Did anyone manage to BF with multiple allergies?

[Pinky9000]

My 3 month old DD has CMPA but now we also suspect egg and wheat allergies. I'm finding it hard to meal plan/get the calories in without consuming foods that set her off but I am also really keen to continue BFing. Anyone manages to BF successfully and still avoid multiple allergens?

Yes I'm 9m in. My little one has confirmed allergies- multiple including CMPA. Also egg beef bananas. I'm also off soya and a couple of other random things. For a while I was off all of the above plus wheat and nuts. It wasn't easy but do-able! Oat cakes were a staple as was porridge. Flapjacks made with df marg or stork. Luckily we cook from scratch anyway at home and let's face it we're not going anywhere to eat out these days. I actually like oat milk these days in my coffee and tea. It is possible! Not easy but possible. There are some Facebook groups for CMPA and bf with CMPA which are a good source of info and luckily many people post their latest finds for treats etc on there. Good luck!

@proworrier thanks for your reply :) how and at what age did you figure the allergies out? My DD always has a delayed reaction so it's still difficult to work them out exactly...I'm tempted do a total exclusion diet but dietician has advised against it.

No longer breastfeeding but exclusively bf til dd was 15 months with cmpa, soya, oats and then a few random fruits/veg. Added to my own allergies it left a fairly restricted list!

It took a good few months. And we're still figuring it out. Tbh I cut so much out it was a bit of a nightmare. But my little one was so so so sick. He was gaining weight but slowly and was so sick and so uncomfortable it was horrible. He was having horrible nappies too as well as being thoroughly miserable. I cut out the dairy and soya first and that made some difference but he was stil having a bad time so I got desperate and cut egg wheat nuts out all at once. Cutting so much can be tricky as then when it comes to weaning onto solids you don't know where to start. Having said that it did all become clearer once we did introduce solids as although reaction is still "delayed" it is more immediate if that makes any sense. Keep a really good food diary with notes of symptoms too. That really really helped us. Tbh we're not there yet- it's an ever changing and developing road as re tested beef this week and he was miserable so that does seem to be an issue. It's not easy but know that Breast milk will be helping your little one despite the allergies- think of all those antibodies (especially in these weird times)

I'm nearly a year into feeding with 3 allergies, CMPA, soya and wheat. The wheat is me though so I'm used to being restricted. Once we figured out what I needed to cut and then found out which alternatives worked it got much easier.

There is zero evidence to say that wheat/gluten gets through in breast milk, so I wouldn't bother with that in your own diet (obvs not in baby's).

Re: milk and egg, milk can definitely come through so might be best avoided if your child reacts severely, but egg is also super unlikely to affect a child through breast milk.

Yes, it was sometimes hard but I was glad I did. I didnt want to give the allergies the satisfaction of taking something important to me away, if that makes sense. When I was finding it hard I used to remember that my baby may have to deal with allergies their whole life, so it was good for me to understand some of the inconvinience of that, and also helped me know what foods they could have when they started on solids.
That said, only you know what is right for you and your family, and be confident in whatever decision you decide. It might help to set a date in the future when you will review it, eg BF to 5 months then review, etc. The CMPA Facebook pages are also helpful.
Hope it all goes well and congratulations on your baby

Just to say, my baby reacted badly to egg through my milk so recon it can pass through. They do have severe allergies though so maybe thats why. I dont think there has been anywhere near enough research in that area to know for sure.

My 2 were bf until over a year with multiple allergies. First only dairy, soy and gluten. Second those plus egg, and problems with spices, onion, garlic, legumes, and some others then I found more once we started on solids. Would some meal suggestions and brands of exactly what they eat be useful? The longer you can bf the better but remember you need to look after yourself too. As you've said getting in the calories is really important!

I breastfed my son for over a year when he had CMPA and soy allergy (thankfully now outgrown both and we're still BF!). It's not easy and can be time consuming (checking labels, planning meals, planning where to eat out (when we can!) etc) but personally I found it worth it in the end. I agree with a PP that the breastfeeding with CMPA groups on Facebook are really useful and a lot of people on there have babes with multiple allergies.

Yes I fed DD2 with milk and wheat allergies and for a time also certain fruits also provoked a reaction. I already had a dairy free diet but adding wheat into the mix was a learning curve. I ate a lot of rice based dishes and porridge and missed bread the most (not a gluten free bread fan!). It stood me in good stead for weaning as I was already used to cooking with the restrictions so that was a bonus.

Thanks for all your replies...this feels more manageable already :)

@proworrier my DD is the same- she really really suffers and weight gain has been very slow. Hence the temptation to just cut out all the main allergens

@SparklyScottie yes that would be really handy! Thanks

Brands of foods we've found that cover dairy, soy, egg and gluten free that I can think of right now are:

• bfree bread
• fria bread, rolls, apple muffins and cinnamon buns
• lots of dark chocolate
• nomo chocolate
• moo free chocolate
• holy moly guacamole
• Lidl guacamole
• angelic biscuits (currently on sale on their website)
• quite a lot of Nairn's products
• gluten free hob nobs
• white rabbit pizza (not all check as some have normal mozzarella)
• Sainsbury's free from pizza
• dell ugo do some nice fresh free from pasta
• mr organic chocolate hazelnut spread
• oatly cream (black fresh one) and creme fraiche (sour cream substitute)
• violife cheese is ok grated on pasta
• applewood dairy free melts well for toasted sandwiches, cheese sauce, nachos etc

I'm sure there's more. Do say if there's something in particular you miss and I'll see if we have an alternative.

It's hard going. Have you had a full bf assessment (it'll be a miracle if you have in covid times!)? I found it really really tough not to doubt the bf and tried everything latch/ supply wise but ultimately whatever I was doing didn't work enough as he was constantly constantly sick. So much washing. So much sick. Such an unhappy boy at times!

I think I would do it again if I had to- as in cut everything out at once. It wasn't ideal but it helped but then became tricky to know what was what. Be careful with full TEDs though- there's a book popular called something like "the baby reflux lady". I read parts of it and whilst helpful it also has some pretty extreme suggestions around diet in it so take it with a pinch of salt and do your own research. The author isn't a health professional but has had lots and lot of her own experience so it's something to factor in but wouldn't take it as gospel myself.

Diet wise only other thing to add is that Jackson's bread (if you continue with wheat/ gluten) is soya flour free as is most of the Tesco's finest range I believe. There's also a bakery called "incredible bakery" online which has lots of alternatives on. And the doves Freee range has lots of gluten/ wheat free flours too. I found shopping online actually easier as I could read all of the ingredients without picking up packets or being stood in a supermarket!

Oh yes and also. It is very clear that my little one reacts to egg through my diet. Also bananas- totally random but it clear as day when I've eaten one.

@proworrier @SparklyScottie thank you very much! Just ordered a bunch of stuff online. Waiting for the egg to leave DD's system...it's been an ugly few days lol.

I have had a BF assessment and worked closely with a lactation consultant- she was actually the one who suggested CMPA. DD had a tongue tie but we got that snipped ages ago.

Got a follow up appt with paediatric dietician in Jan. Last time she told me not to cut anything out except dairy and soy.

We are cutting out dairy and soya for little one and I have a histamine Intolerance which is a mixed blessing there's a potentially long list of foods to avoid but I mostly respond to packaged/artificial foods so we have to cook everything from scratch.

One of the shocks I had was that my multivitamin has soya in so make sure you check that too

Hi all

Just jumping in (hope you don't mind) wondering how long it took you to see a difference in your LO when you cut out dairy, egg etc?

Thanks

Hey @ablisha
With dairy I saw her skin clear up within 3 days of me cutting it out. Then maybe another couple of weeks until she was properly settled. Sadly she had her jabs after that and we seem ti be back to square 1.

Weirdly I'm not even sure about wheat and eggs anymore...I've noticed she flares up badly after every vaccination appointment and each time I think it must be an allergen and start eliminating more stuff from my diet. Don't really know what's going on anymore.

I breast feed a toddler who is allergic to dairy, soya, coconut, blueberries and probably egg. I definitely don’t have an issue getting enough calories, I need to lose weight.

My 7 month old has milk allergy (delayed, non IgE) and am still breastfeeding as I find it gives me more control. I now realise how much cheese and chocolate I really ate - I'm 5kg lighter than I was prepregnancy as a result (and not actually happy about it!) I've been milk free since she was 7 weeks and soya free for 3 so decided to test soya yesterday, now I'm up holding a baby who clearly has an uncomfortable tummy.
What does a flare up look like to you? For us it is generally discomfort and a (more) unsettled night which can make it difficult to work out what is going on because so many things can cause this. If you're seeing a link between the vaccinations maybe it isn't the food you eat that is having an effect? I know how hard it is to constantly be trying to get to the bottom of what's going on, we'll try anything to make our babies a little happier!

Yes, up to 18 months. At three months or so, removed ten most common allergens from my diet in desperation at the rampant eczema and congestion DC had. It did help a lot - slowly reintroduced back into diet. DC milk, egg, tree nut allergies confirmed. My diet was very limited for a while.... but thankfully food labelling is much better now and special diets better catered for. Home made bread and jam was heaven and the closes pt I’d come to a dessert in about a year

Skin would flare up quickly when food was reintroduced into my diet - egg almost instantaneous, milk slower but gave a very distinct rash and upset gut. Initially, soya milk in my diet would result in hives for DC. Each allergen gave a specific reaction. Skin would clear a week but take up to a month to resolve