Dairy Free 9 Month Old and Eating

Hi J.,
Sounds like you are really busy! Cooking and pureeing homemade babyfood's probably not an option for you. I have a dairy-allergic son (going to be 1 year in a week:)) so I can relate to what you are going through, except my son didn't have the reflux issues. I am still breastfeeding him but also supplement with a few botttles of formula per day. Didnt want to but I had no choice. The first time I ever gave him a bottle of regular formula, he had a severe reaction and had to go to the ER. Covered with hives and rash from head to toe and ears started swelling... it was awful! Anywho, we had to put him on hypoallergenic formula which is gross and costs a fortune. Finally got him in to see an allergist around 10 months and it was a good thing because he is not allergic to soy, so we were able to switch formulas. (Our pediatrician said not to even mess around trying other formulas until he was tested). He tested to be still allergic to milk protein and also eggs. I agree that it is good to be cautious with eggs until 1 yr. My pediatrician also recommends not giving babies any meats until 1 year, although most women in our society start much earlier. So don't feel bad doing only fruits, veggies, cereal and breastmilk for now. That's perfect for your sensitive little sweetie! As one other mama here was saying, in many countries mothers wouldn't dream of giving babies anything but breastmilk until one year. Don't know about you, but as a new mom I feel a lot of pressure to give my son more solid foods and sooner than I want. [At 8 months: "You mean he's not eating fingerfoods yet?" eyebrows raised]. The allergist said he's likely to grow out of the allergy by age 3, but it is best to not give him any milk protein in the meantime (unless he tests ok at a future allergist visit) as it will cause his body to produce antibodies, which i guess is not good.
Some positive things I wanted to share with you are: for one, unlike other moms on here, my baby seems to have no trouble when i eat dairy, never has. Also, i can give him butter. Of course i give small quantities and not everyday, but sometimes i'll cook veggies in butter or mix some into a puree. My doctor said, it is mostly fat and there's very little milk protein in it. No reaction so far. I try not to give him too much cereal or starches because he gets really constipated, but since 10-11 mo we started trying occasional potato, pastina, or some rice. Avacado alone is unappealing to most babies but so healthy for them. Try mixing with his bananas for help with constipation. Also squashes of all kinds are great, butternut, zucchini, yellow, winter, pumpkin, and mix well with cereals, fats, chicken stock and so on. Green peas are a big favorite, and pureed green beans if i mix with something else like brown rice cereal. My boy also enjoys mashed turnips from time to time, and both jarred and baked sweet potatoes. For fruits, have you tried papaya? My son likes it but he can't tolerate mango. I'm not a fan of giving him foods with added sugar or salt but as he gets older it will be hard to avoid. I think 2 meals of solids per day is fine and you seem to be doing a great job. Best of luck!

stawberries...do not give til 1 yr old. hightly allergic reactions can occur. no honey either.

Hi J.,

Your son's digestive system just may be a bit immature. He may not be as sensitive to milk and other foods in a few months.

As far as eggs, that is the one food that our pediatrician urged not to feed to our daughter until she was at least one year old. Anything else was a go, but she did not have food sensitivities.

I would just stick to what you are doing, but I would definitely increase the breast milk. Another thing my pediatrician said was that a baby can survive AND thrive on breast milk alone until at least 12 months.

Don't stress - remember every baby is different, and anything that companies try to encourage is usually because they make money from it. Trust your instincts...

Good luck,
L.

If you're not doing this already, I recommend seeing a pediatric allergist. We found out our son was allergic to dairy at about 9 mos also, then subsequently turned out he was allergic to several other foods as well (peanuts, wheat, oranges, blueberries, the list goes on). You should consider getting an epipen. Our pediatrician did not suggest it but the allergist considered it a must (I would not try egg until you have an epipen, egg allergy is very common. And you're supposed to wait til 1 year anyway).

We see Dr. Fagin at Schneiders in Long Island. Depending on where you live, you might consider Mt Sinai in Manhattan, which is supposed to be one of the leading pediatric food allergy places in the country, phone number is ###-###-####. Has your baby had blood testing and/or skin testing? Sounds like he could be allergic to some fruits in addition to dairy.

My second suggestion is to see a nutritionist to help advise how to get a balanced diet despite the variety of foods being limited. Both Schneiders and Mt Sinai have nutritionists, and I found it very helpful.

Feel free to email me if I can be of any help. Best of luck to you!

Hi J.:

How's your diet? What you consume will be transported to him via breastmilk. I believe if you alter your diet and incorporate the appropriate enzymes, as well as, include Homeopathic remedies for his digestive system, you will notice a healthy difference.

Enzymes are natural chemicals in the body that assist the proper assimilation of food, which then helps the organs to function better. When the enzymes are depleted due to stress, medication or poor diet, the body starts to breakdown, i.e. the digestive system and upset occurs. By taking the appropriate enzymes, you can re-build the body. My company knows how to test the body to determine what enzymes are depleted.

If you are interested in this option and learning more about Homeopathy, you can set up a private session with me, in-office or via telephone.

All the best to you and baby,

N.
Holistic Healthcare Practitioner
www.wholecreations.com/wombfull.html
###-###-####

Don't worry too much about increasing the number of foods your son is eating too quickly. It's common for babies with sensitivities to delay solids, because it sometimes takes longer for their systems to develop. My daughter, who's allergic to soy, didn't really start solid food until she was a year old, but once she started in she really could eat almost anything.

Whenever I accidentally consumed any soy however her system would become hyper-reactive to foods she never reacted to before though :/ If your diet isn't totally dairy free you might want to consider eliminating dairy to see if his tolerance for other foods increases. . .

J.,

I don't have much experience with food allergies, but I've heard that goat's milk is easier to digest than cow's milk. I would also suggest trying to make your own food rather than jarred baby food. you can make oatmeal (organic steel cut oats) with water and puree it, try avacado and sweet potato, squash, beets, beans. Cook food until its very soft and mash or cut into small cubes.

Good for you for breastfeeding, its the best thing for your baby. Keep it up for as long as you can.

Good luck,
R.

Hi J.! I think it's wonderful that you are so sensitive to what your little one's system can tolerate. You are saving his developing system from alot of grief.

I don't think I would give him eggs at this point. I was told that they are an allergy concern.

Have you tried avocados? They are rich in healthy fats and are easy for babies your son's age to pick up and eat.
Here are some things that my daughter liked at that age.
-cubed sweet potatoes
-soups made from organic chicken broth (Pacific is a good brand) with soft veggies and small bits of meat. You can flavor with a bit of sea salt and onion powder.
-toast with whole fruit preserves (like All Fruit) cut into strips

Also, I know that peanut butter is not recommended for infants (we didn't use it until age 2, and if your son has allergies, you may want to wait an extra year for peanut products) but my friend uses a product called Sun Butter. It's made from Sunflower seeds. It's worth checking into, to see if it's okay for babies under age one.

Also, I believe that Baby Mum-Mum rice crackers are dairy free. They are perfect infant crackers!

Even though your friend's babies are eating all sorts of things, your son's system is still developing and you are doing the right thing by not pushing foods. He may be going through a growth spurt too, and that will mean nursing alot in the night. Is his reflux under control? My daughter woke CONSTANTLY in the night to nurse, just to soothe the reflux.

I have NO IDEA if I helped you :) but you are doing a great job!

My son (2 next week!) has dairy issues as well. Check all ingredients. (No whey or cassein either)The only oatmeal we use is Beech Nut because it is dairy free. Eggs shouldn't be an issue but you should wait to give any baby an egg until they are 1. Nature's Promise (stop n shop) has waffles that are dairy free and edible. (Van's brand is icky). I buy lots of nature's promise products because they have lots that are dairy free. my son also has soy issues- he can tolerate it in products but not soy milk. lots of kids with dairy issues have soy problems as well. my son is going on 2 and drinks rice milk and(expensive)special formula that is dairy and soy free. good luck- it's annoying but once you get into the habit of reading labels and finding products that are dairy free- it gets easier.
I breast fed for 11 months and you have to be very careful not to eat dairy or anything that remotely has dairy in it also. that would give your child a reaction too. good luck!

J.,
Be aware that if your son has a milk sensitivity, it may not be actually the milk. He may have a wheat/gluten sensitivity.
Have you tried organic, grassfed milk? and he still has a problem? grass fed cows are not given wheat or corn, which can touch off gluten sensitivities (well what comes through a human's milk must for a cow!)

We held off eggs until age2. Studies were releasing (about 2 years ago) that sensitivities to egg were due to being introduced to it too soon. Same with Peanuts/butter (age 3).

If you are still breastfeeding, that is more than enough. He doesn't actually need solids until age 1. The World Health Organization actually recommends nursing until age 2, minimum (AMA only 1 year??). Whatever solids you have introduced are just fine; he won't be going hungry.

If you are concerned about your supply or about how much nutrition he is really getting from you - think of it this way: babies weren't designed to get solids (even though they get teeth early) until age 1 - 1.5. Breastmilk is perfect for them. Whatever solids you are giving him will be rounded out by your milk. It will fill in whatever gaps are left that he does not receive from his food.

Schedule? I put food in my baby's mouth when he's hungry. When a growth spurt hits, there IS no schedule! :O I stay away from baby crackers, and my son has had very, very little sugar (a total of 3 times in his life for sweets). He has no need.

He is still growing, and still changing, so the overnight nursing might last a bit longer. Congrats for continuing to feed him on the overnights - that is SO SO GOOD for him!.

RE: reflux, staying sitting up after eating (does he wake on the overnight because he has reflux and then eats bc that soothes it maybe? Either way, he's getting nutrition.)

You might look on the internet and see what families the fruits belong to (the berries are grouped together for allergens I believe but I have no idea where to go for this info).

Any vegetable. Give each one a 3 day trial, to see how it goes. make notes. Lots of notes! Because if you are as busy as I think you are, you're not going to remember.

We held off meats until age one also; your milk DOES have protein in it (our ped tried to tell us it didn't).

If he is gluten sensitive, you have your work cut out for you. Cutting out ALL grains might work best for him (they have to fortify the heck out of them any way, how good can they really be?) But cutting out all PROCESSED foods will be your best bets (breaded cheese sticks, crackers, etc.) Sticking with whole foods may be the best way to go until you can either isolate what he's sensitive/allergic to, or until you find out if he' has celiac or CF (two wheat sensitive items).

I have a lot more info/advice but my own son is clamoring for attention. Email me if you're still interested.

Good luck,
M.