I received product and compensation from Mead Johnson Nutrition to create this post written by me. All experiences and opinions expressed in this post are my own and not those of Mead Johnson Nutrition. You can contact Mead Johnson Nutrition with product related questions or comments toll-free at 1-800-BABY-123 (1-800-222-9123)
For more information about PurAmino™, click here
Our Story:
When Logan was born, I was given a lot of pressure to breastfeed. It was something that I was a bit unsure of even while I was pregnant – but I knew it was the right thing for my baby. Breastfeeding was a very hard and difficult time for us. I don’t think I could say that I was ever successful at it. We spent a lot of our time at home because I was extremely nervous and uncomfortable with feeding in public. I was also having a tough time being the only thing that could calm him down when he was upset. I’m very proud that we lasted 10 months with breastfeeding.
At about the 6-month mark, we started to introduce solids into Logan’s diet. As soon as he started to eat real foods, my milk almost immediately dried up. I was struggling for those 4 months, feeling like my baby wasn’t getting enough. Our pediatrician suggested that we supplement with formula as he wasn’t gaining weight as he was supposed to.
Walking into the formula aisle… I. Was. Lost.
I had no idea which formula was the best for my baby, so I decided to turn to Google, who, of course, was no help at all. So I grabbed the first yellow tub that matched Loggy’s age group (0-12 months) and went to the cashier. For the first few days, he was eating normally (phew!). Making formula was sooo much easier than struggling to make milk, and worrying about it being enough.
A few days on routine milk-based formula, I noticed something was different in my baby. He was extremely fussy and crying throughout the entire day. We were barely sleeping at night and could not figure out what was wrong. Then came the sickness. We figured he caught the stomach flu. After a few days of this, we brought him back to the pediatrician – many questions later, we stumbled upon the biggest change in his life, the new formula. He then told us to immediately stop using that particular formula and suggested we try a different formula designed for fussiness, gas, and crying, which he tolerated for a couple of weeks, but then we were back in the same place, and it got worse. Much, much worse.
We ended up in the emergency room with my son on an IV for 2 days with multiple ultrasounds on his tummy, blood tests, and doctors asking thousands of questions. This was the scariest moment of my mom life. I felt so guilty that I wasn’t able to feed him and give him what he needed, and that I wasn’t able to find a substitute that didn’t make him sick. I really felt like I was failing him.
There wasn’t a single moment in this formula trial and error that I thought, he might have an allergy. I had no idea that babies that small could even have allergies.
One night we tried to introduce cottage cheese into his diet and he did not tolerate it. At that moment, it popped into my head that he must be allergic to milk. Looking back at all the past formulas and food introductions, it was so obvious to me. I really wish I was able to think clearer and realize his allergy.
At our follow up appointment the day after we got back to the hospital, I mentioned this to our pediatrician. He suggested our next formula to be Nutramigen® LGG. This formula is formulated for babies with cow milk allergies and colic – it’s hypoallergenic and the first formula that doctors typically recommend for dairy allergies. Nutramigen® with Enflora™ LGG® is also the #1 formula formulated for babies with cow’s milk allergies.
For the first few weeks, it seemed to work very well – it took Logan a few days to get acquired to the taste. Compared to cow’s milk, the taste is a bit less sweet but, after awhile, he didn’t seem to mind it. I thought everything was going well. For about 2 weeks we were using the Nutramigen® without any fuss. Until one day, he stopped tolerating it. Honestly, I was a little upset. I knew at that moment that it was the formula.
We went back to our pediatrician for the fourth time (mother’s intuition is always right) to finally get some help… This time, I demanded an allergy test – which came out inconclusive for dairy (of course) but positive for soy, something new to us. As a vegetarian, I eat A LOT of soy, since it is the main replacement for meat. So I can say that I was literally shocked that part of his digestion issues was coming from sharing my dinner. Our doctor also cleared up the fact that just because the allergy test didn’t yield a positive outcome for dairy, it didn’t mean that it wasn’t a protein allergy.
Our doctor then recommended PurAmino™. PurAmino™ is a hypoallergenic, easy-to-digest formula made for infants with severe cow’s milk allergy, multiple food allergies, or other GI conditions. It has free amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. When used as a sole source of nutrition this eliminates the allergic potential babies with severe allergies have when digesting protein. I can say proudly to this day that PurAmino™ is what has made my little Loggy the chunkster that he is. Today, he is a happy, healthy almost 2-year-old.
PurAmino™ has an expert recommended amounts of DHA – an important nutrient that supports brain and eye development – and is the only amino acid product portfolio that has DHA for both infants and juniors.
If your baby is still showing indications of cow’s milk allergy after trying an extensively hydrolyzed formula like Nutramigen LGG, talk to your doctor. Your baby’s allergy could be severe and need an amino acid-based formula such as PurAmino™ to make sure they are getting the nutrients they need.
PurAmino™ is available for purchase in four convenient ways:
Home delivery – call 1-800-BABY123 or visit puramino.com
Local pharmacies, including Walgreens – ask your pharmacist to order in PurAmino
Select retailers and online – Walgreens, Walmart, Amazon, and BuyBuyBaby
Home care providers – ask your doctor to speak to a Mead Johnson sales rep for information on local home care providers
myPURAMINO is a dedicated resource for navigating insurance reimbursement options. Your insurance may reimburse you for the cost of PurAmino when it is recommended by a physician. Call 1-844-PURAMINO to speak to a dedicated staff member.
Here are Steps I Took When I Suspected My Baby Had a Dairy Allergy:
- Spoke to my doctor as soon as possible.
- Requested an allergy test.
- Asked my doctor about different formula options that are hypoallergenic
For more information about PurAmino™, click here
This is sponsored by Enfamil PurAmino™
