Any Experience You Have Had with an Elimination Diet Would Be Great

Was he officially diagnosed with lactose intolerance? Because I am breastfeeding and my 4 month just started going through a very fussy time including not napping well and getting up several timeas at night also. I did some research of my own and discovered there is such a thing as lactose overload when you are breastfeeding. This means that when you are breastfeeding the baby is not eating long enough to get the hindmilk(the fatty milk)produced at the end of a nursing session, it takes longer to digest this part. Therefore it is digested much faster and irritating the digestive system and the only way for the baby to get comfortable is to nurse again and it is a vicious cycle. I found out the way to solve this is by limiting nursing sessions to every 3 hrs and nursing from the same breast for 2 feedings a row. I have heard that many Dr.s don't know of this and are quick to diagnose babies as lactose intolerant and advise to quit breastfeeding. Dont know if this applys to you or not, but it might worth checking into. Hope this helps.

Hi A.! I have been on several elimination diets. One thing that is super allergenic to people is grain. That could be wheat, corn(unlikely that it would be corn because nutrimagen is corn based), rice etc..... so your baby could totally be sensitive to that. Also, your little one could be sensitive to gluten.
My daughter got up between 6 and 12 times per night for a YEAR. I totally know how you feel. The book "The Happiest Baby on the Block" is full of good ideas to soothe and even ways to relieve your baby of gassiness.
I do so hope you can find the solution. Constant fussiness is wearing on even the strongest of moms!
You can also go to someone who practices Kinesiology, also called muscle testing. It's a very effective way to determine food sensitivities.
Good luck!

You should head over to www.mothering.com and go to their forums, to the breastfeeding boards, there is a whole group dedicated to elimination or hypoallergenic diet for breastfeeding.

Its possible, and your baby will surely benefit.

Your little one sounds like my kids. Are you sure he doesn't have acid reflux? I know that is not caught all the times and is easily managed with meds. And they usually out grow it by one year. And he doesn't need to be spitting up a lot to have it. Our biggest clue was that he couldn't stay asleep while laying flat. And would wake up just as frequent as your little guy. The reason the formula probably helped some is because it is heavier than breast milk so it probably helped keep the acid down. We give our little guy one bottle of formula before bed to help keep the acid down and have his mattress elevated. Otherwise than that he is breastfed. I would ask your doctor about it. I doubt it has to do with what you are eating. I too thought it was something I was eating but it really wasn't. Once he got on meds for it he was a whole new baby. I would look into it.

I dont know anything about elimination diets but i will say that my son was an up every hour child for 2 months from 5 months to 7 months then boom he slept 12 hours straight and has continued to do so for the last 3 months. good luck finding the problem and it will all be over in such a short time compared to the rest of his life. hang in there!

A.,

Simple blood tests can now be done to determine food allergies. My Naturopathic Doctor does these tests on babies, children, and adults, and you get a printout of something like 200 different foods, and whether there is a mild, moderate, or severe intolerance to the food. The price was not outrageous. Do not quote me, but it was something like $200-$300. Please call to confirm.

She is in St. Paul, MN, but she may be worth the trip, -OR- perhaps she can refer you to someone in your area who does these tests.

http://www.dramyjohnsongrass.com/index.htm

If you really want to go with an elimination diet, the next things to try would be wheat, eggs, and gluten. If your son is allergic to something more obscure, like yeast, for example, or oats, or coffee or garlic (yes, all allergies I've heard of!) you could be in for a long haul if you go the elimination diet route.

Edited to add: Elimination diets are more effective and efficient if you first eliminate ALL common allergens from your diet, then add them back one at a time, one per week. For one thing, you would know right off the bat if your son was allergic to one of these common allergens, or if it was something more obscure. Also, if he has more than one allergy--which is quite possible, my son can not tolerate soy or cow's milk--this will be identified in a more orderly fashion; otherwise you are sort of playing russian roulette.

Common allergens: cow's milk, soy, wheat, gluten, eggs, and nuts. I've also heard that citrus fruits are high on the list. Sounds like you can already cross off cow's milk and soy.