Category: solid food

Please Don’t Feed My Baby

Ha ha! Sounds like a cage warning at the zoo. But I’m deathly serious here. I can’t believe I didn’t blog about this sooner. My darling girl has a food allergy. To what?

Milk. Yes, you read that right–M-I-L-K.

Did you realize that milk is practically, like, everywhere?!!! AHHHHH! I discovered this back in March, when after her first spoonfuls of solid food, she immediately broke out into a rash on the entire lower half of her face. I watched her like a hawk for the rest of the afternoon to make sure she didn’t have any respiratory issues. She didn’t–praise God!

In June, we went to see an allergy specialist, for testing. Dr. C (and he’s definitely cuter than those t.v. docs) tested her for cow’s milk allergy and also peanuts, at my request. The few times I’d eaten a minute amount of peanut butter, she’d spit up later. So, that was something else I’d been avoiding. Well, no allergy to peanut butter. However, to be on the safe side, Dr. C recommended that she avoid all tree nuts & seafoods for the first 3 yrs of her life. Still, no peanut butter for this momma! The reaction to milk, on the other hand, was quite big. Then he proceeded to provide me with pamphlets. Because of the severity of the reaction, and the fact that allergic reactions can be very unpredictable, I was also given a prescription for an epi-pen. The way some kids are deathly allergic to peanuts is how she’s allergic to milk.

Here’s a recap of what the pamphlet had to say.

Avoid ALL milk products and foods containing milk products. Read all food labels carefully. When in doubt, don’t eat it. The list of foods & ingredients to avoid:

  • Cheese, milk solids, yogurt, sour cream, cream, buttermilk, butter, artificial butter flavour, skim milk powder

  • Goat’s milk (many kids allergic to cow’s milk are also allergic to goat’s milk)

  • Ice cream, sherbet

  • Curds

  • Whey (Gisè)

  • Casein

  • Caseinates

  • Lactalbumin, lactoglobulin

  • Lactose, lactulose (may be contained in some medicines)

  • Most margarines (check labels)

  • Nougat


Not necessary to avoid:

  • Lactate, lactic acid, lactylate

  • Foods labelled “Parve” or “Pareve” are milk-free

The pamphlet did also give some milk substitues for baking and a few recipes.

Well, wish me luck. The no milk thing isn’t too bad–I myself am lactose intolerant. I also don’t really care much for milk products. So, it’s not a huge sacrifice on my part to abstain from these ingredients while breastfeeding. The harder part will come as she increases on her solid food consumption and I have to stay creative.

Please, Lord, don’t let her also be a picky eater on top of the allergy!

Hmm, Why Didn’t I Try This Sooner?

It’s no hidden fact–Jamayia’s been slow on the whole eating solids bit. She’s great when it comes to her cereals before bed time. She wolfs that bowlful down easy! But during the day, the fruit & veggies is a whole other story.

At nighttime, her dad usually bathes her and dresses her for bed, while I make her food. Then I vanish while he feeds her. That’s why she eats so well. Then I reappear for some breastmilk top up.

During the day, however, Daddy dearest is at work, leaving Mommy to tackle the feedings alone. So, this week, we’ve been trying the organic sweet corn casserole yumminess. The other day, she was open for a whole 4 spoonfuls! Better than the usual 1 spoon she permits. Then today, she quit after 2 spoonfuls. So I nursed her, then decided to try again. She said no to the spoon. But…

**ding** (lightbulb going off). I had a brainwave. I put some of the food on my finger, and she was happy to lick it off for me. I did it again…and again….and a few more times. She was actually eager for the solid food! I’ve never seen this before with her. Ever!

So, she’s not completely anti-food. Yippee!