Dr. Shannon's Journey Supplementing with Kabrita
Every parent’s feeding experience is as unique as their baby. While the journey may be easy for some, others may struggle. Real Parent Story is a series on our blog where we ask real parents to share their feeding stories. Whether you’re expecting or already have little one, we hope these stories can offer you insight into what worked (or didn’t work) for parents just like you.
Meet Dr. Shannon Seckel, a pediatric resident physician and mom to Emerson.
As a pediatric resident, I am continually learning from my mentors and patients. Little did I know that my sweet baby girl, Emerson, would also become one of my most excellent teachers.
Going through my pediatric residency with a baby can be tricky – crazy shifts, early mornings and late nights make for a very chaotic life. I’ve been fortunate to breastfeed when possible and pump as much as I can at work, but eventually, I just wasn’t able to keep up with what Emerson needed, and it was time to start supplementing with formula.
I’ve always had an interest in nutrition. I understand the importance of the digestive system on overall health and plan on pursuing a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology. So when Emerson got significant constipation after starting an organic cow milk formula, I was beside myself. We even noticed blood in her stool, which made my mama-doctor heartache. I knew we had to make a change as soon as possible. I had first learned about Kabrita while I was pregnant and attending a pediatric medical conference, and knew that goat milk is easier to digest so we decided to give it a try.
Kabrita has been a game-changer in our house since the first day we introduced it. Emerson’s constipation completely resolved soon after switching from the cow milk formula to Kabrita, and her little digestive system has been happy and healthy ever since. Deciding to transition from breast to bottle was tough, but I feel much better knowing that she is getting high quality, nutritional ingredients from Kabrita that’s easy on her digestion, and it helps that she loves her Kabrita bottles.
Now we have Kabrita stocked in our residency clinic and parents are so grateful for the recommendation, especially when their little ones have struggled with constipation associated with cow’s milk.
Going through residency and being a mama is hard. I’ve realized that my patients are the best diagnostic tools I have, so I’m learning to listen more and talk less. I’m learning that scheduled self-care days and regular date nights with my husband are a must and that everything is just a season – some days require more grace and humility than others.
I am so grateful to have Kabrita as part of our daily nutrition for Emerson, and I’m excited to have it as an option for my patients for many years to come.
You can follow along with Dr. Shannon and her family on Instagram, @doctor_shannon.
Kabrita USA Real Parent Story Series is for information purposes only. It's not meant to treat, cure, or diagnose any health issues. Before making any feeding changes, it is recommended that you speak with your healthcare professional.
Kabrita Goat Milk Toddler Formula is designed to maintain the natural comfort of little ones during feeding transitions, such as weaning, supplementing, or changing formulas due to minor issues associated with cow milk sensitivity*.