Real Practitioner Stories: Keri Montgomery, PNP

Healthcare providers across the USA are recommending Kabrita goat milk formula in cases of digestive issues, eczema and as a gentle cow milk alternative. Real Practitioner Stories highlights trailblazers and thought leaders in their fields and how they use Kabrita goat milk formula clinically to improve patient outcomes and build trust within the provider-parent relationship.

Read on to learn about Keri Montgomery, a pediatric nurse practitioner in a gastroenterology clinic, and how she uses Kabrita to improve her patients’ digestive health.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself!

I am a pediatric nurse practitioner and have always been interested in nutrition and digestive health, so focusing on pediatric gastroenterology was a natural fit. I live in Indiana with my husband and our two daughters, three years and four months old.

What skills have you developed to become a successful practitioner?

Learning to listen and relate to patients and their parents genuinely have been an essential skill that has helped me clinically. Both of my daughters have had digestive issues, and it has made me realize how in tune parents are with their child’s health. When parents tell me something about their kid, I need to listen and trust that. I’ve also had to try many different food diets with my kids, so I can relate to how difficult that can be for parents, and provide practical suggestions.

If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

In school, we are always taught to look for the rarest and extreme diagnosis – the diamond in the rough. While that’s important, most of the time the patient’s issues are relatively uncomplicated, and the solutions are usually straightforward. Small changes make a big difference. Parents need support and reassurance to get them through that.

What strategies or tools help you to manage work-life balance better?

Working a full-time job and having two little girls at home, my weekends are so precious to me. I want to be able to take the whole weekend off and make the most of it with my family. So, I try to get everything done during the week after the girls go to bed. Typically each night after they’re asleep I tackle one room to tidy and clean, which leaves my weekends open for family time.

What do you value most about Kabrita Goat Milk Formula?

Being easy to digest and gentle on the digestive system is the feature I value most about Kabrita. Before I started working in a GI clinic, I didn’t realize how many children are sensitive to cow’s milk; so many are. While hypoallergenic formulas are an (expensive) necessity for extreme cases, most babies don’t have a full allergy and need that kind of formula. Kabrita provides a nutritionally balanced, gentle option for these kids.

How or when do you use Kabrita in your practice?

I see a lot of toddlers with constipation in my practice, and so many of them are sensitive to cow milk protein. Switching to Kabrita has been a game changer for those patients. I also find Kabrita especially helpful in toddlers who have reflux due to cow milk protein sensitivity and have been on medication for a long time. Switching to Kabrita has improved their reflux, and they are often able to get off the acid medication.

I’ve also used Kabrita in patients with diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain due to a sensitivity to cow’s milk, with good results.

How do patients respond to Kabrita? Can you share an example?

Patients improve significantly with the minimal change of removing cow’s milk and substituting with Kabrita, especially for constipation. I have some kids with such severe constipation that they haven’t had a bowel movement in over a week. Along with a few other dietary changes, switching to Kabrita eventually got them to have regular bowel movements at least every other day. And they typically improve with a few weeks.

What feedback do you get from parents after recommending Kabrita?

Parents are so grateful for introducing them to Kabrita and often shocked that it was the only change they had to make to make their child well again. Many parents come in expecting a big diagnosis with extensive treatment, but most of the time a small change, like Kabrita, makes a world of difference.

If you weren’t a healthcare provider, what would you be?

Before I went into nursing, my first degree was in music. So I would probably be a vocalist. Bet you didn’t see that one coming!