Milk Allergy / Breastfed Baby

I don't want to give up nursing my baby, but he is highly sensitive to cow's milk protein.  For six weeks, I've tried very hard to maintain a milk-free diet.  His symptoms did improve somewhat, but he still has bouts of painful cramps, gas, etc.  If I make one mistake, knowingly or not, with my diet, he pays for it for days.  After a few days and nights of lots of agitation and very little sleep (for either of us), I stopped nursing him and have been giving him Nutramigen only.  For four days, he was peaceful and happy.  No cramping, crying or writhing in pain.  But he missed nursing, and so did I.  He would reach out his hand for my breast and cry the saddest cry.... I couldn't stand it.  I decided to nurse him for just a couple of minutes because I knew I had had some gravy with caseinate in it two nights before.  He was immediately relieved to nurse, but within 15-20 minutes, he was crying and pulling up his legs.  He had on again/off again crying, kicking and gas the rest of today.

I desperately want to keep nursing him, but doing so inflicts such pain and misery, I don't want to put him (or me) through that... not to mention the potential damage to his GI system.  If I do continue on the Nutramigen, might we ever be able to go back to nursing?  Do I continue to pump in order to maintain my milk supply, just in case?  And how much would I have to pump?  Will he even want to nurse after so much time?  I'm troubled and would love to hear anyone's experience or advice!

Julie

[AnnieBrooke]

Try getting some infant probiotics.  They are available at health-food stores and outlets (I got mine at the "drugstore" part of a grocery store that sells a lot of natural foods also.  They have been tested in some recent studies and have proven very effective for babies with colic, so they cannot hurt when trying to remove the sensitivity and pain in a baby's stomach from any cause.  The kind I used for my baby was called "Flora Baby,"  but there are a lot of kinds.  It sure would be great if that made a difference for him.

[myproblem]

Maybe you can bottle feed him by your bare breast. He may be happy with the skin to skin contact. I know that it's sad for you to give up nursing him, but you will have more quallity time with him if he feels well.