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Rebecca
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My little Annie (almost 4 months) has some intolerance to something in my breastmilk. My first child also had similar problems, notably a constant runny nose, vomiting up whole feedings with lots of mucus  and diaper rash/general fussiness.
I am assuming it is dairy that is causing the problem because that is what bothered my oldest but it might be wheat or eggs (my staple foods).
To identify the cluprit, I am going to be eliminating dairy, eggs and wheat from my diet for the next few weeks with the intention to slowly reintroduce these foods one by one after the sypmtoms disappear. Have any of you done this? With my oldest, I knew it was dairy so I did not have to eliminate the other eggs and wheat which left a lot of other food choices. I know that I will be eating a lot of fruit, veggies and lean meats. I have eaten eggs for breakfast for years and do not really know what else to make!
Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated!
God Bless,
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JennGM
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Amyable is the pro at this...she's done it 4 times. I've done it once. Start with one thing at a time, do 2 weeks, if it doesn't work, try the next on the list. So go milk, next eggs, then wheat.
Milk ingredients to look on labels.
Milk ingredients
Make sure you eliminate the casein and whey proteins, as they are a typical irritant for infants. At that age, instead of allergy it could just be milk protein intolerance.
I'm a big eggs eater. I eventually had to eliminate eggs, wheat and milk. Breakfast was my biggest problem, especially because I didn't get enough protein. I turned to things like oatmeal made with soymilk, and meat sources, like small amounts of hamburger, ham, steak. Not everyone eats like me, though. 
Many margarines have traces of dairy, so you have to be a keen label reader.
My ds at first was diagnosed with reflux and milk protein intolerance. It wasn't until 1 year that we realized it was allergy, and it was allergy to many more things than just milk, so I didn't reintroduce foods.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Meredith
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What about garlic?? Do you eat alot of this? Just a thought, really not coming from experience though. 
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Meredith
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JennGM
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Food Sensitivity and Breastfeeding. If you haven't found this site before, spend some time...excellent resources!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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amyable
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Well, I can't add much more good advice than that!
I do agree with Jenn though. Start with eliminating milk only. It's the biggest and often the only culprit. Give it a good two weeks, three is better. If you see NO improvement, move on to some of the other allergens - peanuts, eggs, wheat, etc. If you see some improvement but not as much as you'd like, stay off the milk while you try another thing too.
Most of my children were not constantly fussy but would go through troubles every few days (when I was already off milk). What really helped in this case was a food diary. I'd take several pieces of paper or a daytimer, and write exactly what I ate and the ingredients at each time of the day, then also what the baby was doing - poop habits, fussiness, rash flaring, etc. After a few weeks I was able to see for example that the baby never slept on nights I had peanut butter cookies at mom's group (my first baby, when I had time for moms groups ). She was peanut and egg allergic! The problems in my kids typically showed up 12 hours to 2 days later, but it depended on the food and everyone is different! So helpful, I know  
If you come to a standstill, update us and I'm sure we can help "tweak the diet"  .
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amyable
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OK, I guess I really didn't address your question though. If you really want to give up those three foods for a time all at once ...
I advise you to sit down for a spell and really think about what you could eat, and what you would like to eat. Try to come up with food for every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and especially snacks. Then shop for those foods and make sure you have enough to eat in the house. The worst thing about a new elimination diet is the feeling that you are starving in a house full of food and there is nothing you can eat. Ask me how I know
Breakfasts ARE hard, if you like/need the protein. One crazy thing I like for breakfast is leftover turkey salsa burgers.  (they are what they sound like, groud turkey and some salsa mixed in to make a burger. We also do oatmeal (which leaves me starving later for some reason), shakes with nondairy/nonsoy protein powder mixed in, or cereal. When I eat something with no protein I just have a snack shortly after or pay the consequences of a major sugar low!
If you have a health food store near you (and an unlimited supply of money ) you can even get rice pastas, gluten free breads, etc and eat almost like normal.
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Kathryn UK
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Not answering Rebecca's question, I'm afraid, but the current advice here is that anyone with a history of asthma, eczema or allergies should exclude peanuts from their diet during both pregnancy and breastfeeding. Wondering if it is the same on your side of the pond?
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Christine
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I have had to eliminate all dairy from my diet when nursing most of my children. Our first pediatrician told me to avoid all soy based products, too. Soy will usually cause the same problems as dairy. I use rice milk per our first pediatricians instructions when I am nursing. The vanilla flavored rice milk is not bad.
Good luck!
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Christine
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Rebecca
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Thanks so much for the suggestions and links. I had no idea there were so many ingredients that were milk based! With my first son, I simply eliminated milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc because we really did not eat any boxed, frozen or canned foods. For the most part, we ate relatively nutritious food. The elimination was not too hard for me that time. At the time, I was a vegetarian and simply became a vegan.
I began eating meat and dairy again when my oldest weaned (three-ish) and I was pregnant with my second son. I craved all the protein that I had denied myself for years. Since conceiving him, I have eaten a relatively large amount of protein each day, much of it from whole milk dairy and eggs. Without it, I find it difficult to make it through the day. I grow tired and moody relatively quickly. That has been my worry with this elimination...to cut out dairy and eggs altogether is to cut out a large chunk of my diet.
Jenn and Amy, I think I may try just the dairy and wheat approach first. The eggs I willll save for last, worst case scenario, so that I am not completely without breakfast! 
Meredith, I am a bit of a garlic "junkie". I use it in just about all our vegetable and meat dishes since it so absolutely yummy. Is it a reactive food?
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Rebecca
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Kathryn UK wrote:
| Not answering Rebecca's question, I'm afraid, but the current advice here is that anyone with a history of asthma, eczema or allergies should exclude peanuts from their diet during both pregnancy and breastfeeding. Wondering if it is the same on your side of the pond? |
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Kathryn, do you know if the advice is for a mother with a history of allergies or for a mother who has had children with a history of allergies? I, personally, do not have any but the two of the kids do. I often wondered if my oldest might have had a problem with peanuts. He has always eaten a fair amount of peanut butter, on sandwiches and as a dip for vegetables.
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Rebecca
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KitCat wrote:
| Our first pediatrician told me to avoid all soy based products, too. Soy will usually cause the same problems as dairy. |
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I have heard the same thing about soy. I burnt myself out on soy during the years I was a vegetarian. I like the rice milk better also!
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JennGM
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Rebecca wrote:
Kathryn UK wrote:
| Not answering Rebecca's question, I'm afraid, but the current advice here is that anyone with a history of asthma, eczema or allergies should exclude peanuts from their diet during both pregnancy and breastfeeding. Wondering if it is the same on your side of the pond? |
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Kathryn, do you know if the advice is for a mother with a history of allergies or for a mother who has had children with a history of allergies? |
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It's the same on this side of the pond. If either parent has a history of allergies, your child is at risk for food allergies. If a sibling has already been diagnosed with food allergies, the odds are even higher. The recommendation for abstaining for peanuts is important, some even push treenuts and shellfish. All 3 of these allergies can develop at any time in one's life.
Kids with Food Allergies has excellent support.
Rebecca, good luck on the wheat. Here is a list of hidden names.
If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, they have a Wheat Free (and dairy and egg free) waffle that I used for breakfast. It's in the frozen foods.
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Elizabeth
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I never drink milk during pregnancy or breastfeeding. My firstborn is still milk intolerant and at least three others were until well into childhood. I have three asthmatics here too. For me, eliminating dairy and not necessarily replacing it with soy or rice milk, etc is what works. I just don't do dairy--I don't really look for substitutes. After this pregnancy, I am going to look into raw dairy though.
I don't eat wheat because I am allergic. My littlest has eczema and the next one up is dealing with some pretty severe adenoid issues so I'm wondering if a wheat elimination might need to happen there, as well. I used to grind my wheat and make four loaves of bread a day. Giving up wheat was HUGE. Now, I make do with rice pasta and don't even bother with wheat bread substitutes. And yes,sometimes I throw a pity party .About three weeks ago, I was so hungry and soooo craving my alltime comfort food: zucchini and macaroni. I knew it was weird and hormonal and completely irrational but I had no rice pasta and the store where I get it is half an hour away and well...sometimes a girl needs her food right away! Instead, I called my Italian aunt who knows what that particular dish means to me. She actually cried with me! And then she told me about this entire resort in Italy especially for celiacs. She's going to further research recipes . My point here is that we do have attachments to food and they are not necessarily bad things. In my family, food was prepared with love and the members of my family who were most into food happened to be the ones with whom I was most secure. But do try to take those attachments and turn them on end a bit. Don't panic. If you can't imagine life without bread, then do look for a good bread substitute and be sure to indulge a bit on high-quality ingredients to put on that bread. You can't imagine breakfast right now without eggs, milk, and wheat. Would you treat yourself to my friend Kathy's favorite breakfast: steak and bakes (purposefully leftover steak and a baked potato with plenty of butter)? How about polenta or grits with sausage or bacon? A corn tortilla wrapped around crumbled turkey sausage and sauteed onions and red peppers? Too savory? How about grits with real maple syrup drizzled on top? It totally takes planning and it's hard work, especially at the beginning, there's no doubt about it. But it can be done and there is support here.
Here's an interesting aside. When pregnant with my second child, I was a vegetarian. In the interest of getting enough protein, I relented and ate fish. We couldn't really afford fish so my father-in-law bought me huge bags of IQF flounder. I had at least one filet a day. That child is off-the-charts allergic to all white fish.
Ever since then, I really do try to rotate my food during pregnancy as best as I can. Right now though, I'm just eating whatever I can tolerate at the time. And now, my friends, I am patting myself on the back. Who knew I could write a whole post about FOOD! ? 
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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guitarnan
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Garlic can cause problems (especially if Mommy lived in Italy and eats tons of it ). We found that broccoli and other dark green veggies were a problem, too. Any time I ate broccoli or spinach, ds was just miserable. Gas, loose stools, etc., and definitely lots of mucus.
It's probably worth looking into continuing prenatal vitamins while you do this, if you find that veggies also present problems. You are the one who will ultimately lose out if you aren't getting all the nutrients you and Annie need.
You're doing just the right thing, though. I know the more experienced moms here have given you great advice. Just thought I'd throw in my Italian influence...
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Rebecca
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Elizabeth wrote:
| For me, eliminating dairy and not necessarily replacing it with soy or rice milk, etc is what works. I just don't do dairy--I don't really look for substitutes. After this pregnancy, I am going to look into raw dairy though. |
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This will be my route also. I really won't have a need for milk replacement since the foods that I use milk in, I won't be able to eat anyway because they are wheat (cereal, baking muffins, etc). I find that the easiest way for me to do this type of thing is cold turkey. When I was a vegetarian years back, I never could stand the meat replacements like soy hotdogs and veggie burgers , etc. Then when I eliminated the dairy with my first child, I could not stomach the "veggie slices" and soy cheeses. I would just rather not have it than eat something "fake". The one exception might be rice milk. Sometimes I just feel like something other than water/tea to drink.
Elizabeth wrote:
| I used to grind my wheat and make four loaves of bread a day. Giving up wheat was HUGE. |
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I think this will actually be harder for me than dairy but I am going to do it anyhow. After thinking this whole situation through, I have been plagued with a lot of congestion and bad skin throughout my life. I always thought it might be a slight dairy intolerance but now I wonder if it might be wheat. I tend to eat the two together a lot (grilled cheese, quesadillas, etc.) so it is hard to tell.
Elizabeth wrote:
| And yes,sometimes I throw a pity party .About three weeks ago, I was so hungry and soooo craving my alltime comfort food: zucchini and macaroni. I knew it was weird and hormonal and completely irrational but I had no rice pasta and the store where I get it is half an hour away and well...sometimes a girl needs her food right away! Instead, I called my Italian aunt who knows what that particular dish means to me. She actually cried with me! |
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Like you Elizabeth, I have so many comfort foods that are wheat based. My family is German/Hungarian so we eat a lot of spaetzle and noddle based dishes like goulash. When I think comfort foods, I think noodles, biscuits, homemade bread, all the things that just wouldn't taste the same with a substitute.
Elizabeth wrote:
| My point here is that we do have attachments to food and they are not necessarily bad things. In my family, food was prepared with love and the members of my family who were most into food happened to be the ones with whom I was most secure. But do try to take those attachments and turn them on end a bit. |
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It's amazing to me how many of my memories of deceased loved ones revolve around food or the kitchen. I think of my dad and his barbeque ribs and homemade fries. My grandma, its the spaetzles and the tuna patties with creamed peas every single Friday. The kitchen is a powerful place. I have found it is a place where most people feel secure and will open up about things that are one their minds. Whenever I need to have a good discussion with one of my kids, I usually do it in the kitchen with a dishtowel over my shoulder . It seems to help everyone relax.
Elizabeth wrote:
| Would you treat yourself to my friend Kathy's favorite breakfast: steak and bakes (purposefully leftover steak and a baked potato with plenty of butter)? How about polenta or grits with sausage or bacon? A corn tortilla wrapped around crumbled turkey sausage and sauteed onions and red peppers? Too savory? How about grits with real maple syrup drizzled on top? |
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These suggestions sound incredibly delicious! (There needs to be an emoticon for YUM!) I know it is simply a matter of really good planning...something I am lax at right now after the new baby. I am telling myself it is about time to get back into our routines but I am having the hardest time adjusting to this child. She is no more difficult. I just feel a bit less competent for some reason! Maybe I can stay up late one evening and make out a thorough menu for the next week. My husband does not mind grocery shopping for me so it really should not be difficult to be a bit creative with some advanced planning.
Elizabeth wrote:
| it can be done and there is support here. |
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That's why I love this forum! That's why I really thank God for all of you every day. I am consistently amazed at the level of openness and helpfulness that you all extend to each other and to me.
Elizabeth wrote:
| Who knew I could write a whole post about FOOD! ? |
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Knowing your situation with the extreme nausea and all, I sure do appreciate it! 
God Bless,
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Jenny
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My first three nursed w/no problems. My 4th turned out to have problems when I ate peanut butter or chocolate. I just eliminated them for the time he nursed, even though the dr said I could try again at 6 months. He weaned at 15 months & he has no problem eating either of those foods. My 5th is bothered by onions or if I eat too many crackers??? It seems like too many crackers on mom's part give her a gassy belly I am wondering if it is a wheat sensitivity? I say sensitivity b/c if I only have a few, no problem, bread, no problem, etc.. So, I just leave the onions out of everything. Do you think this was brought on by the huge hamburger w/lots of onions I ate 1 hour after delivery, 6 hours after delivery, the next day & the day after that? I was craving my meat & onions
Jenny
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Jenny
Chris' wife and momma of 7. My blog: The Littlest Way--Bible Journaling, Inspiring Bible Quotes, Daily Affirmations, Prayer Journaling & photography
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Kathryn UK
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Rebecca wrote:
Kathryn UK wrote:
| Not answering Rebecca's question, I'm afraid, but the current advice here is that anyone with a history of asthma, eczema or allergies should exclude peanuts from their diet during both pregnancy and breastfeeding. Wondering if it is the same on your side of the pond? |
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Kathryn, do you know if the advice is for a mother with a history of allergies or for a mother who has had children with a history of allergies? |
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It applies if any of the mother, father or siblings has asthma, eczema or allergies. The leaflet I was given from our local health authority advises excluding all nuts, though other areas just say peanuts.
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Kathryn
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Rebecca
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4mothermary wrote:
| So, I just leave the onions out of everything. Do you think this was brought on by the huge hamburger w/lots of onions I ate 1 hour after delivery, 6 hours after delivery, the next day & the day after that? I was craving my meat & onions Jenny |
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Right after my second child was born, I ate 3 plates of moo-shoo pork. You know, with the little pancakes? Then we ordered it again for the next two days. We had a chinese restaurant that delivered to our door back then. I just couldn't get enough!! Must be some strange hormone related thing to crave the same food right after delivery.
God Bless,
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LisaD
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Rebecca, how did the food elimination go? Did you end up just eliminating the dairy, or did you do wheat and eggs, too?
I am wondering if my kids have food sensitivites. My oldest dd has terrible nasal allergies, and has been to the allergist for testing. She only tested positive for trees (oaks, olives and ash), and dust mites. No food allergies according to the scratch tests. My second child has no allergies at all (I wonder if it's because I nursed him until he was three, the others all weaned at two). My third has excema. My 3 month-old has cradle cap that just won't clear up, and I've tried all the usual methods. He is also more congested than my other babies were. Last week he started having yucky mucousy stools, and the only thing I was eating that was unusual for me was a LOT of eggs (Easter eggs, doncha know?).He hasn't been fussy, but the yucky diapers and a recurrence of baby acne-like rash on his face makes me think the eggs were bothering him. I stopped eating the eggs this weekend, and I am seeing a bit of improvement.
Maybe if I stop eating all the leftover Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, his scalp might clear up! I didn't realize that the peanut avoidance during pregnancy/nursing applied if you or other children have allergies and excema! I only thought it was if there was a history of peanut allergy in the family...I never researched it at all!
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Rebecca
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Lisa,
I am failing miserably at the food elimination diet. I did it strictly for two weeks, lost ten pounds and then Easter came...Elizabeth's lamb cake (see it's all her fault! ) , chocolate, waffles, etc. I am still recovering. Annie is actually doing a bit better though. I stopped drinking milk altogether. I was drinking two glasses a day during pregnancy and for the first couple of months postpartum ,mainly as a way to get the cod liver oil down ! I really do plan to do the diet again as soon as I can get past tomorrow. It is my dh's birthday...enchiladas, key lime pie, ice cream...yikes.
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Food intolerance in breastmilk
