gas pain? beef?

[gretelmom]

i just went off dairy because of baby's gassiness at night and his constant grunting...

now my 6 week old DS is squirming like CRAZY at the breast, crying after a few seconds of latch-on and seems extremely gassy. he squirms so much he can't really eat, but has milk in his mouth and when he's on he seems so hungry. last night i ate beef for the first time in his life. this squirming started around one.

does it make sense that beef could do this? last night, directly after the beef was eaten, he slept sooo well. this morning he was an angel. no problems until after noon, like eighteen hours after i ate the beef (which i only eat if i'm craving it terribly otherwise i don't eat beef).

i know it sounds like overactive letdown but that would surprise me because i wear nipple shields (which i've tried taking off but he won't latch) and i don't think it's as likely with the shields, also he doesn't seem to be coughing or choking at all, nor do i see spraying milk (but again, i have the shields on). i also don't feel my milk let down at that time... and he doesn'tseem to be doing any crazy gulping...

what do you think? i haven't eaten anything today that i don't normally eat...

thanks!

[heidirk]

s:

Eighteen hours later it's probably not the beef, but something else.
Spinach, turnips, beets, limas or lentils, garlic, onions, tomatos, soy...
Eaten anyof those in the last five hours or so?

[gretelmom]

Originally Posted by heidirk

s:

Eighteen hours later it's probably not the beef, but something else.
Spinach, turnips, beets, limas or lentils, garlic, onions, tomatos, soy...
Eaten anyof those in the last five hours or so?

So wait, it's the last five hours that is reflected in the baby's grumpiness? I"m trying to think of my foods... Who knows. I'll remember that list, though.

[CathMac]

Originally Posted by gretelmom

So wait, it's the last five hours that is reflected in the baby's grumpiness? I"m trying to think of my foods... Who knows. I'll remember that list, though.

gretelmom,
To my knowledge there is no hard and fast rule, but 5 hours is probably a decent "rule of thumb". My DD1 was egg and cow milk/cheese intolerant. However, depending upon how much I consumed, how quicky it was digested, and how soon after I nursed DD1, the reaction could be relatively quick. It's less obvious when the reaction is slow.

As an example I rembember getting some pressure from MIL (through DH) to drink milk ('cuz you have to drink milk, presumably for the calcium). So just to prove the point I chugged one big glass of milk (8 oz or more), then nursed DD1 and I'd say within half an hour or so the poor kid was screaming and "going". I started to change her diaper and then literally wound up holding her over a wastebasket for about 3 to 5 minutes until she was done. That was the last time anyone told me I "had" to have any sort of dairy.

On the other hand they say that it can take weeks for cow milk proteins to clear your system. And depending upon your DC's degree of sensitivity, beef may be enough to trigger the problem. Especially if it is "layered" on top of another sensitivity. In that sense it may be like your typical respiratory allergen. Using myself as an example I'm allergic to all sorts of things I'm exposed to everyday but I rarely have a reaction and when I do it's hard to know whether it's the pollen count or the mold count (as random examples), or both. Or whether it's the the pet hair someone may have on their jacket.

So theoretically the beef may have been the "background" allergen, for lack of a better term, and then you had something else that may not have triggered a reaction except for the fact that you'd had the beef earlier.

Or it may not be the beef at all but rather one, or two, or three minor allergens piled on top of each other. And don't forget the "hidden" ingredients in processed foods. E.g.: casein, whey, and milk solids, are milk derivatives. Be especially careful with "non-dairy" products like fake cream and fake whipped cream which contain dairy ingredients. And I would definitely avoid soy and soy by products. There is a lot of hidden soy in processed foods.

My suggestion is to cut highly allergenic foods and at least the obvious hidden ingredients and slowly re-introduce foods. I would also keep a food diary --including amounts, when you took it, etc.-- so you can try and pin point what is triggering the reactions.

~Cath