Verdict at the doctor’s office this morning is the same…it’s either a reaction to the powder formula or a virus and, at this point, there is really no way of knowing exactly what it is going on.

Doctor wants us to put her back on half ready-made formula, half powder formula until the diarrhea clears up. (Last Tuesday we moved her to 1/3 ready-made to 2/3 powder in her bottles, which is why a reaction to the powder formula is a possibility.)

If it’s a virus she could have diarrhea for two weeks. (What?!?!)

When this (whatever this is) passes, we will put her back on 1/3 ready-made to 2/3 powder formula. If she starts having diarrhea again, we will know it is a reaction to the powder formula.

Apparently, there is corn in the powder formula which is NOT in the ready-made formula and she could be reacting to that.

If we put her back on more powder formula vs. ready-made formula and she does fine on it, then we will know it was a virus.

There is one other possible factor that could be causing this. I introduced bananas to her for the first time last week. The GI doctor said it is rare for a baby to react to bananas, however, the doctor today said that it’s a possibility because babies can take 3-5 days to react to a new food.

So, we are to not give her bananas until this clears up and we try the 1/3 to 2/3 formula mixture and make sure that isn’t the problem. Then we can try bananas again.

I hate not knowing what it is!!! Because, especially if it is a reaction to the powder formula, I could easily (but not cheaply!) put her back on ready-made formula until she weans from that at 12 months. And, if I knew 100% it was a virus, I would know I just have to wait it out for it to run its course. Not knowing drives me nuts.

Her rash is still pretty bad so the doctor gave me a prescription cream to put on it three times a day. I am also to keep putting on the Miconazole cream three times a day that the doctor told me to put on her over the weekend.

So that’s where we are today.

- Elaine