I took bubbies to the allergist and recieved peace of mind. Ethan is not allergic to cow's milk, goat's milk or egg! Yay! All of his symptoms indicate he has a milk and soy protein intolerance that should resolve itself by the time he is 12 - 18 months old.
Dr. Scott B. was recommended to us by Beth. I am so happy with her rec because I really liked him and felt like Ethan received very good care. The doc was very friendly and put things into layman's terms for me. I always ask for doctors to dumb down things for me - I need to be sure I understand them and sometimes medical terms fly around and go through one ear and out the other. He explained that an intolerance is different than an allergy. But, an intolerance can have similar symptoms as an allergy, such as: upset tummy, stuffy nose, diarreah, puking and irritability. What allergies have that intolerances do not have is: hives, rashes, blockage of the airways and anaphylactic shock. Kinda scary!
I was also told that Ethan can be introduced to foods just like any other baby. He said that if a child is going to have a reaction, he is going to have a reaction whether it is a first or fifth feeding. His system should be able to digest everything else, he just can't have any type of dairy or soy protein that will put his white blood cells into attack mode. An intolerance occurs because your body attacks the food like it is a sickness. So, Ethan's digestive system sees milk and soy protein as an invader that it must annihilated. This is what causes inflammation of the bowels, upset tummy, bloody stool and puking. Basically, when he has dairy or soy his body reacts like it has food poisoning...in layman's terms. He also said, which is quite interesting, that waiting on certain foods doesn't mean your child won't develop an allergy. Peanuts, for example, could effect a child at any point - even if you have been feeding them peanut butter or peanuts since they were one (or two, which I waited for). What keeps the allergy at bay is HOW much peanut is in their diet. He recommended a child eat some form of peanuts five days a week. That is the best way to keep a child from developing a serious nut allergy.
What can I do? The best thing I can do is breastfeed him as long as I can with the removal of dairy and soy from my diet. When he turns 12 months old I can try adding a little creamer to my coffee (assuming he hasn't weened himself - I am self weening him just like I did P) and see what happens. Once we determine he is okay with what is coming through the breastmilk we can try a little milk in his cereal, a spoonful of yogurt, etc, etc. The doc said take it slow and see what happens. Whew! What a load off my mind. I was so ready to hear the worst...because I can be a glass is half empty kinda girl. Thing is, the glass is usually half full...that's life, isn't it? :) I need to change my perspective on things.
So, my darling boy will be able to eat yummy Greaters ice cream and cheese pizza! Things I have been craving for the passed few months of being dairy-free. Really, it hasn't been horrible - and I would do it forever if my boy needed me to.
2 comments:
Yay for you both! Hope the milk introduction later on goes smoothly. I was so worried when I gave V peanut butter before his pedi said he should have it. However, neither hubby nor I have food allergies, so we thought he would be just fine. Which he is! He doesn't have some form of peanuts five times a week, but I think he has it enough to keep him from getting nut allergies. I didn't develop a bee allergy until about four years ago, and I'd been stung twice before in my life. You never know when your body will go into attack mode. Did the allergist say anything about passing allergies on to our kids (like me possibly passing my bee allergy to V)?
I'm so glad that your son has an intolerance and not an allergy - wonderful news! And yes, I totally understand enjoying diapering. :o) I love my BGs, but my son was so long-waisted that he grew out of the fit long before he hit 35 lbs. You might also like Tiny Tush OS's, they're my go-to, I have them with snaps. HH are awesome! He's still in them at 36 lbs with his chunky thighs, so I think you'll enjoy them. The HH velcro, though, isn't as high quality as the aplix on the BGs, so you may have some issues with the laundry tabs. Nothing to make me put them away though! :o)
(PS - thanks for faving me! :o)
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