Breastfeeding troubles

[Littlemiss]

Hi All,

Has anyone else breastfed a bub with dairy protein intolerance? Were you able to keep it up with the dairy-free diet?

I am 99% sure Abby is not tolerating dairy in my diet, she has been having green, mucousy, sometimes bloody poos (sorry TMI). After initially panicing she might have CF (I spoke to her paediatrician who said that CF poos are not like that), I have concluded it is an intolerance, most likely dairy becasue I eat so much of it.

I don't know how I will be able to keep my calories up without dairy?? And I'm pretty sure I have low bone density already (broke a rib coughing in early labour, but that's another story...).

Any suggestions anyone?? I really want to keep breastfeeding.

 

[Littlemiss]

Hi All,

Has anyone else breastfed a bub with dairy protein intolerance? Were you able to keep it up with the dairy-free diet?

I am 99% sure Abby is not tolerating dairy in my diet, she has been having green, mucousy, sometimes bloody poos (sorry TMI). After initially panicing she might have CF (I spoke to her paediatrician who said that CF poos are not like that), I have concluded it is an intolerance, most likely dairy becasue I eat so much of it.

I don't know how I will be able to keep my calories up without dairy?? And I'm pretty sure I have low bone density already (broke a rib coughing in early labour, but that's another story...).

Any suggestions anyone?? I really want to keep breastfeeding.

 

[Littlemiss]

Hi All,
<br />
<br />Has anyone else breastfed a bub with dairy protein intolerance? Were you able to keep it up with the dairy-free diet?
<br />
<br />I am 99% sure Abby is not tolerating dairy in my diet, she has been having green, mucousy, sometimes bloody poos (sorry TMI). After initially panicing she might have CF (I spoke to her paediatrician who said that CF poos are not like that), I have concluded it is an intolerance, most likely dairy becasue I eat so much of it.
<br />
<br />I don't know how I will be able to keep my calories up without dairy?? And I'm pretty sure I have low bone density already (broke a rib coughing in early labour, but that's another story...).
<br />
<br />Any suggestions anyone?? I really want to keep breastfeeding.

 

[Melissa75]

My first baby was colicky and seemed to have issues with diary proteins in my breastmilk. In retrospect, I am not sure if that was really the problem--but it is very hard to do bm food trial, and at the time I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. So, I stopped eating cow milk proteins for about 9 months.

Disclaimer: I do not have CF as far as a 11 on a sweat test and a neg 95 mutation panel shows. I was tested for CF as an infant and adult b/c of my mucus cough and low weight. I have bronchiectasis and an alpha-1 antitrypsin gene combo that "might" be the cause of the lung damage.

While I was off dairy, I was always hungry and went down to my pre-pg weight fast (118, 5'5'), but I didn't go below what was normal for me, and I did make enough milk for him to stay in the 95%ile for weight and height.

I ate a lot of black beans and rice, pop tarts, muffins with small amounts of dairy, meat, and collard greens/kale. I tried Goat's milk for a while too. I got pg again when he was 7 months old and by 9 months was back on dairy (oh, how delicious!) and trying really hard to get him to take Nutramigen formula (non-dairy, non-soy). He took his first bottle a couple days before he turned one. At about 18 months, I was giving him cheese and milk. He is 8 now and eats everything, but poops a lot and is prone to stomachaches. But he has no IGE mediated allergies.

There are ways to get calcium apart from dairy, but you have to cook and eat a lot. Plus, with the malabsorbtion issues of CF, I don't know how much extra you need and if you're really going to get it from things like kale.

I wish you the best in this. It is not easy. ((HUGS))

 

[Melissa75]

My first baby was colicky and seemed to have issues with diary proteins in my breastmilk. In retrospect, I am not sure if that was really the problem--but it is very hard to do bm food trial, and at the time I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. So, I stopped eating cow milk proteins for about 9 months.

Disclaimer: I do not have CF as far as a 11 on a sweat test and a neg 95 mutation panel shows. I was tested for CF as an infant and adult b/c of my mucus cough and low weight. I have bronchiectasis and an alpha-1 antitrypsin gene combo that "might" be the cause of the lung damage.

While I was off dairy, I was always hungry and went down to my pre-pg weight fast (118, 5'5'), but I didn't go below what was normal for me, and I did make enough milk for him to stay in the 95%ile for weight and height.

I ate a lot of black beans and rice, pop tarts, muffins with small amounts of dairy, meat, and collard greens/kale. I tried Goat's milk for a while too. I got pg again when he was 7 months old and by 9 months was back on dairy (oh, how delicious!) and trying really hard to get him to take Nutramigen formula (non-dairy, non-soy). He took his first bottle a couple days before he turned one. At about 18 months, I was giving him cheese and milk. He is 8 now and eats everything, but poops a lot and is prone to stomachaches. But he has no IGE mediated allergies.

There are ways to get calcium apart from dairy, but you have to cook and eat a lot. Plus, with the malabsorbtion issues of CF, I don't know how much extra you need and if you're really going to get it from things like kale.

I wish you the best in this. It is not easy. ((HUGS))

 

[Melissa75]

My first baby was colicky and seemed to have issues with diary proteins in my breastmilk. In retrospect, I am not sure if that was really the problem--but it is very hard to do bm food trial, and at the time I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. So, I stopped eating cow milk proteins for about 9 months.
<br />
<br />Disclaimer: I do not have CF as far as a 11 on a sweat test and a neg 95 mutation panel shows. I was tested for CF as an infant and adult b/c of my mucus cough and low weight. I have bronchiectasis and an alpha-1 antitrypsin gene combo that "might" be the cause of the lung damage.
<br />
<br />While I was off dairy, I was always hungry and went down to my pre-pg weight fast (118, 5'5'), but I didn't go below what was normal for me, and I did make enough milk for him to stay in the 95%ile for weight and height.
<br />
<br />I ate a lot of black beans and rice, pop tarts, muffins with small amounts of dairy, meat, and collard greens/kale. I tried Goat's milk for a while too. I got pg again when he was 7 months old and by 9 months was back on dairy (oh, how delicious!) and trying really hard to get him to take Nutramigen formula (non-dairy, non-soy). He took his first bottle a couple days before he turned one. At about 18 months, I was giving him cheese and milk. He is 8 now and eats everything, but poops a lot and is prone to stomachaches. But he has no IGE mediated allergies.
<br />
<br />There are ways to get calcium apart from dairy, but you have to cook and eat a lot. Plus, with the malabsorbtion issues of CF, I don't know how much extra you need and if you're really going to get it from things like kale.
<br />
<br />I wish you the best in this. It is not easy. ((HUGS))

 

[mamaScarlett]

it can also take a while for small babies to get their own digestive tract in line-my lo had bouts of green mucousy poops as a newborn and it turned out to be that. fyi, if you were on antibiotics at all during your pregnancy, that will affect the baby's own digestive tract, making it longer for them to get all the good bacteria they need. thats what was going on with my daughter. i did only one course of oral abx while i was preg, and months later it did end of affecting her bowels.
just throwing that out there-it may not have anything to do with that.

 

[mamaScarlett]

it can also take a while for small babies to get their own digestive tract in line-my lo had bouts of green mucousy poops as a newborn and it turned out to be that. fyi, if you were on antibiotics at all during your pregnancy, that will affect the baby's own digestive tract, making it longer for them to get all the good bacteria they need. thats what was going on with my daughter. i did only one course of oral abx while i was preg, and months later it did end of affecting her bowels.
just throwing that out there-it may not have anything to do with that.

 

[mamaScarlett]

it can also take a while for small babies to get their own digestive tract in line-my lo had bouts of green mucousy poops as a newborn and it turned out to be that. fyi, if you were on antibiotics at all during your pregnancy, that will affect the baby's own digestive tract, making it longer for them to get all the good bacteria they need. thats what was going on with my daughter. i did only one course of oral abx while i was preg, and months later it did end of affecting her bowels.
<br />just throwing that out there-it may not have anything to do with that.

 

[Keepercjr]

AJ

I went off dairy for both my babies. It was hard and I wasn't 100% compliant but I did the best I could. And it helped! You just have to start over with your diet. Maybe make a list of things you like that don't have dairy and go from there. For example, I like chicken, rice, potatoes, beef (like steak and hamburgers), lots of veggies, oatmeal, sandwiches, pasta and more stuff that I can't think of now. All the foods I listed can be prepared without dairy. I'm currently starting over myself after reintroducing dairy in my diet a while back. Scarlett developed eczema behind her knees and after eliminating the foods I thought could be triggers, it was dairy. So we're trying to go as dairy free as possible again. All

Like Melissa said, there are other ways to get calcium. Personally I rely on calcium supplements. remember that you have to take magnesium at the same time to get the full absorption of both.

You can do it and maintain your weight! You just have to try a little harder I'm sure there are support groups for nursing moms on elimination diets and they probably have tons of tips.

 

[Keepercjr]

AJ

I went off dairy for both my babies. It was hard and I wasn't 100% compliant but I did the best I could. And it helped! You just have to start over with your diet. Maybe make a list of things you like that don't have dairy and go from there. For example, I like chicken, rice, potatoes, beef (like steak and hamburgers), lots of veggies, oatmeal, sandwiches, pasta and more stuff that I can't think of now. All the foods I listed can be prepared without dairy. I'm currently starting over myself after reintroducing dairy in my diet a while back. Scarlett developed eczema behind her knees and after eliminating the foods I thought could be triggers, it was dairy. So we're trying to go as dairy free as possible again. All

Like Melissa said, there are other ways to get calcium. Personally I rely on calcium supplements. remember that you have to take magnesium at the same time to get the full absorption of both.

You can do it and maintain your weight! You just have to try a little harder I'm sure there are support groups for nursing moms on elimination diets and they probably have tons of tips.

 

[Keepercjr]

AJ
<br />
<br />I went off dairy for both my babies. It was hard and I wasn't 100% compliant but I did the best I could. And it helped! You just have to start over with your diet. Maybe make a list of things you like that don't have dairy and go from there. For example, I like chicken, rice, potatoes, beef (like steak and hamburgers), lots of veggies, oatmeal, sandwiches, pasta and more stuff that I can't think of now. All the foods I listed can be prepared without dairy. I'm currently starting over myself after reintroducing dairy in my diet a while back. Scarlett developed eczema behind her knees and after eliminating the foods I thought could be triggers, it was dairy. So we're trying to go as dairy free as possible again. All
<br />
<br />Like Melissa said, there are other ways to get calcium. Personally I rely on calcium supplements. remember that you have to take magnesium at the same time to get the full absorption of both.
<br />
<br />You can do it and maintain your weight! You just have to try a little harder I'm sure there are support groups for nursing moms on elimination diets and they probably have tons of tips.

 

[Littlemiss]

Thanks everyone <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

I've been off dairy for a week now and DD's poos are back to normal!! Yay!!

Still need to talk to my dietitian re: dairy elimination, but glad to know that others have done it successfully and I don't have to wean.

 

[Littlemiss]

Thanks everyone <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

I've been off dairy for a week now and DD's poos are back to normal!! Yay!!

Still need to talk to my dietitian re: dairy elimination, but glad to know that others have done it successfully and I don't have to wean.

 

[Littlemiss]

Thanks everyone <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
<br />
<br />I've been off dairy for a week now and DD's poos are back to normal!! Yay!!
<br />
<br />Still need to talk to my dietitian re: dairy elimination, but glad to know that others have done it successfully and I don't have to wean.

 

[jendonl]

I am so glad your dd is doing better. I breastfed my CF DD for 2 1/2 years. She was allergic to both milk and soy. I had to cut out all dairy and soy during that time. We couldn't have any processed foods or eat at restaurants. I lost a lot of weight without even trying even though I ate like a horse.

I can really sympathise with you. I don't have CF so I don't have the nutrition problems you do so I know it will be more difficult for you but there are certainly other choices that can add calories. Soy milk isn't bad if she is OK with soy. It is higher in calories than Rice milk (though I like the taste of Rice milk better.) Most recipes can be altered to replace any cow's milk with Soy or rice milk with very little change. You can add oil to increase calories.

As she gets older she will likely become more tolerant and you may be able to eat ice cream and heavy cream since it is mostly fat and it is likely that she is allergic/intolerant of the milk protein and not the milk fat.
Eventually, our DD could tolerate goat's milk (it is similar to cow's milk so it may still cause problems) and she drank that almost exclusively for a long time. Goat's milk is actually a little higher in fat than Cow's milk so it was a good choice for her. I don't really like the taste though so I didn't drink it.

She is almost 7 now and she has just in the last year been able to drink milk without problems.

If you have any questions or would like more ideas, you can pm me.

 

[jendonl]

I am so glad your dd is doing better. I breastfed my CF DD for 2 1/2 years. She was allergic to both milk and soy. I had to cut out all dairy and soy during that time. We couldn't have any processed foods or eat at restaurants. I lost a lot of weight without even trying even though I ate like a horse.

I can really sympathise with you. I don't have CF so I don't have the nutrition problems you do so I know it will be more difficult for you but there are certainly other choices that can add calories. Soy milk isn't bad if she is OK with soy. It is higher in calories than Rice milk (though I like the taste of Rice milk better.) Most recipes can be altered to replace any cow's milk with Soy or rice milk with very little change. You can add oil to increase calories.

As she gets older she will likely become more tolerant and you may be able to eat ice cream and heavy cream since it is mostly fat and it is likely that she is allergic/intolerant of the milk protein and not the milk fat.
Eventually, our DD could tolerate goat's milk (it is similar to cow's milk so it may still cause problems) and she drank that almost exclusively for a long time. Goat's milk is actually a little higher in fat than Cow's milk so it was a good choice for her. I don't really like the taste though so I didn't drink it.

She is almost 7 now and she has just in the last year been able to drink milk without problems.

If you have any questions or would like more ideas, you can pm me.

 

[jendonl]

I am so glad your dd is doing better. I breastfed my CF DD for 2 1/2 years. She was allergic to both milk and soy. I had to cut out all dairy and soy during that time. We couldn't have any processed foods or eat at restaurants. I lost a lot of weight without even trying even though I ate like a horse.
<br />
<br />I can really sympathise with you. I don't have CF so I don't have the nutrition problems you do so I know it will be more difficult for you but there are certainly other choices that can add calories. Soy milk isn't bad if she is OK with soy. It is higher in calories than Rice milk (though I like the taste of Rice milk better.) Most recipes can be altered to replace any cow's milk with Soy or rice milk with very little change. You can add oil to increase calories.
<br />
<br />As she gets older she will likely become more tolerant and you may be able to eat ice cream and heavy cream since it is mostly fat and it is likely that she is allergic/intolerant of the milk protein and not the milk fat.
<br />Eventually, our DD could tolerate goat's milk (it is similar to cow's milk so it may still cause problems) and she drank that almost exclusively for a long time. Goat's milk is actually a little higher in fat than Cow's milk so it was a good choice for her. I don't really like the taste though so I didn't drink it.
<br />
<br />She is almost 7 now and she has just in the last year been able to drink milk without problems.
<br />
<br />If you have any questions or would like more ideas, you can pm me.

 

[jendonl]

Just want to add that Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium better. Make sure that either the Calcium supplement you take also contains Vitamin D or you take a Vitamin D supplement with the Calcium.

 

[jendonl]

Just want to add that Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium better. Make sure that either the Calcium supplement you take also contains Vitamin D or you take a Vitamin D supplement with the Calcium.