Dairy allergy and doesn't like soy milk

[s_gosney]

I've been trying to give ds soy milk in a sippy cup now for several weeks and he is not impressed. I need to move on to trying something else, but rather than just trying things randomly, I thought I'd ask here for what has worked well for others. I know that rice milk is an option and I think I remember seeing both soy and rice in flavors, which I would prefer to avoid.
Or maybe it doesn't really matter? He's still nursing, but has started daycare and is away from me for 7ish hours a day. What to do? We see the allergist in 2 weeks and will hopefully get some pointers then as well. TIA!

[MamaMolly]

Does he take other liquids from a sippy? We transitioned using the bottle, and did a mix of 1/4 soy, 3/4 expressed milk for a while, then upped it to 50/50, then 1/4 expressed to 3/4 then 100% soy. What about soy toddler formula? I see that DS is not yet two, correct? The thing about soy and rice milk is that it isn't as nutritionally balanced. My pediatrician was kind of 'meh' about the toddler formulas but DD wasn't a big eater so I was always concerned that she got enough of the good fats, etc.

Even if he does great with a sippy, it is hard to go from the boob to something else so even if DS could have cow milk you'd likely find he didn't take to it right away. It took DD a while to decide she liked soy milk. We used unflavored initially, but then when Costco quit carrying it we switched to vanilla ~great reason, eh?? After learning here about some of the concerns about having too much soy in the diet, we added in rice milk. You have to be careful though, because rice milk doesn't have the necessary nutrition (fats) as even soy, so you'll need to add a tsp of canola oil to each cup of rice milk.

Now we alternate between straight soy or rice milk, both vanilla flavored. HTH.

[s_gosney]

He will drink water from a sippy reasonably well. He pretty much never took a bottle with much success.
And that is a good point about kids not necessarily switching smoothly from BM to cow's milk either. I had been hoping to avoid pumping, but I may have to go the increasing proportions route.
And thanks for pointing out the nutritional content concerns. Boy, doesn't rice milk+canola oil sound yummy. ;)

[jren]

What about soy yogurt. My DD used to love yobaby yogurt. I never liked milk as a child, but would drink chocolate milk only if it were almost frozen (had to have ice chips in it). Maybe try smoothies and have him drink it out of a straw cup? Actually, maybe a straw cup versus a sippy would work since it puts the milk farther back in the mouth. May make it taste different.

[DrSally]

Have you tried different brands of soymilk. My neice didn't like several brands, but they settled on a store brand that she really liked. DS would drink any brand, but he really liked the Costco vanilla. If you get the vanilla flavor, it tastes better. Silk Vanilla tends to be the tastiest, I've heard.

[s_gosney]

Both good ideas, thanks. I need to read up on the excessive soy issue and go from there, but the yogurt might work and would at least be a source of fat and protein. I'm not sure if he could do a straw cup, but I guess with practice we would get there. Thanks!

[s_gosney]

That's a good point, sally. We've only tried the plain silk. I haven't needed to replenish the jug yet because he doesn't drink it! LOL. I may just give into the flavored stuff. Surely it doesn't have too much yucky stuff in it. I'll have to check out the ingredient lists. Thanks!

[HIU8]

DD has a milk intolerance (not an allergy). She also cannot stomach soy milk. She drinks rice milk and will either drink the regular or the vanilla flavor. I tasted the vanilla rice milk and, at least to me, it is the only way it tastes good.

[DrSally]

That's a good point, sally. We've only tried the plain silk. I haven't needed to replenish the jug yet because he doesn't drink it! LOL. I may just give into the flavored stuff. Surely it doesn't have too much yucky stuff in it. I'll have to check out the ingredient lists. Thanks!

Yeah, I think it can take some trial and error with the different brands to see if they find something they like. Some brands (like Costco), the plain and vanilla have the exact same calories. I'm not sure about Silk. Some of it tasts so sweet, almost like a melted milkshake!

[Nooknookmom]

DD is MSPI and would only drink the fortified Vanilla Rice milk. For calorie intake I had to add in a couple Tbsp. of olive oil, so the Vanilla masked that and she took it in pretty well.

I am lactose intolerant and prefer the rice milk to soy.