Need some support!

[amyandelle]

Long story short Azaliah (16 mos) is not on the growth chart and not on a curve for growth either. She has un-confirmed food allergies/intolerances and we don't know exactly what they are to. She weighs 16 lbs 9oz. I have been eliminating dairy, soy, and gluten from my diet and her's for 3 months and she is not getting better. She actually has eczema now that she didn't have before and is getting increasingly fussy, clingly and sleeping poorly. Our ped (very wonderful and supportive of breastfeeding) feels it is time to wean and put her on Necocate Junior. He has referred us to an Allergist that we will see next week but he said it will be recommended that I stop nursing because it will take too long to get all of the other allergens out of my system.

I am not sure what to do. I really wanted to continue nursing for at least another 5-6 months. I don't even know how the heck I am going to wean her. She is so attached and I don't want to stop if she is not ready. However I don't want to jeopardize her health by continuing. My dh says I need to stop nursing. My friends and family members all agree that I need to stop. Am I irrational here that I want to continue?

Thanks,
Amy

[tibeca]

Have you checked your daughter against the WHO chart?

http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data..._24LW_9210.pdf

She seems small, but not horribly small. How is she developing otherwise? How has she grown since her last check up? How large were you as a baby? Your partner? Where do you and her father rank as far as adult height? If you're both small or slight in stature, she may just be following suit.

What other symptoms of allergy does she have (aside from eczema)? Is she breaking out in hives? Diaper rash? Runny nose, watery eyes?

Eczema is often times diagnosed with food allergy, but eczema isn't just from foods. It can be a reaction of the skin coming in contact with an allergen. This means, laundry soap, body wash, shampoo, lotions (this means yours too). It could also be an animal/plant allergy (non ingested).

Weaning may not be the answer. Weaning may have NOTHING to do with it. Weaning may make things worse. See your allergist and see what she is really allergic to. Eliminate those things. It takes 2-4 weeks to get an allergen from your system. While dairy, soy and gluten are common allergens, there are obviously millions of foods, and any one of those could cause a reaction too.

Do what is right for your family, whether weaning is the right thing for you is up to you to decide. But don't make that kind of decision without all of the information.

[Italiamom]

Hearing from your pediatrician that you *should* wean is really heartbreaking. So first off, I'm sorry for that. It's so hard when you're continuing breastfeeding to do the right thing (no small feat with a toddler), and then you get told it may be the cause of more trouble. That's hard. It's also hard when friends and family don't support what you're doing. If your friends and family are anything like my friends and family, it probably has nothing to do with the allergies, and more to do with age. But, I digress...

I would agree with the other poster and recommend at least waiting until you see the allergist before you try weaning at all. Another week or two until you get results from the allergist is not going to make one sketch of difference in the long run. A good allergist should be able to find out what your daughter is allergic to, and you can go from there. But suppose you see the allergist and it's something very simple to remove from your diet, or not even a dietary issue at all?

Relax. Wait a few more weeks. Make sure you have the whole picture before you decide to wean for sure.

[anj_rn]

I just wanted to second that the allergens are not necessarily something you are eating. If you have been without dairy, soy & gluten for over 3 weeks, and she is worse, I would look at what you have increased in her diet to make up since the elimination diet. I have a cow milk allergy, but my mom replaced her milk with coconut milk during the elimination diet, which I am also allergic to Once she switched off of that, I was fine. Sometimes it is just one thing, but it can have a huge impact.

I would suggest a food diary for you, and a diary of your daughters symptoms along with feeds. Especially note if you pumped and gave a bottle since that can throw off the diary. It might help the allergist with figuring out what is triggering your poor baby.