I’m forced to dive in to something I have no desire to know anything about.
It’s time to explore a new world I don’t want to be a part of.
You may remember in my 5 month post about Brantley that we were dealing with skin issues. Eczema, to be exact. I had it, myself, as a child, but I’ve never dealt with it for my babies.
We’ve been through just about every lotion out there and nothing really works. I knew it was food related and something I was eating.
We had her blood drawn to be tested for allergies.
The results finally came back and it wasn’t very encouraging.
She’s allergic to a lot:
- Rye – Level 2
- Dog – Level 2
- Egg whites – Level 2
- Peanut – Level 1
- Milk – Level 3
- Wheat – Level 2
I don’t know much about what those numbers mean, only that the higher the number, the worse the allergy is. I’m getting the print out from the allergy test and hope to understand the numbers a little more.
Brantley is exclusively breastfed, which means it’s all up to me to make this right for her.
It’s a lot of pressure, I’ll admit. A part of me wanted to say, “That’s it, I’m done nursing. This is too hard.” But another part of me said, “Don’t give up. Fight through it. This is the last baby and you’ll never have a nursing baby again.” As hard as it can be sometimes, I enjoy that bond we have. I don’t want to give up yet.
I have changed my diet quite a bit already, eating mostly fresh foods, but eating stuff like that either takes extra time to prepare, or extra money to buy already prepared. It’s definitely not the easy, quick food I would like to make for myself.
The fact of the matter is her skin feels like sandpaper. All. of. the. time! Not just in one place, but all over her body.
I have to keep my eye on her constantly when she’s awake. She’s prone to scratching her face and you can probably see the pretty little scabs on her forehead. Bleh.
Luckily I’ve discovered a product that will not only be helpful to keep her from scratching but also cute on her. I’ll be sharing that with you guys soon!
I look at her everyday and think how lucky we are to have such a beautiful little girl. I just wish her skin would reflect that. Babies are supposed to have beautiful and soft skin. She doesn’t and it doesn’t seem fair for her.
I’m exploring this whole new world of food allergies and I definitely welcome your advice, recipes, or website references.
It really does take a village and I’d love your help!
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Linking up with MamaKat.
Twitter: LittlePunkyPie
says:
I have very little experience with food allergies, but I wanted to say I’m thinking of you and I hope that she gets some relief soon! My son {13 now} had an allergy to eggs around 10 months, but outgrew it. He also has eczema and asthma –both mild and progressively better as he has gotten older!
Much love to you all! xoxox
Steph´s last [type] ..Girls Crochet Headbands Contest…and Giveaway!
Twitter: _conscientious
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I left a link on your FB page for A Gluten Free Vegan Mom Who Knows (love her!). I wanted to let you know that we’ve had good results with chiropractic for some of our kids’ food related intolerances also. The one we go to is in Lewisville, I think it is. A bit of a drive but she does babies as well as children and my kids actually like going. LMK if you need her info. I’ll keep passing on ideas – my post yesterday went over our food issues so I totally know what you mean, it is such a beating! Hugs!
Jenny B´s last [type] ..Un-becoming vegetarians: why meal planning is a beating
Twitter: mommylandrunner
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Doterra oils and coconut oil. Poor thing. I think about her and you all the time.
Thanks Cheryl! That’s so sweet of you! We’ve been trying coconut oil, as well as lavender and melrose. I think once we can get the food issue under control, then we will both be much happier.
I was so, so lucky to not have any food related issues with nursing my daughter but I had everything else happen-mastitis, thrush (the entire 17 months I nursed Evelyn), etc. The women in this community were the only thing that got me through all the questions I had and I know there are a bunch of mommas who have nurslings who have allergies.
http://breastfeeding.livejournal.com
You will need to join Livejournal if you haven’t already and apply to be part of the community but they are incredibly awesome, supportive and knowledgeable women. Awesome job on wanting to give it your hardest!!!
Thanks Cassidy! I will check that out. I never had mastitis but I’ve heard it’s awful! Sorry you had to go through that.
Twitter: Ciaofromtexas
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I’m so sorry you both are having to deal with this new discovery. Best of luck with the transition. It won’t be an easy adjustment, but stay strong mama! Big hugs! She is such a doll!
Tracey´s last [type] ..DIY Cleaners – Window Cleaner vs. Windex
Thanks Tracey! I really appreciate that!
Check out Happy Healthy Mama’s blog. She had to cut so much out while nursing and has some recipes. Hope she starts to feel better!
Thanks Elizabeth! I will definitely check that out!
I’m sorry but I can’t help with allergy advice but she is quite the beautiful baby. Just try to focus on that and keep staying strong. I bet you will come upon something that will help.
Jamie@SouthMainMuse´s last [type] ..Low-grade January Mojo.
Thanks Jamie! And what a great name you have.
Twitter: momsvictories
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my nephew is allergic to eggs so my sister in law analyzes labels carefully and know she uses banana to replace egg in things she bakes. many of the bagged bread does not contain egg and she will use rice pasta. she also uses cetaphil for his bath and lotion. he had bad eczema too until they figured out the egg allergy, now his skin is baby soft. another friend breasted through a baby with a dairy allergy. good luck and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. baby wants mommy to be happy as much ad mommy wants baby to be happy.
tanya @ moms small victories´s last [type] ..My Life List: a Bucket List but Better!
Rice pasta! Now that’s a good idea. She’s actually NOT allergic to rice. Yay!
Hi Jamie,
I’m Heather’s sister in law and I ran across this post via fb…anyway, my little boy has a milk allergy and terrible eczema that started at 5 months too. We swore by a lotion called Cerave, in the tub, not the bottle. You can get it almost anywhere…cvs, target. Helped so much to slather him with that right after bath and really whenever he was uncomfortable. I was also able to keep breast feeding him because of it. Hope your little one feels better soon
Thanks so much, Tracy! Cerave was recommended to me by a few moms and we tried it out for a couple of days. She cried anytime I put it on her. It was almost like it would sting because she was so dry that she was cracking. Eucerin and Aveeno have helped a little, but it only last for a short time before she’s dry, flaky, and itchy again.
There is a groupon out right now for fresh20 meal planning service. It is $24 for a whole year and you can access the archives if you need more ideas. They give you 5 meal ideas which focus on fresh and sometimes organic food every friday that play off each other with only 20 ingredients .
Here is the link and you don’t have to be in FW to get the deal since it is an online service.
http://www.groupon.com/browse#/fort-worth?lat=32.72541&lng=-97.32085&address=Fort+Worth%2C+TX&query=fresh+20
Thanks Mandy! I really appreciate that!
I’ve had a lot of experience with reinventing what I eat because of food allergies/intolerances — I found out two years ago that I couldn’t have gluten, dairy, eggs, shellfish, peanuts, and nightshades, among a few other items. After much experimenting in the kitchen and researching on the web, I’ve got my core substitutions for all the foods I used to be able to eat (including baked goods!). I’m always testing more recipes to increase variety in my diet. If you’ve got any specific questions, please get in touch!
Contemporary Troubadour´s last [type] ..Scenes from around the table, part 3: needles and threads
I’m so sorry to hear about this
We have just been through a similar ordeal – at about 5months my son started getting severe diarrhea which continued on for 2 months causing him worrying weight loss. It was a difficult time for me, as like you, I was breastfeeding and I didn’t want to give up (and it didn’t help having a Pedi who didn’t have her own kids!). They weren’t sure whether it was an allergy or an intolerance, but we had narrowed it down to either milk protein or lactose. I had to cut both these things out which was an incredible inconvenience as I’m sure you’ve discovered milk protein is in almost everything!! Seriously! So I had a pretty lame Christmas feast not being able to eat much of the delicious food. In the last week I’ve finally started to see an improvement in his poos, so I’m crossing my fingers it’s getting better. I don’t really have any advice to help you, because it’s such a difficult situation for everyone involved, but hopefully you can take a little bit of solace in my empathy. It’s not fair for her, she a such a wee angel! I wish you both all the best and will cross my fingers that it improves xx
Sylvia´s last [type] ..letter to self.
My son was 4 months old and exactly the same when I discovered he had very similar allergies. I wanted to give up too. What sobered me was seeing what the other options were. The ONLY formula he could have was over $500 a month and was so disgusting I threw up after trying it. That was the only motivation I needed. I eliminated ALL of his allergens. And I never cheated. I could never hurt my baby the way eating things would hurt him. He was my goal! I did if for him. And you can too! It will only be hard at first. My son was 25 months old before I stopped providing milk for him. For 2 years I didn’t eat anything that would make him sick. Your baby is counting on you. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
Twitter: Crazylifewkids
says:
Hi,
We struggled with food allergies with our son who is now 2. The good news in our son outgrew his, which is very common for infant food allergies. I wrote a blog post about it if you would like to, but also please please feel free to contact me any time to talk about it! I felt so alone and overwhelmed when we were going through our issues with Ryder, and I wished I had someone to talk to who knew what it felt like. With everyone, even doctors, doubting me for months before his diagnosis I felt like I was going crazy, so his diagnosis was a bit of a relief as I could finally work to fix the issue. I became obsessed with learning how to feed him safely, and spent hours searching for information. My son’s allergies were Milk Protein, Soy, and Egg. We also had to avoid Wheat for the first 18 months as it is another common allergen.
If there is anything I can do, or if you just want to vent, PLEASE contact me!
Thanks and best wishes to you and your little one!
Stacey
Twitter: Mindeehaas
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My heart breaks for you- i went through this 3 years ago. The sacrifices we make for our babies!
However you alter your diet, It will take 6 wks for all allergens to clear your body after changing your diet.
Did they say lactose or caesin on the milk allergy? You may want them to test again if they don’t know. That will be important to distinguish. I’d cut all dairy & wheat first & give it 2 solid months to clear your system & milk.
I used organic coconut oil on my baby as well as California baby’s new escema cream, which worked shockingly well for us (unfortunately it’s $30 a bottle and contains wheat :/) when she had the sandpaper skin.
Overall, best wishes to you on whatever path you choose- no matter I can tell you love her to the end of the world & back like we all live our babies & will do what is best for her that works for your family.
Twitter: Mindeehaas
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Oh & also I didn’t realize you are in Dallas too- I have tons of great recipes as my now 4 yr old is still gluten & dairy free. Let me know if you have any specific questions- @meaganmusing had tweeted your questions. She knows all I’ve gone thru. Happy to share what has worked for us and you can determine if its worth a try.
Side note, have they checked her ears for an infection? Random, but they occur a lot with these allergies & can show as ecsema/ rash too.
Gosh, I remember the screaming from lotions that stung, ESP with natural oils. Aveeno actually has a drying chemical it that will only make it worse (twisted, huh??). I can’t recall whic one off the top of my head. Cetaphil lotion won’t sting, but I swear by coconut oil, California baby & Honest Healing Balm.
All the best.
Sweet girl. It’s true that it just doesn’t seem fair. But she is still seriously cute
I’ll be praying for good answers and quick healing!
Jenna´s last [type] ..Another Milestone
Thanks so much girl!
Twitter: SweetBellaRoos
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She is SO beautiful, scaly skin & all (I’ve had eczema all my life, so I can lovingly say that haha!). Mine was terrible as an infant, but continued to improve as I got older. I didn’t really have any recent bad flare ups until right after having Sophia. (Eucerin lotion & Neutrogena soaps are my friend!) We are battling cradle cap right now with her and it’s so gross.
Emily @ Sweet Bella Roos´s last [type] ..Pin It Thursday
Oh sweetie. Start taking fish oil supplements – they help keep the skin moist from the inside out. Also, a good probiotic will help clean out the harmful bacteria in the intestines, and can/will pass onto the baby to do the same. I don’t think they make a baby probiotic, but perhaps call around and find a homeopathic doc to consult on a baby this small?
The reason I suggest is, my 12yo was the same way when she was little. She would break out in rashes mostly in her hot zones, but there were times it was everywhere. We tried steroid creams, allergy meds, food differences, and the ONLY THINGS that worked for her were taking chewable fish oil capsules (Animal Parade I believe) and chewable probiotics. And after a couple weeks, it was MAGIC. BAM, GONE.
Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting´s last [type] ..Slow Cooker Potatoes Au Gratin
sweet little baby!! Hello and thanks for sharing your story. Found your blog through Casey’s linky!!
shelley´s last [type] ..Please respond
Poor sweet girl! While it is not great news, at least you have some answers! Tripp’s skin cleared up immediately after we found out his allergies. I did quit nursing, to better control things for him though. He goes to the food allergy clinic at Childrens. They really work to treat the allergies so they wont have to live with them forever. Let me know if I can help at all!