just sad

[Therese's Mommy]

DD was doing so well since I started eliminating things. Now the past 2 days her one cheek is red she has some eczema that seems to be getting worse rather than better, and she had a hive pop out on her other cheek this morning. I have no idea what is going on. She started with a little itching last week and I thought that perhaps she was reacting to tahini that I had been eating. But that is out of my diet for several days and in no way could explain the red cheek or hive. Her sleep had been good, but last night was not so great. I am just so sad. She is cranky, it is obvious she doesn't feel well. Her appetite has waned some She is so tiny, I was so happy when her appetite picked up.

I feel now like I am taking shots in the dark. My guess now is the sunbutter. Unfortunately it is produced on equipment that processes soybeans. Dh said that the jar we are eating from now was opened in the last week, so maybe that is the issue. She has eaten a little more of that than usual because we have been on the go alot and she has had alot of sandwiches. But, if we have to give up the sunbutter what do I replace it with??? She has so few fat sources (no avocado ), and it is so convenient to spread it on a rice cake or have a sandwich on the go. What are my other options?

Anyway, I mostly needed to vent. I am so tired. I am afraid everytime I eat. I worry about the baby I am carrying. I feel like I am in a maze and every turn is a dead end. And now it even feels like the maze is shrinking

Beth

[kjbrown92]

What are you eating now?
Are you keeping a food journal?
I forgot to look -- how old is your DD?

[Chinese Pistache]

If she was reacting to tahini, I would put my money on the sun butter. My dd can't do either of those seeds, plus the others that are cross-reactive: flaxseed, buckwheat and coconut. I honestly wouldn't include any seeds in an ED at all, because they can be so allergenic

[changingseasons]

I agree with CP- I would skip the seeds. Do you have any safe oils? Olive, safflower are two that are pretty low on the allergenicity scale. Of course, safflower is in the sunflower family, so that might not be a good idea either.

Ok, next idea- good, fatty meats. And bone broth with the fats (don't skim).

[FireWithin]

I am glad that you spoke up.

keep on dialoguing here. Many of us have been that scary, hungry place.

Let us know how you are doing.

hugs.

[Therese's Mommy]

DD is 22mos. I just started a food journal today. Before today, things seemed much more obvious to me.

She has been eating the sunbutter since last summer. I was thinking more along the lines of cross contamination rather than a reaction to the sunflower seeds. She drinks hemp milk as well, and that is related to sunflower seeds as well. Dh said that the jar we are using was opened last week, so I was wondering if we have a jar that has a high concentration of soy in it.

We are vegetarian. While I realize at some pt I may need to give dd some meat to get her proper nutrition I am not ready to open that can of worms yet. I feel like I have much more control over her diet if she remains veg. I always wonder things like, if she is so highly allergic to milk, how would she react to beef? And who knows what the animal has eaten. Could she possibly react to the animal's diet? I know I can get grassfed meat, but how can I trust? These are just my thoughts right now.

The hive this morning may have been a bite of some sort. I have never seen her get a hive that hangs around like this thing has. In the past she comes in contact, gets a hive(s) and, unless it is a really bad reaction with alot of hives, everything (redness, bumpiness) is all gone within 30 min or so. This bugger is smaller but still there and pink. Also, it looked like she had itched it and I have never seen her itch a hive before. Anyway, I am keeping my eye on it.

Thanks for listening.

Beth

[changingseasons]

Yeah, if you do decide to try meat at some point, I probably wouldn't do beef if she's that allergic to dairy. Lamb is supposed to be the least allergenic, and I would only try it if you can find 100% grassfed. If they are fed any grain or other food (especially if it's non-organic/GMO/etc.), then yes- your DD can react to their diet.

[Catt75]

Hugs to you Beth. I can empathize with how you are feeling. We have just started this journey (my LO and I) and I feel like you are feeling more days then not. I am so glad I found you ladies though. I usually feel renewed when I come here. You'll figure it out. Keep up with the journal. I need to get better at doing that too.

[kjbrown92]

Every time there's another reaction and I have to figure out the food, then eliminate it, we're there. Wondering if I'm doing the right thing, wondering if it's the right food to eliminate, and wondering when the spiral will end (I believe it has for DD2 since she's been adding foods, but I'm not sure about DS but I'm hopeful now that I eliminated corn). It's no picnic, mama, but at least we're all in it together.

[Therese's Mommy]

Thanks so much for the encouraging words. It is so nice to have somewhere to go where people really understand what I am going through. In some instances irl it is hard to talk about this because people think I am so nuts for not just weaning her. But I really believe in CLW and if she is still nursing then I am confident she needs it. Yes, it is no picnic for me, but it is much worse for her

All day my mind is searching and searching for a possible cause. I noticed this afternoon that her face has been getting red every time she nurses. I changed body soaps late last week. It isn't anything I think she should react to, but who knows. It is just Kiss My Face olive oil soap with no fragrance or anything. She eats olive oil, but who knows. I just washed off with her soap and plan to use it for the time being to see if that helps her face at all. I don't think it could be the whole answer, but I have been baffled by her red face.

Anyway, I just keep throwing stuff out there. Thanks again for all the support and encouragement here. If it wasn't for this board we wouldn't be as far as we are now. Just 2 months ago we were dealing with so much more, but in some ways it was easier because I wasn't expecting improvement. Now that I have had a taste of life on the other side it is sometimes hard. But, right now, I feel like I am just fine tuning things. Which is great! Oh, and I know my dd thanks all of you as well

Beth