What to avoid when breastfeeding a baby with CMPA?

Understanding CMPA and Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding a baby diagnosed with Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) can be a challenging journey for many mothers. CMPA is an immune reaction to proteins found in cow’s milk, and it can lead to a range of symptoms in infants, including gastrointestinal distress, skin reactions, and respiratory issues. For mothers, navigating breastfeeding while managing CMPA requires careful consideration of dietary choices and awareness of potential pitfalls.
Key Considerations for Breastfeeding with CMPA
1. Avoid Dairy Products in Your Diet:
One of the most critical steps for breastfeeding mothers of CMPA infants is to eliminate all sources of cow’s milk protein from their own diet. This includes not only obvious dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt but also hidden sources found in processed foods. Even trace amounts of cow’s milk protein can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive infants.
2. Be Cautious with Cross-Contamination:
Mothers should be vigilant about cross-contamination when preparing food. This means using separate utensils and cooking surfaces to avoid any contact with dairy products. Even small residues can be enough to affect a breastfeeding baby with CMPA.
3. Monitor Your Baby’s Symptoms:
Keeping a close eye on your baby’s reactions after breastfeeding is essential. Symptoms of CMPA can vary widely, and any signs of discomfort or allergic reactions should be documented. This information can be invaluable for healthcare providers in managing the condition effectively.
4. Consult Healthcare Professionals:
Engaging with pediatricians or allergists who specialize in food allergies can provide crucial support. They can offer guidance on dietary restrictions and may suggest alternative formulas if breastfeeding becomes too challenging.
5. Avoid Unnecessary Stress:
The emotional toll of managing CMPA can be significant. Mothers should seek support from groups or communities of other parents facing similar challenges. Sharing experiences can alleviate feelings of isolation and provide practical tips for managing breastfeeding with CMPA.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding a baby with CMPA is not only possible but can also be beneficial for both mother and child when managed correctly. By avoiding dairy in their diet, being mindful of cross-contamination, and staying informed about their baby’s health, mothers can navigate this journey with confidence. Support from healthcare professionals and peer communities can further enhance this experience, making it a more manageable and positive one.

What does CMPA poop look like?

And while a temporary change in color or texture usually isn’t anything to worry about, irregular bowel movements can sometimes indicate an allergy or food intolerance, such as a cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA). This is especially true if your baby’s stool is mucousy, blood-tinged, or looser than usual.

How to flush dairy out of your system while breastfeeding?

Take out all cow’s milk products, soy and eggs from your diet. Wait 2-4 weeks to see if baby improves. The food will clear from your milk in a few days, but baby’s gut may take longer to heal. If baby improves, introduce one new type of food at a time, generally the one that you miss the most!

What to avoid when breastfeeding CMPA?

In babies who still have a CMPA at one year of age, 8 out of 10 of these babies will outgrow their allergy by 3 years of age. What foods should I avoid while breastfeeding? You need to avoid milk and other dairy products in your diet. You will also need to avoid soy and soy bean products.

What to eat while breastfeeding when your baby has a cow’s milk protein allergy?

You can get plenty of protein from fish, beef, chicken, eggs, nuts and beans. You can use calcium-fortified soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, or fortified orange juice to supply you with 1,000 mg of calcium each day, or you can take a calcium supplement.

How to breastfeed a baby with CMPA?

Breastfeeding is the optimal way to feed a baby with cows’ milk protein allergy, with individualised maternal elimination of cows’ milk protein foods and fluids, and with adequate calcium and vitamin D supplementation to meet the mother’s nutritional requirements during breastfeeding.

What are the red flags of CMPA?

Signs and symptoms of CMPA
Babies with CMPA may experience the following symptoms: Digestive problems (such as diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation and reflux) Skin problems (such as urticaria, hives and eczema) Respiratory symptoms (such as persistent cough and wheezing)

How long does it take to get cow’s milk protein out of breast milk?

It takes up to 72 hours for the mother’s breast milk to become free of milk protein, so until you’re ready to nurse again, your baby will be given a hypoallergenic formula.

What are the symptoms of low calcium while breastfeeding?

Muscle Cramps and Weakness. Lactating mothers experiencing unexplained muscle cramps or weakness may be exhibiting early signs of calcium deficiency.

What to avoid if baby has milk protein allergy?

The following foods and ingredients CONTAIN cow’s milk protein and should be avoided:

A2 milk	Dried milk	Low fat milk
Cottage cheese	Ice cream	Non-fat milk solids
Cream	Infant formula – cow’s milk based including partially hydrolysed (HA) formula	Skim milk
Cultured milk	Kefir	Skim milk solids
Curds	Lactalbumin	Sour cream

How common is CMPA in breastfed babies?

However, I think it is also useful to note that, although the incidence of cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) in formula-fed babies is around 5–7%, in breastfed babies it is 0.5–1%.