[Okapi]

I am fairly sure that DD has a dairy intolerance. We started supplementing w/ whole milk shortly after her 1st bday (I EP & have a slowly dwindling supply). She was doing really well w/ the milk for about a month & a half (put on over a pound in that time, which for her is great), then had about a week or so of diarrhea (and patches of eczema a day or 2 before the diarrhea started). We switched to rice milk (and have since moved to soy), stopped giving her cheese, etc., it (and her skin) cleared up in about 4 days (though DD lost all the weight she had gained, and it's not come back since). Then DH talked to a woman at work who said her daughter had diarrhea as well - something going around at daycare - so DH thought that DD had just caught the same thing, somehow.

Still, I convince him to stick w/ no dairy for about a month (during which she had no eczema or diarrhea) before he starts giving her cheese again. Within a few days, the diarrhea is back. We stop the cheese, it clears up. But DD was also teething a molar at the time, so he's sure that's what caused it.

So Friday, he makes mac & cheese for dinner, and DD is fussing b/c she wants some. DH: "There's no reason she can't have a little mac & cheese." She ate maybe 5 or 6 of the noodles. Saturday he lets her have some of the cheese off his pizza. Sunday, her stools are loose, this morning, full-on diarrhea.

:

What do I have to do to convince he we need to stick w/ no dairy for a while? Yes, it's entirely possible (though I don't think likely, having happened 3 times now) that it's coincidence, but even so, where's the harm in keeping her off it for a while??

Anyone else have to fight to keep DP from giving their LO stuff they probably shouldn't have? I am going to start keeping a food journal, but I don't know that that will help convince him. He's aware these things happen after dairy exposure, just thinks it's coincidence. Is there some sort of test we could get done or something?

 

[Ophelia]

Oh, we are totally in the same boat so I completely understand how frustrating it is not to be believed. And I think since us mamas are the main caregivers and food-givers to the children that we notice these things first and can connect them. It sounds like you have done a great job so far with keeping track of her food intake and then when something is not right, like the diarrhea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okapi So Friday, he makes mac & cheese for dinner, and DD is fussing b/c she wants some. DH: "There's no reason she can't have a little mac & cheese." She ate maybe 5 or 6 of the noodles. Saturday he lets her have some of the cheese off his pizza. Sunday, her stools are loose, this morning, full-on diarrhea. : I hate, hate hate 'oh just a little won't hurt'. I can't tell you how many times I have heard that. Not just with the offending food, but with other junk food too What do I have to do to convince he we need to stick w/ no dairy for a while? Yes, it's entirely possible (though I don't think likely, having happened 3 times now) that it's coincidence, but even so, where's the harm in keeping her off it for a while?? I don't know as I have been trying for like a year now DH seems to think it's such a HUGE inconvenient deal for DS to be off wheat and that DS is somehow suffering. DS had a bad reaction to wheat berries a few weeks ago and he wanted to feed him wheat again almost right away!! Anyone else have to fight to keep DP from giving their LO stuff they probably shouldn't have? I am going to start keeping a food journal, but I don't know that that will help convince him. He's aware these things happen after dairy exposure, just thinks it's coincidence. Is there some sort of test we could get done or something? YES all the time, like I said not just wheat but junk food in general (candy with HFCS and artificial everything, Burger King yesterday, etc). We are actually currently trailing wheat right now (again) because DH wanted to, not because I wanted to. You could do some lab testing. This gave us a base to go on, but the problem was that there was absolutely nothing shown for wheat or gluten so of course DH believes the tests are 100% accurate and that I am making everything up. I don't know how many more 'coincidences' these guys need :

 

[Chinese Pistache]

I'm sorry. That would really suck. I don't have any advice on the dh front. I'd probably get really loud and angry and put my foot down, but I don't know if that would work for you.

If you're going to give rice milk, add some oil to it to increase the fat and calories. I've found that safflower oil doesn't have a noticeable flavor so it makes a good addition to milk, oatmeal, and any other food really (I add oil to everything and cook in lots of oil for my allergy kids, too). A lot of people really love coconut oil, too. It's very healthy (we're allergic unfortunately). Smoothies are another food option for getting calories, fat and even lots of vegetables and fruits. Also, if you use rice milk, you need to make sure that you're giving her other sources of protein, like beans or meat.

 

[kjbrown92]

The food journal helped convince naysayers. And making them help clean up the vomit and/or diarrhea or staying up all night with the screamers helps!

 

[Okapi]

Thanks for the responses. We talked again and he agreed to keep her off the dairy. We'll see how long it lasts - he still doesn't think that's what it is. I guess he talks to other parents at work, and they all tell him that kids just have random bouts of diarrhea all the time. But, after our talk, I do think that a food journal could help in the future, so I will definitely start that (and yeah, kjbrown92, he does plenty of clean-up when he's here, though not usually at night. Maybe that would help, lol).

Ophelia - I totally feel you on the HFCS/other junk stuff, too. DH will say he wants DD eating healthy, but then gives her junk. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised - this is the guy who says he wants to cut down on the sugar, then comes home w/ some box of cookie mix that includes graham cracker crust, a layer of gooey coconut stuff, chocolate chips AND butterscotch chips.

Chinese Pistache - yeah, we just had her on the rice milk initially to get her off the whole milk. We have since moved to soy. Does the safflower oil mix well with milk? I've tried coconut oil before, but it mostly just floats on the top, and if the milk cools at all, it hardens up again. I would love to get more oil in her, but she doesn't eat much, and we never know what she's going to choose to eat from one day to the next. If I found something I could add to her milk, it would be great.