A Dairy Addict Cutting Out Dairy...

My daughter had the exact same thing. Uggghhhh! It was difficult! But, it's amazing what mom's sacrifice for the well-being of our children. I drank soy milk and switched to soy yogurt (found a great one at Trader Joe's) and goat and sheep cheeses (which I found at Bristol Farms). I never gave up butter, but didn't use a lot of it normally. I also didn't eliminate anything with dairy ingredients in the product. The cheese was definitely the hardest for me as the alternatives are strong flavors and I had trouble finding wonderfully satisifying alternatives. I didn't care for soy cheese, but found my daughter liked it when she was eating solids. They come in slices, like those we put on our hamburgers. I think they're called Veggie Slices. Since you put cheese on "everything" the slices might be an okay alternative...don't know. I just looked at the situation this way...giving up dairy is a lot better than listening and dealing with a screaming, unhappy baby. I have a bib that says, "A happy child is a happy home". Maybe not completely, but for me it was most true. I wish you the best in this difficult time. But, it will pass.

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Good luck! I love dairy too and I feel your pain! Soymilk isn't bad, but it just isn't the same...

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NH,

You just do it. My now 20 month old is allergic to dairy and soy. Soy is actually much harder to avoid than dairy. But, just in general, it is just a matter of deciding your baby's health is more important to you than being able to eat cheese. The transition is a little painful but you adjust. You can get dairy free margarine (Nucoa is the one I use, it comes in sticks in a gold box). I found that it was easier to avoid foods with dairy than to find substitues (and in my case all the subs are soy which didn't work either). I did find that I could still enjoy some of the foods I did before (like tacos) just by skipping the dairy parts.

One thing I did that really helped was to use more olive oil on stuff and start using more herbs and spices. One of the reasons dairy is so good is because it adds so much flavor to food. So finding ways to add flavor to my food without adding dairy was really important.

As far as milk substitutes, soy milk is okay and so is rice milk. You just have to get past the idea that they are going to taste like regular milk because they don't.

I was dairy and soy free for more than a year (through 2 Thanksgivings and 2 Christmases). In some ways it did suck but not nearly as much as having a sick, puking baby sucked.

:-)T.

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Hi N....i feel for you, I really do.
However, I started cutting back on dairy years ago and so it's much easier for me these days. I do love some soy milk (Trader Joe's has a great one). But soy isn't your only option. Goat's milk cheese is wonderful..the soft chevres, hard cheeses too. Your local big supermarkets are unlikely to stock them (ralph's etc...) but if you have a Wholefoods or Trader Joe's close by, then check out what they have. I also developed a taste for Almond Milk and Rice Milk. No it's not cow's milk, but once you start experimenting with the range of options out there, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Nothing will ever taste like cow's milk, so you need to be done with that craving. But enjoy the other explorations....

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My girlfriend did a scientific study and found that cheese IS more addictive than cigs! LOL--but seriously! Han in there--the first week is the hardest. Did you know most supermodels only drink rice or soy milk? It doesn't keep fat on your body--which will be a nice side effect. But once you're in--it's much much easier. Seriously--just the first week,girl!!

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I hear you. I had to cut back on dairy while bf, but after I went back to it more.
Recently I had kidney stones and have to have them blasted up so I could pass them. I was supposed to cut dairy and increase citrus -- this lasted like 2 months last summer until the stress of the school year sent me back to my old habits. (I buy 4 gallons/week. ) At least osteoporosis wont' be a problem!

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I just recently cut out most dairy too. My son is allergic to all dairy. He is 20 months now and we still nurse a few times a day and eat table food.

I buy Soygurt, Silk chocolate and vanilla milk, veggie cheese slices, margarine, soy veggie spread, Tofutti cream cheese (tastes just like the reg. stuff-at Henry's by the milk)
All of this tastes great and I've lost weight too.
It's not much more expensive either.

I also quit meat, so I found a lot of cheese free (which is considered vegan) at www.goveg.com and Mothering.com

Once you committ to buying substitutes, you will get used to it. Cheese is hard to substitue, but check out the Tofutti brand, you may be surprise at how it compares.

Good luck and it's great that you are doing this for your son. :O)

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My son had problems with milk while I was bf (later at the age of 2 he became allergic to it himself, so watch out for that down the line) and I had to eliminate it from my diet, along w/almost all dairy. With some trial and error, I found I could consume small amounts of certain dairy (never milk, ice-cream or yogurt) w/o causing problems for him. I just consoled myself that it was for my son, and it wasn't too hard, especially after the first few weeks when I adjusted. Truthfully, those foods are so high in fat and just aren't good for us, anyway!! Hang in there, the first few weeks (withdrawal!!) are the toughest, and keep your eye on the prize---a healthy, happy baby!!

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Oh my gosh I hear ya! My son is on a wheat free/dairy free diet and we sneak milk and cheese in the garage like its crack:) There is a great book "The Milk Free Kitchen" also we use almond milk for cereal. The chocolate alomond mild is good too. You can replace some stuff w/ coconut milk too. Depending on his sensitivity you may not have to totally eliminate it perhaps just cut back to one thing a day. If you want to email me directly I have another website link that might help! ____@____.com Good Luck!
Steph

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See if he feels better if you switch to organic raw milk thats from cows that are not fed grains but are allowed to graze and are free from antibiotics and growth hormones.

We consume this milk in my household...and I as a lactose intolerant person have had no problems digesting it.

Pasteurized milk can be hard to digest if your son is lactose intolerant.

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I sympathize. I tried soy milk which I really didn't like.. So I tried rice mlk, it's much better than soy but definitely not the "real" thing. I like the rice milk in cereal & oatmeal, but usually don't drink it in a cup. I love milk too & this was hard for me. I started taking calcium pills because I know I'm not consuming enough thru the rice milk, and we don't want to deprive ourselves..our teeth & bones will pay the price. I still eat small amounts of cheese & occasionally sour cream, it doesn't seem to bother my son's diet..thank goodness. Hang in there.. you're definitely not alone. And I just remind myself that the rewards of breast feeding definitely outweigh the small sacrifices that we make during this precious time in our babies lives.

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You've gotten lots of responses on how to substitute milk and cheese products. For another alternative, how about asian food? There's no dairy in asian foods (except americanized asian food). Check out foodnetwork's recipes for all kinds of dishes, asian chicken noodle soup, asian stir fry, asian dessert using coconut milk, etc. The dark green leafy vegetables gives you the calcium you need plus iron as well. Remember there are many types of 'Asian' food; chinese, thai, vietnamese, korean. Just type the word into the search field. Also, some mexican dishes have no cheese in it. Peruvian foods, hawiian foods are also good choices. Variety is the spice of life. Most recipes have ratings on them so you can learn from other people who've tried it and make variations on it.
BTW, you may not have to give up everything. I was able to eat yogurt and hard cheeses still.

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I found that with my daughter it was mainly straight milk that was causing her problems. Yogurt and/or cheese seemed to go over okay. I've discovered vanilla-flavored soy-milk as a yummy alternative to my nightly glass of milk, and unflavored/unsweetened soy milk a good substitute in my cereal. Maybe you can start with just cutting out milk and seeing if it's really necessary to go the whole nine yards. Good luck!

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Hi there. I just wanted to commiserate with you about this problem. I've been off dairy for almost 5 months now. It is SO tough. Here are some changes that I've made: I drink Lactaid milk (can't tell the difference between Lactaid and real milk). I eat soy yogurt (the "Silk" brand is the best). I eat margarine instead of butter. I have goat cheese when I really want some cheese (this is the hardest part). I've give up chocolate too (NOOOOOOO!) because there is milk in chocolate. I don't eat baked goods if I know there is milk or butter in them...Breakfast foods are the toughest - pancakes, waffles, french toast...I make all of them now with Lactaid. Cream salad dressings are out the window...only oil for now. Whole Foods has a lot of nice gluten-free foods.

I am a serious pizza and ice cream addict, and it has been REALLY hard to abstain from both. That said, I have to tell you that the difference in my baby (almost 5 months old now) is HUGE. I can see a big difference in him when I blow it and accidentally eat something with dairy. It takes a while to get used to the mindset.

Best of luck to you. Email me if you want to chat more.

R.

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I noticed you got lots of other recommendations for substitutions, I thought I would tell you about a butter substitute. It is called Earth Balance, comes in a yellow tub, you can get it at Trader Joe's in the dairy section and some other health food stores. My sister started buying it for her husband when he developed a lactose intolerance. I tried it and I really liked it, in fact I used it for a long time in place of butter. Hope you like it if you decide to try it!

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Hi,

I have never responded to mamasource but found I could possibly shed some light on cutting out diary. ;( Like you, I LOVE my dairy and when I was told to cut it out because my daughter couldn't tolerate my dairy intake (she had mucus and blood streaks in her stool) I didn't know how or where to begin. First of all, it is VERY difficult but also very possible. I went cold turkey and as I was instructed, cut out all dairy products, soy, casein, and whey (be careful.... casien, whey, and soybean oil is in everything)! This meant cutting out any desserts and almost all breads too, except for whole wheat pita. I started eating my cereal and coffee with Rice Dream (not bad, you can get used to it) and I used almond butter. Don't bother with the vegan cheese options, they're terrible! Anyhow, lots of oatmeal, eggs, veggies, chicken, turkey, fish, (being able to still eat meats saved me... oh, and you can have Hot Tamales). :) The positive side is this: your precious baby will most likely feel better and spit up less after only a few days of the elimination diet- THAT will be your inspiration... At least it was for me. Couldn't have done it without knowing that I was doing it for my daughter. The good news is, I lost a few pounds and I only ended up having to do it for about 6 weeks. She "outgrew" it- like her Dr. said she would, especially once I started her on solids. Great luck to you...You can do it!!!

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