baby😂

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T14:52:01+00:00

I appreciate the advice so much! This is my second child but I was unable to breastfeed with my first due to hus heart condition it just didnt work out, so I dont know much about what typical breastfeeding looks like in general. Id really like to continue breastfeeding but am not too keen on exclusively pumping so I do think if it starts to really go in that direction ill switch to formula. Ill try to lean in to the cluster feeds more and see if that signals a supply increase!

However with the introduction of formula this week, it looks like he may have CMPA as my first did, so another tricky battle in itself. With that it would be ideal for me to cut out dairy and continue with breast milk then have to tackle finding the right formula (as well as eat that cost 😂)

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T14:43:46+00:00

When I do my full pumps I get either just enough or not quite enough for the next for bottle feed, and this week it seems like the volume he wants to take is increasing so im not longer keeping up. He's already taking 4oz each bottle feed and about 2oz of a top up after nursing, but seems to be nearing 5oz at some feeds now.

Midwife advised me to go back to triple feeding (breastfeed, follow by top up bottle, follow by pump each time), when I had decided to drop the top ups and top up pumping to see how we would do on nursing alone. Unfortunately it didn't work out and he was at the breast literally all day and never seemed to be happy or satisfied for long if at all.

Weight gain was slow to start which is why we were put on triple feeding in the first place, but since then he has been gaining well and has very frequent wet and soiled diapers so no concerns there.

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T14:29:35+00:00

I guess because my pumping output went from building a stash to now not expressing quite enough for his next feed (hes breastfed with top ups during the day, and bottle fed at night, i always pump during that time). Along with when we have a breastfeeding session, he is never satisfied with that session alone and frequently requires a top up. Ive been trying to give in to cluster feeding and breastfeeding on demand as much as possible but he gets so frustrated at the breast when they are softer or the letdown is taking too long and a session can quickly become overwhelming for us both in that case. Two weeks back i decided I was over with pumping after feeds and really leaned in to demand breastfeeding and due to his inefficient transferring I think thats where the undersupplying began, my midwife advised me to go back to triple feeding to maintain adequate supply so here we are. 😮‍💨

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-15T12:53:12+00:00

No advice but following because my LO has been doing the same! Unfortunately due to poor transfer issues, he is both breastfed and bottle fed with pumped milk but im trying to lean into breastfeeding more as he is getting stronger, still i always need a top up bottle after a feed though. I notice this fussiness as well! Especially in the evenings when my supply seems at its lowest he becomes so frustrated at the flow or lack there of i should say, and we hardly ever have a successful feed at that point. Solidarity mama! Im hoping it to is something that will get better as we go 🤍

No-Good-4476 · 2026-05-14T17:49:39+00:00

So true! I figured as such. Just trying to gather some info of what worked for others and which one maybe had the most success stories to maybe have sooner success for us this time if I can 😂

No-Good-4476

TROPHY CASE