Celiac in the breastfeeding mother - nurslings have allergies

[Naomismom]

I could use a little help here sorting out my thoughts.  Any relevant research or articles would be greatly appreciated.

I have 3 children.  My oldest had a milk protein allergy, 2nd has milk, soy, treenuts, and citrus.  3rd (who is 4 months) appears to be sensitive to milk, soy, nuts.  None of them have ever tested positive on an allergy test. 

With my first I quit nursing at 6 months because I thought the dairy-free diet was too restrictive () and put her on soy formula.  Within 3 months, she was eating cheese and yogurt and having no reactions.  She is now 4.5 and can tolerate any milk that has been cooked or cultured.

I breastfed my 2nd for 17 months on a restricted diet.  He is now almost 3 and is so sensitive to everything.  He can't even have a pat of butter.  He's irritable and hates to eat.  I have to feed him like a baby to get him to eat anything.

From what is seems from hearing other people's stories and going off my own experience, kids with intolerances tend to do better in the long-run if they're been on hypoallergenic formula.  I was all ready to switch my current nursling to formula this week.  I even went out and bought bottles.  Until...

Yesterday I got a call from the doctor saying I tested positive for celiac.  It's clear that I have an incredibly leaky gut, possibly causing all of these sensitivities/allergies in my kids.  So now I am re-thinking weaning.  I am wanting to know the following:

1) roughly how long will it take my gut to heal enough to avoid feeding my baby toxic breastmilk

2) are there any steps I can take to have my nursling's outcome be better? (does that make any sense)

3) at what point do the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the problems caused by nursing while having a horribly leaky gut of my own?

[Ravenlunatic]

I know from my own personal experience that a leaky gut can take years to fully heal and that is when you eat nothing that further damages it.  I am also celiac/leaky gut and went on the gaps diet 1 year ago.  I am having a detox even now as we speak.  They come and go... when your body cleanses it releases these stored (for years and years) toxins from the tissues and cells of your body.

I am so sorry that you have to make this difficult decision about weaning your little one.  I don't honestly know what I would do... I suppose I would try the formula or maybe I would hold out and breast feed a few more months... in any even I would not nurse past 12 months.  I guess if you both 'feel' okay and the baby doens't have issues I would continue for a few more months, maybe 8 more? 

I do know that once I started my special diet that my body started dumping toxins into my blood and I got sick sick sick....

I hope you can get more advice, I'll be watching.

[Thing1Thing2]

Don't have any great advice, just personal experience. I have leaky gut and gluten intolerances - along with soy, corn and dairy.

I breastfed for 2.5 years on a restricted diet. My son was stil reacting to something. Possibly toxins or undigested protein in my bm. He had reflux and wouldn't sleep. He would be up crying all night, nursing all night. I have been so sleep deprived until he recently weaned because of pregnancy (my milk dried up). He now sleeps all night long for the first time in his life, and the reflux is gone

Please don't take this the wrong way - but if I could go back, I would certainly make the decision to put my DS on hypoallergenic formula - *only* because I think it would have been easier for him. I hope I don't get flamed, but if I wasn't pregnant, I certainly would have breastfed him for even longer than 2.5 years.

There was a study done about babies (and moms) with allergies using hypoallergenic formula, vs breastmilk. They tested them years later to see if the formula or the breastmilk had a better outcome. The results were supposed to have just come out, but I haven't heard of the outcome yet. Wish I could find that study.

[kjbrown92]

My DS went on hypoallergenic formula and he still has a ton of food intolerances at 10yo. My DD2 who nursed longer, and never went on hypoallergenic formula also had lots of food intolerances, but at almost 6yo, she only has 6 left.

If your kids never tested positive on an allergy test, it's probably food intolerances. If you have celiac, they should be tested as well, since it's hereditary. And even if they don't have celiac, it's possible that a gluten free diet would help them, by reducing inflammation, and maybe they'd get some of the other foods back.