Hey all -

I'm hoping someone on here can give me some more information on all this.
My daughter is two and a half weeks old and up until about two days ago, it was all smooth sailing. I am breastfeeding her and she's been eating fine and gaining weight normally.
Two days ago she started getting extremely fussy, crying until she's hoarse, she vomited up something with bloody mucus and then this morning I found a little blood in her diaper as well. Last nite after an excessively fussy episode, we took her for a car ride which put her to sleep. But then she slept for SIX hours - and would've kept on sleeping if no one had woken her up! This also meant she went almost eight hours between feedings - and she definately didn't nurse like she hadn't eaten in eight hours when she finally did eat.

Anyways, we took her to the pediatrician this morning and she told us that its most likely an allergy to milk and/or soy and that I should eliminate it from my diet for a few weeks and see if it helps.

My biggest question is this - if it is a food allergy, why isn't she screaming after *every* feeding? I have been eating dairy all along, but never an excessive amount (i.e. cheese and butter in foods and an ocassional bowl of ice cream, but no glasses of milk). So far today things have been okay (cross your fingers!!) and she's eaten several times.

Any info/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Courtney

No one?

I'm so confused because we just had the most perfectly pleasant day with none of the troubles we had over the weekend...wouldn't it be more consistent if it was a food allergy?

If there is one thing I've learned with food allergies/intolerance, it's that you can't count on consistency. Reactions vary from person to person as well as age and stage of development. Being tired or under stress can also affect the severity of the reaction.

My dd used to get a rash from dairy. A year later, no more rashes but rather hyperactivity and then insomnia (along with yellow-colored stools). Several months ago, loose yellow stools and headaches. Three days ago, she had a trace exposure (got into gluten-free chips that had whey at a social function) and she did fine. I was SHOCKED.

I think that you got excellent advice from your pedi and since the restriction of dairy/soy is working, be happy to have found an answer so soon in the game. A lot of parents have sleepless nights for over a year and never know what's behind it all (for dh and I, it took 15 months of sleep deprivation, over 6 months of tests/procedures and then a chance run-in with an acupuncturist who connected all of the dots in 20 minutes ).

If you get bored with the restricted diet, visit a vegan recipe site or even the Gluten-free Goddess site. There are some really good recipes for gluten/dairy/soy-free diets which can take the place of those dairy products.

Thanks Vicky -

I suppose I'm still in a bit of denial and hoping for the best. I wouldn't wish food allergies even on my worst enemy!

Courtney

I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy either. But all in all, at least it can be controlled at home and there aren't any risky procedures involved in maintaining it.

We are gluten, dairy, soy and egg-free here. I also limit corn, peanuts and sesame. Yes, it can be a major pain in the rear end. But it's really paid off in the long run.

I think denial is a pretty normal part of this process. I consider myself lucky that I was able to just "let it go" within 6-8 months of beginning the diet. Part of what helped me was changing my perspective on the diet. Instead of focusing on all the things we couldn't have, I began focusing on all of the things we could. Armed with a few select cookbooks and the internet, I began finding recipes that were free of all the allergens and that the whole family could enjoy. These days, the only allergen in the house is dh's beer...which isn't a problem keeping it away from my 4 year old. lol! My dh eats what he wants outside of the home but I have observed that he often steers clear of several of the allergens anyway. He just feels better if he doesn't eat it. Go figure.

If it's of any consolation, I was a huge dairy addict prior to starting on this path with my dd. Trust me, if I can give dairy up...ANYONE can.