We are dairy-free! Alexander has a dairy allergy, when I say allergy we are not quite sure if it's intolerance or allergy, but people respond to the word better. If I say he is sensitive to it, people have said 'oh just have a wee bit then it will be fine' No, no it will not be fine!
My daughter had a severe dairy intolerance, the first year of her life is a blur. A blur of screaming, sickness, spasms, rashes, reflux, and more screaming. She didn't finally get diagnosed till she was one after we kept going back to the docs for help!
Due to the sickness and feeding issues, she wasn't putting on much weight, this ended with extreme stress and weekly weigh ins. I felt terrible, we were already having to give formula top ups, my milk supply was low due to pnd.
Because of her weight, when we started weaning, it was full fat milk, cheese, double cream! Everything with high calories to help boost her weight, and this all made her worse!
I felt that I got 'fobbed off' at the docs being a first time worried mum. But thankfully we didn't give up and my instincts were right!
Thankfully by that time, Caitlin was on solids but she was also still feeding, so we both went dairy free.
It was bloody hard, giving up everything you enjoy, having to check labels on everything, having to take your own snacks everywhere. Going to parties and groups was hard, you can't exactly expect a 1yr old to say '"oh I can't eat that"
Over time it got easier but was still difficult for both of us.
Thankfully by the time she was 3.5 she had outgrown it, we got through the milk ladder and we were back on dairy! (We stopped feeding when she was just over 2 so I was back to cake!)
This time when I was pregnant, I planned and prepared myself to go dairy free near the end of my pregnancy.
No one knew if this baby would have any dairy issues, but knowing that stress and the pain my daughter went through, I didn't mind cutting it out. I spoke to my MW and dietitian, as long as I got enough calcium it wouldn't harm me or baby.
This time it was a lot easier, I knew what I was doing, I knew the substitutes I could have.
When Alexander was a few weeks old I tried butter, just in the morning on toast. He reacted after day 2 quite badly.
Being dairy free is bloody hard, but when you are doing it for your baby it makes it easier.
I have found many dairy free treats I can have, even found a choc pudding that doesn't taste like crap! I know what cafes and restaurants offer the milk I like and cake options!
So if you are breastfeeding and have to cut things out for your baby, you are bloody brilliant!
Do you have a baby with an allergy? How are you getting on?
Laurna x