Preparing for a Dairy Free Birth

Due to family history of dairy allergies, I’m preparing for Doodad’s birth with the assumption (s)he is allergic to milk. We are lucky that our food allergies are mild, resulting mostly in upset stomachs and rashes. The following are my personal thoughts and experience having been {mostly} dairy free for over 18 months.

Our Family History

I am the youngest of 3. Both of my older brothers were allergic to milk as babies. When I was born, my parents just assumed I would also be allergic and avoided milk in my diet when I was little. I’ve always known this but didn’t think about it until after our pediatrician suspected a dairy allergy in my second son, Magoo, when he was 2 months old. Magoo had a head to toe rash from birth and would not sleep for more than 30 minutes unless being held upright. I got almost no sleep those first two months. After eliminating dairy, I noticed a changed in my baby within days. A week later, I had a happy baby, with clear skin, who would sleep 4 to 6 hours at a time. We have never had Magoo formally tested, but there is no doubt in my mind he was and still is sensitive to milk.

Magoo at 2 weeks old.  The rash did not clear from his face until eliminating dairy.

A Dairy Allergy is Not the End of Breastfeeding

My current pet peeve is the misinformation regarding breastfeeding and dairy allergies. I have seen multiple reliable sources recommend mom’s stop breastfeeding and switch to soy formula when baby is allergic to milk. That is not necessary. If you want to stop nursing for other reasons, then research an appropriate alternative, but the allergy alone is not a reason to stop! Eliminating dairy from mom’s diet will eliminate the offending proteins in her breast milk. Full elimination can take up to 6 or 8 weeks, however a significant change will likely be observed in the first week or two.

Nutritional Concerns of a Dairy Free Diet

When Magoo’s allergy was suggested, my pediatrician gave me a pamphlet of information that included a list of foods to avoid and recommended resources. I was most surprised by the recommendation to use vegan recipes and meal plans. I know the following is a completely inaccurate stereotype, but I left the clinic thinking I would be eating lettuce and tofu for the next year (neither of which I like). Our consumption of lettuce has not changed, and I still haven’t tried tofu (and still have no desire to). Following vegan meal plans and nutritional recommendation has been extremely helpful. We are not a vegan family. We eat meat, chicken and eggs regularly, but I also use quite a few vegan recipes in regular rotation. Protein has been much easier to include in our diet than I expected. Calcium intake is the concern people most often voice, but research shows that calcium from vegetable sources is absorbed and used more effectively by your body. As long as you eat calcium rich vegetables regularly, you actually need less calcium than if you eat dairy products regularly.

Magoo at 1 month old.  His rash became progressively worse until eliminating dairy.

I Enjoy the Dairy Free Lifestyle

With one huge exception… chocolate! I have found sources of dairy free chocolate, so I’m not completely deprived, but it is more expensive and harder to find in stores. I do miss cheese on pizza and pasta dishes, and have cheated quite a bit lately with my cheese consumption. After getting over the initial cravings and shock of learning a new style of cooking, I’m really enjoying living {mostly} dairy free. I lost all my baby weight within 2 months without any effort other than the change in my diet. I was able to maintain a size smaller than my original pre-babies size without investing much gym time. Basically I feel great! Even at 30 weeks with baby #3, I’ve only gained about 10lbs. This lifestyle may not be for everyone, but it has been a great fit for me.

I did return to a full diary diet right after Magoo stopped nursing at 15 months old.  I ate way too much ice cream, cheese and chocolate and made myself sick several time in the first week.  If you choose not to continue with a dairy free diet, take the reintroduction slowly!!  Two weeks after Magoo stopped nursing, I found out I was pregnant with Doodad and along with my doctors recommendation, decided to continue dairy free through the pregnancy.

Magoo at 2 months old, one week after eliminating dairy.  His rash began to clear within 2 days.

My Self Imposed Restrictions

As mentioned earlier, I’ve been eating a lot of cheese and milk chocolate lately. Magoo is still sensitive to milk, but able to eat cheese once a week with no side effects. Any more frequent and his rash returns, so we still try to avoid all dairy for him. Starting today, I’m recommitting to a strict dairy free diet. It gives my body time to purge any lingering dairy protein before Doodad is born in about 2 months. I am not entirely decided, but I will most likely avoid dairy until Doodad is old enough to try cheese around 10 months. After my experience with Magoo first 2 months, I would much rather restrict my own diet than have a hurting, sick baby.

Magoo at 3 months old, 1 month dairy free.  Clear skin and a happy baby!

I’m not really sure where this topic should go next. I’ve accumulated a great deal of knowledge and experience regarding a diary free diet over the past two years. I have a few recipes to recommend and a few of my own to share. I also have some thoughts on providing complete nutrition to a mostly vegan toddler. What would be helpful to you?

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This is the second post in a series of thoughts and reflections as I prepare for the birth of our third baby.  You can find links to the rest of the series on the introduction post, Becoming a Family of Five.