is anyone nursing a food allergic child? - Page 4

[momto2]

Monkey's Mom-

We live on:

Tofu Pups ! Great source of protein and very easy can be eaten heated up or cold right from the package.

Humus- Great on carrots, crackers or pita bread

Hain- ritz like crackers. Taste yummy and no dairy!

Edamame- soy beans in the pods or not I buy them frozen Cascadian Farms

Silk soy yogurt- all flavors are yummy and they have yogurt cultures which are grown on soy not dairy!

chick peas on salads

Willow Creek Soy margarine- tastes just like dairy - I use it in baking, etc.

That's all I can think of now.

Check out this awesome book--

What's to Eat? The Milk-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free Food Allergy Cookbook" Great recipes for birthday cakes, cookies, etc. Our family loves every recipe I have tried from that book...see link below.

http://foodallergy.org/s-cart/produc...?ProdID=CBWHAT

I love this board! Great posts!

[mpeel]

Food and cookbooks

Luckily, Sam will eat about anything you put in front of her if she is hungry. She won't eat if she is not hungry (good girl!). She loves avocados, carrots (raw) and broccoli (raw), any meat. I have found that cooking for the whole family but subbing for ingredients she can't have works. I will make anything and sub the dairy with water, applesauce, milk sub., or juice. Usually works fine. Wheat has been a bigger issue, well gluten really. Most gluten-free flours do not sub one for one. Oh, a favorite here if you tolerate beef or venison, take a 3 lb roast. Put it in a crock pot. Dump in a whole jar of pepperocini peppers, juice and all. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. You adjust the spiciness by getting hotter or milder pepperocinis. This is tender and juicy. I use mild pepperocinis as my oldest is sensitive. I am too but the meat does not pick up much heat. I could use a little spicier for the meat. I can't eat the pepperocinis. Too hot!

There are many good cookbooks out there. The best, IMO, for diary free is _The Milk-Free Kitchen_It is out of print but worth the find. Not much soy used in it. And mainstream recipes so your older kids and DH don't look at you strange. : My family has a hard time adjusting to "odd" food. _Feeding Your Allergic Child_ is good. _The Food Allergy Field Guide_ is also good. Quite a few recipes but just more information on dealing with it all. For those avoiding gluten, anything by Bette Hagman. Carol Fenster is supposed to put out a good one. There is another one I can't think of right now.

Also, on the symptoms changing and allergies not disappearing, I have heard that often. I found it true in myself. I was diagnosed allergic to dairy at 5 years old. I was off it until 10. I supposedly did fine after that. I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel at 14. When I got PG, I could not handle milk. Made me throw up. I went off of it and felt better than I had in years. Less moodiness, no upset stomach, less joint pain, more energy. I could not believe it. Also, with my 6 y/o, she did not tolerate dairy until after 3 years old. Now however, when we are out of milk, I notice her attitude improves. She is much less moody, more cooperative and less mean to her sister. So, DH may just have to deal with being milk free completely.

[Missy]

Sterling's daily diet--in the morning I mix up a big bowl of food to last the day. He has 12-16 oz of oatmeal, 4-5 oz of pureed meat, 4 oz of veggies (organic carrots or green beans) and 3 tsp. of oils (flax seed oil and olive oil). so, he eats around 20- 24 oz of food total. Plus, he usually eats a slice or two of Trader Joe's Shepherd's bread.

me? Right now I'm eating a sandwich made on a Trader Joe's Get thee to a Bunnery roll, with T.J.'s humus, T.J.'s seseme tajini, T.J.'s marinated peppers, T.J.'s Muffleta, and avocado from guess where? That would be what I eat everyday, with some variation in bread, perhaps mixed in some beans and rice, usually with a meat. My dh has learned to make a really good humus, so we play around with that, adding peppers, olives, etc...


lizziejean--I was looking at the goya bean mixes tonight and didn't see "soy" listed on the rice and black beans. Wow! Sorry. I had looked at so many different mixes and everything had soy. And, from what I've heard, there is a "safe" fleischmann's. Just not at any stores around here so I've never seen it. Steer clear of anything with "vegetable oil" and with casein and whey.

Missy

[mpeel]

Spectrum has a spread. It does have soy though. Here are the ingredients. It is tasty. No hydrogenated oils.



Spectrum Spread

INGREDIENTS: Expeller pressed canola oil, water, sea salt, xanthan and guar gums, soy protein isolate, annatto, citric acid, sorbic acid at 1/10 of 1% (anti-mold agent), natural butter flavor (non-dairy, soy based), tumeric.

[lizziejean]

Missy -

yes, I read many Goya packets before I came to the black bean one! I really wanted to find a packet that I could throw together quickly. Of course I made it for him yesterday and he didn't eat it :-(

The Fleischmann's Light margarine is made from partially hydrogenated corn oil - this probably has trans-fatty acids, right? and also corn is a big allergen... but hopefully not for us... so that's what I use these days, not as much as I used to use butter though, it doesn't taste nearly as good!

Does anyone know what might be in the 'white starter' which is listed on my bakery-type bread from the local supermarket? The bakery lady said it wasn't milk based, that it was a yeast culture, but cultured in/on what is the question.

Also, has anyone got a good list of all the dairy ingredients? I have been avoiding anything with -lact- in the chemical-sounding words, but maybe I am doing this unnecessarily. For example, in the salami I used to get there is "lactic acid starter culture", this is dairy, right? My son had a bit of diarrhea after he ate some, and I was thinking that might be the cause.

[mpeel]

Here is a link:

http://www.cornallergic.com/Dairy%20Allergy.htm

It has a good list. It looks complete. I have a complete list is a book at home.

Michelle

[lizziejean]

Thanks Michelle! That is a good list. And it answered my question about my salami :-(

I've printed it out so now I can go shopping with it.

[mom]

I'm chiming in here. I've found this thread very interesting, and its definitely helpful to see people in a similar situation.

My 14 month old daughter with ezcema was tested for allergies and tested positive for:
eggs, milk, wheat, peanut, rice, fish, and other environmental things. At this point, she nurses tons, and eats carrots and oat flake cereal. She is also supposed to stay away from peas, seeds and nuts, as they are related to the peanut, however distantly. I am not sure if this includes beans. . . .

My main food subsitutes are alot of oats, corn, spelt, soy, with meat as my main source of protein. I started this "diet" in April already several pounds underweight, and now I'm ridiculously underweight. I am always hungry. I think, in order for me to be able to gain an ounce, at the rate I'm currently nursing and all, my daily caloric intake would have to be over 4000, or so. . . .
I am really open to suggestions on how to get more fat/calories into my diet.

As far as yeast is concerned, I have found a link with my child as well. She had yeast diaper and underarm rashes when she was a few months old. I also noticed odd stools. Even after the usual treatments, the diaper rash never seemed to go away. Then the ezcema broke out. Only recently, after she has been on probiotics for a good few weeks now, has her rash gone away, and the eczema slightly improved. Several health care practioners waved off my questions about yeast. So, if you suspect this problem, it wouldn't hurt to try some probiotics.

Sarah

[momto2]

Mom-

My DS has all similar allergies! When did you notice the onset? I swear it is related to the DPT shots he got when he was 2 and 4 mo old.

FYI- My DS reacted to spelt and oats when he was younger so we had to take them out of his diet as well. Spelt is an ancient wheat relation so some cannot tolerate it. Some people believe that oats have gluten also so you may benefit from taking this out of your diet as well. They could be causing eczema still??? Try white rice bread if you are looking for a substitute.

For additional fat, my DS eats salmon, olive oil (I try to sneak on as much as I can), and I buy the highest fat soy milk that I could find Edensoy Original plain when he got older. Tofu is relatively high fat too so he eats lots of tofu pups and tofu in other dishes. We also buy Willowcreek soy margarine. Tastes great and the whole family can eat it. Soynut butter is another favorite in our house. I eat it on toast every morning and its pretty high in fat.

This was a real problem for me as well when my DS was nursing and we were figuring all this out. My milk was very low in fat as a result but my DS maintained his growth curves nicely. Good luck!

[Missy]

Hi Sarah!

Our little ones are only 10 days apart! And your 3-yr-old shares a birthday with my 8 yr-old dd (and I also have a 3 yr-old).

My babe is allergic to dairy, soy, eggs, peanuts, corn, acidic fruits and veggies, banana, and avocado and recently tested pos. to wheat. The wheat doesn't seem to bother him in breastmilk, so it might be a false pos. but we're going to limit consumption anyway. I'm not exactly underweight yet, but this diet has certainly helped me shed those baby pounds a little faster than I should have. Our ped and allergist had us add flax seed oil and olive oil to both of our diets--the flax seed oil has been wonderful for the eczema. There was a time that I never thought I would see my son with the clear, soft skin my other children had (in November his entire little body was covered with a scaly rash), but the elimination diet and the oils have really worked!

If you can eat avocados, they're also a great source of fat. Ds eats huge amounts of oatmeal mixed with the oils and with meat; I pour flax seed oil on my rice--which is obviously out for you--but you may be able to make some sort of a sauce for something else. Also, we're looking into adding a rice protein powder to his food--there's also soy protein powder that might work for you.

What about Luna Bars? I can't eat them because of the soy; but they might be safe for you. Might be a good source for cals. and nutrition. And if you live near a Trader Joe's they have an incredible selection of breads and cereals--I actually found a hemp and flax seed granola that I can eat, the only cereal I've found so far.

Best wishes and hang in there!
Missy

[mom]

All of you moms are so inspiring!

momto2~ Well, looking back, I "noticed" problems all along, but I always thought she just had dry and extra sensitive skin. It didn't all come together until she broke out with eczema at 8 months. She has never had shots.

Gee, I thought kamut was the grain related to wheat, and spelt was not! Oh well. And I might be wrong but I don't think she has a gluten problem, though don't quote me on it. There is so little I/we can eat right now that I don't even want to think about eliminating what's been keeping me alive, you know?! Can't have rice though!

Thanks for the support and good luck to you

Missy~
I take flax seed oil, but have yet to try to give her any. I don't suppose there is a high allergenic potential with flax, is there? I may try it soon if I'm brave enough.

I will have to remember to get some avacados!

I didn't know you could have an allergy to (all)acidic fruits and veggies! How did you figure out that one?

I seem to recall checking out the Luna bars (and every other bar). Even the ones without dairy, wheat and peanut all seemed to have rice. But I'll check again to be sure.

I have never heard of Trader Joe's, but that doesn't mean there isn't one around here - I will have to check!

I sure have learned some helpful things from this thread. Btw, your friend, Hilary directed me to it. (FWIW, I'm quoted on pg 252 of the book)
Thanks

[Missy]

Funny--small world, isn't it? I will look for you in the book!

I forgot to look at where you live before I posted about Trader Joe's; there aren't any in Florida. But, when you leave the state to visit family or something, it is truly worth the effort the find out if there's one around. It has offered us an incredible array of safe foods.

Flax seed is in the legume family. Sterling is allergic to both peanuts and soy, but has no problem with other legumes so the oil is safe.

re: the fruits and veggies. The allergic tested for a few of them (apple, pineapple, tomato, orange) and they were positive; the others we've had to eliminate from experience.

You could be right about the Luna Bars; I don't remember the rice. Bummer. I really miss them.

It gets easier. I think...
Missy

[momto2]

Yes, luna bars definetly have rice in them. Sorry I missed the rice issue. I am off rice and corn right now for youngest DS so I can relate. There goes my theory about the shots!! I can relate to your fears about flax, my eldest DS is allergic to legumes so I was always afraid. You do what you feel comfortable with! I think Moms have good internal judgement most of the time and you should follow it. My DS was allergic to avocados early on because we gave it to him so much!

My DS was first allergic to spelt too that's how I know. But at two he had grown out of wheat altogether. He still doesn't eat hardly any wheat now - he still doesn't like it. Probably still a little sensitive to it.

Missy-

Did you have to eliminate eggplant too? Since tomatoes and eggplants are nightshades? I am just learning about this. My younger DS has problem with tomatoes. We are off to the allergist today actually to find out. He eats potatoes all the time so I hope that is not an issue too!

Thanks Guys!

Mindi
NH

[Missy]

Mindi--

I don't know about the eggplant because I've never liked it anyway, so, at least right now, it's not an issue. I think tomatoes had two strikes--obviously, they're acidic, but there is also that same link to latex that bananas and avocados have. We're avoiding almost everything in that group. Sterling seems fine with cooked carrots and potatoes, but the problem, I think, is in the raw form of the food.

I don't think you're too far off about the vaxes. Sterling's eczema started within ten days of his 2-mos vax. We believe they triggered the dormant allergies (all my info says that there is an initial exposure to an allergen, then all contact with it later causes a reaction--the vaxes probably gave him that needed initial exposure to something and left him vulnerable--that make sense?!).

I'm trying to create an edible oatmeal cookie. Ha. Canola oil's not cutting it.

Missy

[momto2]

Missy-

Funny you should say that about the vaxes...it's all starting to make sense now. The allergist did not understand why my eldest DS had analphylaxis from banana since he had never had it and I never had it in pregancy or while nursing cause I was allergic to bananas. YOu might be on to something here. I swear his eczema is related to the DPT 2mo shot.

So tomatoes are related to banana and latex? Where did you find this list? I need to look at it. My eldest DS is allergic to latex too.

Just went to the allergist, youngest DS is allergic to trout (?), eggs, squash and corn. I have some reading to do. These are new to me. I'm used to all the others that my eldest DS had and we still do not have in the house since he is so scary allergic.

Missy- Can you do soy? I make the oatmeal cookie recipe off the box on the Quaker instant oats and put egg replacer and willowcreek soy margarine in for the butter. I also ground up quick oats in place of the wheat flour. Did that for DS when he was allergic to wheat and we all like it better that way anyway!

Thanks Missy!

Mindi

[Missy]

Mindi,

It was here at MDC that I first heard of a link between bananas and latex and it set off an alarm in my head, particularly after Sterling had a reaction to avocado. I did a search on excite using the keywords "latex" and "bananas" and got a whole slew of links (including some very interesting ones you might expect to pick up with the word "latex"; I may have been able to get more applicable links by adding the word "allergy" now that I think about it). One site (allergy. about.com) had this list: bananas, avocados, chestnuts, kiwi fruit, apples, carrots, celery, papaya, kiwi, potatoes, tomatoes, melon, and possibly pears, peaches, cherries, pineapple, strawberries, figs, grapes, apricots, passion fruit, rye, hazel nuts, walnuts, soy beans, and peanuts. Not every child will react to every food on the list, although Sterling has reacted to a great number of them. So far, (knock on wood) cooked carrots are fine. Yesterday, he refused to eat pears, the one fruit we were still giving him without concern. He behaved the same he did toward bananas and avocados before I forced him to eat them ("of course you like them, honey, they're good for you!") and watched him get sick afterwards. I'm not a *complete* idiot. I knew to stop this time.

Soy's out for us. Someone had mentioned a soy-free, dairy-free fleischmann's, but I haven't found it here yet and, my guess is that, when I do locate some, it'll have corn in it anyway. Corn has turned into a big issue with us; sorry you're having to deal with it now. FYI, I just learned that asorbic acid is derived from corn, as is most modified food starch and some vinegars.

Take care!
Missy

[PumpkinSeeds]

I just wanted to reemphasize this point. We had my ds on soy for six months due to his dairy allergy only to find out that he is allergic to soy as well. Poor little guy!

Originally posted by DaryLLL

It has been shown in studies that 25-50% of babies allergic to dairy are also allergic to soy.

[Sneezykids]

Food refusal, gagging, increased nursing

My almost two year old is refusing food. He hardly eats any solid food at all. So of course, he is nursing more and more. It is starting to exhaust me. ugh.
Anyone else have a toddler who prefers mm over food?
Help!

[Kundalini-Mama]

anyone having a hard time w/slight allergies??

to join the vaccine group....

my son was the happiest baby, never cried (we could count on 2 hands how often he cried), smiled, loved to be held constantly, but a real happy guy. at 5 months we decided to get him vaccinated for HIB (ped talked us into it)---we now have a different guy on our hands. he became high need that day and has not been the same since. crying, irritability, not sleeping well.

about a month after the vaccine, i gave up dairy. helped somewhat, but not completely. he started waking up every 40 min to nurse at night. after 8 months of this, i tried to gently cut back on the nursings. he was screaming and freaking out, after 3 weeks of doing this. i figured that this was not a behavioral issue, but that there had to be some pain. i cut out eggs and after 2 weeks, he started sleeping in 2-4 hr bursts.

now, fast forward a couple of months. we get the RAST test done. tests negative for dairy and eggs. i KNOW he is allergic to these things. it says he is *slightly* sensitive to carrot (which i figured, always is punchy after eating it and has dry, red skin on his left cheek), corn (same symtoms as carrot), and peanut. but these are all very slight reactions. if anyone is familiar w/the RAST test (as i'm sure you are ) he was only a 0,1, which is strange as he becomes SO irritable.

i don't know where i'm going w/this, sorry. i would just love some suggestions. i feel that the RAST test was not accurate and don't know where to go now. i'm shocked that dairy and eggs didn't even register and my instinct is telling me therre is something else, besides the carrot, corn, peanut, dairy and eggs, but the test tells me otherwise.

i'd love some thoughts.

thanks
amy

[Missy]

Hi Amy--

NAK so scuze the typing...

From what I'm learning, the only true accurate dx comes from reactions. It's nice when the tests offer confirmation, but trust reactions first. Our son did test pos., but I've heard so many stories now of kids having ana reactions to things that had tested low or neg. Also, many GI allergies typically don't show up on tests. Trust your instincts. Most good allergists will tell you the same thing.

Sounds like you've eliminated a lot--have you thought about soy? That could be causing a problem, too. Or wheat. Truthfully, you may have do a complete elimination diet: cut out all the big allergens (dairy, soy, eggs, corn, apples, shellfish, wheat/gluten, nuts, anything else you suspect...bananas, maybe?) for about two weeks. Read labels, watch for hidden ingredients. Then, slowly, one food/week add things back in and watch for a reaction. MDC was a great support when we first learned about ds2's allergies; I had no idea what to do.

Missy