Dairy free as of yesterday and I'm feeling overwhelmed.

[QueenAmongstMen]

I have a 13 week old breast fed and yesterday I started going dairy free after a month of symptoms that may indicate a possible allergy.

The symptoms my DS is having are:
Reflux
Bad wind
Abdominal discomfort
Discomfort at the breast
Plateauing weight gain

I feel like I'm going to be so reatricted with my diet now and I can't help but think I'm not going to be able to manage.

I was even told I can't have 'normal' bread - is that right?

I feel like I'm trying to climb a mountain and I'm absolutely clueless.

I've had 2 children with a dairy allergy. Most wholemeal bread is fine but read the labels just to be sure. Jus-rol is generally dairy free (their pain au chocolat is a big hit in this house). We used Pure marg instead of butter but avoided fake cheese. DS wouldn't take soya milk or nut milks but like soya yoghurt.

Sainsbury's publish list of their dairy free foods each month but also bold common allergens on their labels, as do the Co-Op. Tescos is a bit shite though and just claims everything 'may contain dairy'. Posh supermarket biscuits can contain dairy but more every day things like bourbons can be OK (but check labels).

Restaurant chains are pretty good at having a list of allergen free foods and small restaurants/cafes tend to be quite helpful at making something off menu if it helps, we went to a lovely chi chi cafe that gave DS sorbet that he adored while the rest of us had icecream. I found places like English Heritage cafes the worst, they didn't have the knowledge or flexibility.

Cooking for yourself is fine, you'll soon find good substitutes (coconut oil makes amazing biscuits). Don't worry! First trip to the supermarket will take ages but you'll soon find out what's OK and what's not.

You get the hang of it pretty quickly.

Chocolate bourbons are dairy free!

Look out for anything vegan, that will be ok.

Beware anything processed- chicken nuggets, etc.

Also, depending how severe you are being, lots of flavoured crisps have dairy in strangely.

Basic bread is usually fine, a cheap toasting loaf. It’s the expensive stuff you have to be careful of.

I felt totally overwhelmed at first but you’ll soon get the hang of it. If it is dairy LO should be improving in 2 weeks by which time you’ll be getting the hang of being DF.

What’s on the menu today? Do you need any inspiration? 🙂

My menu today:

Currently enjoying a bowl of coco pops with almond milk.

Lunch: jam sandwiches and fruit.

Tea: jacket potatoes with dairy free butter and spaghetti.

Very creative

I tend to have Warbuttons bread and there's nothing on the ingredients that I can see about it containing dairy....

I think Warburtons is ok. Tonight we’re having leftover beef with tastiest and veg and for lunch I’m having a ham and lettuce wrap with mayo (Lidl’s mayo is usually DF). Tomorrow and Friday we are out and Saturday night is lamb wraps.

Oh and don’t forget to take a calcium and Vit d supplement 🙂

Tastiest should be roasties. Not quite sure how that happened! 😀

😂I feel your pain I'm long term gluten free and now my body is rejecting dairy I tend to buy vegan food for dairy free stuff

For eating out Wetherspoons is good they never bat their eyes when I say I need gluten free vegan food with meat 😂

The Almond milk on my cereal was actually very yummy!!

I read somewhere yesterday that if you want to be DF then we shouldn't eat lamb or beef??

abbs I’m the one who goes into Toby Carvery and orders the vegan dinner with roast beef 😀

Queen I’ve heard that some people who react to dairy can react to beef, but I don’t think it’s that common. (disclaimer: I may not actually know what I’m talking about 🙂).

Not heard of the lamb thing though. Can I ask where you read that? 🙂

Weight plateauing at this age is quite normal. Is LO following their weight centile? Has DS been checked for tongue tie too as the symptoms can be the same. 🙂

He had severe tongue tie at birth which was snipped at 9 days of age.

He started showing signs of reflux at three weeks of age and was put on ranitidine.

We've had continued feeding problems since his tongue tie was done really, it's been a difficult time. He sees a cranial Osteopath for some of our issues and she also said I should try removing dairy from my diet.

His weight gain had always been really good but over the last 5 weeks it slowed down each time he was weighed. He was born at just under the 91st percentile and he's now just below the 50th.

His reflux has gotten a little worse over the last 4 days in that he's starting bring up a small amount of milk after every feed which he's never done before. He's always had a slight barking cough but it was very, very infrequent and mild whereas the last two days it's gradually worsened and today he's been having lots of barking cough episodes after he's fed. I'm going t take him to the doctors in the morning to see if his ranitidine dose needs increasing.

It's just a constant worry.

It's interesting about the beef as DH and I have mince about 2-3 times a week so maybe I should look at reducing that too.

I read about the lamb issue on a FB group for CMPA. It was just written in an ongoing discussion between various members about what foods we should be avoiding.

It might be worth getting the tt looked at againas it can reattach, especially as the symptoms are so similar to CMPA.

I found this info on CMPA quite useful. Have a read and see what you think 🙂

I got his TT re-looked at when he was 6 weeks old because of the continued feeding problems we were having and it was the lactation Consultant who advised I see a cranial Osteopath as DS clearly had problems with his neck which were affecting him being able to feed.

I don't think it is a TT issue as he sticks his tongue out really far now whereas before he couldn't even get it past his lip, plus his actual feeding technique is pretty normal now whereas previously it was agonising to feed him.

However, I sharnt rule it out as I'm willing to look at every potential problem. I'm speaking to an Infant Feeding co-ordinator next who has done the TT training so I will definitely discuss possible reattachment with her.

Thank you for the link - I shall have a look at it tomorrow when I'm a bit more alert

Lidl’s spiced Christmas biscuits and mince pies are DF. Just don’t tell anyone or they’ll sell out, again! 🙂

Ok the basics, all available at my local medium sized Tesco.

Butter- vitalite
Milk - oatly (the blue one has added calcium)
Cheese - violife (block and soft spread)
Yoghurt - tesco have lots of own brand free from, also coyo
Biscuits - Oreos, bourbons, party rings
Custard - alpro

Cook as you usually would with the substitutes above.

Also good is - humous, guacamole, eggs, cereals, porridge, pasta (lots of the chocolate ones are diary free!).

Just a warning that dairy allergy is associated with soya allergy (same protein chain) and that makes things a bit trickier.

You soon get into the swing of it.

How are you getting on now? Did you manage to read the link? 🙂

everyone - the link was fantastic, thank you. It was very helpful. The section about what symptoms to discuss with the GP and what questions to ask what particularly helpful as I haven't been to the GP yet about me going dairy free so it's spurred me on to make an appointment.

In terms of how I'm getting on...

After having the almond milk the other morning I noticed that during the day my son started refusing to feed, was in a lot of abdominal pain, had a bad cough and was crying more than usual. I thought it was just a coincidence and then before bed I had some more almond milk and I had the worst night with him that I'd ever had. He was awake at midnight, 2am, 4am, 5am and 6am just screaming in pain and arching his back. I decided then that it was probably the almond milk that had caused his behaviour and so decided not to use it anymore. It was yesterday morning that I made that decision. Throughout the day yesterday he was still refusing to feed quite a lot and crying when I put him to the breast.

Last night though he was much more settled and we had a MUCH better night. He had two blocks of sleep that were 4 hours and then a 3 hour block. When he did wake he fed quite happily and this morning he is much more himself.

This morning I have had Koko Coconut milk and I'm just hoping he toleroates that ok.

Oh dear! What a worry. Perhaps you should avoid substitutes for the moment, and just do without for a week. Then you'll get a better idea of what is affecting him. Introduce substitute ingredients like nut milks one at a time.

Sounds like he may have a bit of an issue with nuts too! Glad you found the link useful. Are yiu going to ask for a referral to a Paed and a Paediatric Dietician?

He's already under a paediatrician because he was born with a heart murmur and we are seeing her again in January. I will discuss it with her and she can probably fast track us to the dietician.

Since I had the Koko Coconut milk this morning he's generally been fine. He still has blemishes and redness appearing over his face which come and go throughout the day but in himself he's a happy baby. He breast fed really well overnight and has been really settled during his feeds today too.

The morning after the Almond milk day he had a really awful nappy, thick but loose green stool, which is another reason why I felt the Almond milk wasn't agreeing with him. I changed a dirty nappy this evening and although it was not quite as bad it was still the same texture and colour as his one yesterday. I'm hoping it's just due to that Almond milk still being in his system as opposed to a reaction to the Coconut milk I had this morning. Or maybe his body just doesn't like dairy substitute milks in general? Who knows. It feels like I'm just guessing at everything.

Not sure if it would be a reaction to the coconut. Yiu May have to try lastly or hemp milk as sone people are allergic to coconuts too. At least you are working out which goods may be a problem when yiu start Weaning 🙂

My kids and I are dairy free, but my son can have goats butter and cheese, but can't stand the milk.
I've been trying recently that iodine deficiency is a thing with dairy free diet, so big implications for thyroid health. You cab get table salt with iodine , or supplements, obviously.
But I wonder his it works in cultures that are low/ no dairy? I know they eat seaweed in hsian, so that must cover it, but other parts of Asia are dairy free AFAIK, with no seaweed in diet. Would like to see some research.

That’s interesting Ohyes. I hadn’t thought of iodine.