Sensitive Baby

Hello K.,
Here's some advice from my experiences... I have nursed all three of my children, my son (3) had reflux so he would spit up alot. I beat myself up over what I ate, drank, etc... I have read that foods and drinks peak about 45 minutes after consumption in breastmilk. My youngest (6 mos.) was having issues too, the first thing that was recommended was eliminating dairy from my diet (she was strictly breastfed too), I was hesitant but willing to try, sure enough, all is well again. Two things that helped were my meeting with a dietician; referred by the pediatric GI Doctor, she gave me ideas and recipes, etc.. to make the transition easier, and I am now taking Calcium supplements and "living" a dairy free life. My family still eats/drinks dairy, and I used to eat cheese, chocolate, etc.. like it was going out of style! As a result I have lost 14 lbs. over the past month, unintentionally, but what an eye opener!
We were told that dairy allergies are very common and usually the first cause of colicky, uncomfortable, breast-fed babies. It was hard, you don't realize how many everyday foods contain dairy products. Talk to your pediatrician, see what they recommend for you and your little one.
Good Luck, feel free to contact me for further advice...
Take Care, J.

A nutritional response therapist will test you and can tell you almost immediately what you and your baby's sensitivities are. Let me know if you're interested in contact info--I'm seeing a doctor in Minnetonka.

Is she becoming sick after a feeding, or just having a hard time staying latched on? If its the later, then its probably because she wants to see what is going on in the room. My son, who is 8 now, didnt like to snuggle up when there were people around, or there were sounds all around. He had to know what was going on. We always joked that my nipples would end up 4 inches long if we didnt come up with a plan. I would take him to a quiet dark room and feed him there. It was nice, because we really could bond.

If she is getting sick, and you think it is a food allergy, some of the common foods are onions, peppers, coffee, and other kinds of caffine, just to name a few examples, so you can start with that, if you think its that. Good Luck.

Hi K.. I am assuming that your little one has a bad tummy after you feed her sometimes? You might want to check out some info on colicky babies (and acid reflux) on our web site at:
http://www.buyactivatedcharcoal.com/babies

I think you will find it very interesting and I hope it will help! Kindest regards, K.

I went through the same thing with my daughter... she ended up being lactose intolerant (but out grew it a little after 12 months).

I talked with my pediatrician and a lactation consultant. First I had to list any food allergies/sensitivities because that gives a good place to start since allergies seem to be similar in families. I think they said to eliminate various food in my diet for 2-3 weeks. It took about a week to see improvements of the symptoms in my daughter. If the symptoms went away then I would reintroduce a food to see if that causes the systems to come back. If that food item being reintroduce causes the symptoms again then more then likely you found the problem.

I am not sure how long it takes a food to be broken down and introduced to your milk, but I think it could be quick (an hour or so) and it will last in your system for awhile.

Here is a book I used:
Counseling the Nursing Mother: A Lactation Consultant's Guide
By Judith Lauwers, Anna Swisher

Check out this website they might help in some areas:
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/food-sensitivity.htm...

Hope this helps!
K.

Does she seem to get an upset stomach or diarrhea after she eats or is it more that she has a hard time physically eating at times? If it's more a physical eating thing and screaming for a while after eating and/or spitting up a lot and not a lot of diarrhea, it could be refulx versus a sensitivity to your milk. I would talk with your pediatrician. Email me if you have questions about refulx, I'd be happy to answer what I can. I'm both a nurse and the mother of a daughter who had reflux.