Over a month ago I gave up dairy in my diet as an attempt to see if it helped Gavin's irritability issue. I gave it up, completely. We also started him on Zantac to see if it was possibly acid reflux. Within a week I noticed that the blood in his poop was gone (Yes, there was a little blood in his poop almost daily....that's why we suspected a milk protein allergy/intolerance in the first place). So, we continued with him on zantac just to make sure, and there is no harm in the stuff!
Fast forward to now. About a week ago I s l o w l y started to eat a little diary here and there. Like a little of sprinkle of cheese every other day, that's it. And BOOM, the blood was back, but a very small amount. So then we decided to try some Similac formula (Cow milk based) because I was not making enough milk for the little pig this afternoon. He chowed the bottle down and about an hour later when I went to get him up from his nap, there were hives all around his mouth where the milk had dribbled down. Hmm, there we go, he had a reaction to the COW MILK!
So, with this new information (which I suspected all along) I am now COMPLETELY off of ANY AND ALL dairy, and so is Gavin. Hopefully this is something he will outgrow as he gets older and it should not be a big deal. I have talked to a lot of medical professionals about this issue (Our pedi, an allergist, and 2 NP's I work with) and I have now done a lot of research on this subject (I am a nurse, this stuff is what I do). As long as we keep dairy out of our lives for a little while (Probably until he is at LEAST one, if not older) then he should outgrow it.
While it has been hard stay away from dairy, I have no problem doing it. It is really not that big of a deal to me, and I feel like it is probably even better for me. I have lost all the pregnancy weight and then some, and have to work pretty hard to eat enough to support the breastfeeding. I eat ALL day long. I have also been taking a calcium supplement so that I do not become deficient in Calcium or Vitamin D. Since I have not had any diary, I have not had ANY stomach issues. I usually have an upset stomach from time to time and always just said I had "irritable bowel" and that was the reason my stomach hurt...now I realize that I may just be a little sensitive to dairy! I would give up absolutely anything to make my little man feel better, anything. I think the hardest part of this is actually having to explain to people that I am not eating dairy and they do not agree, or try to tell me that a "little" will not hurt:) Like I said, I have no problem with this new diet, and I just need a little support! Derek is finally on board, and very good about not rubbing it in my face (Cookies and pizza are some of my favorite foods!).
I am actually pretty happy that we made it this far with the breastfeeding. Before I had Gavin I always said "Oh, yes I will breastfeed, and I will do it for at LEAST a year, no problem." HA! HA! HA! Little did I know how incredibly challenging it would be! For some it comes very easy, but not for us! I have dealt with one issue after another (Mastitis 2 times, clogged ducts, and overproduction to name a few) Then it was a HUGE challenge for him to eat when he started to have the diary issue...eating was a battle and he was very irritable while doing so. Now, it is SO much better. He eats without a fuss and is very satisfied afterwards. Just when we have it down, I have to go back to work and I am pretty sure it will change things. I will pump while at work, so he still has only breast milk, but I have a feeling he will learn to like the bottle a lot more than me! (Once most babies are introduced to the bottle for such long periods, they no longer want to breastfeed.) Since I will be away from him for 14 hours at a time, he may just get a little used to the bottle, and that's FINE! I am starting to come to terms with the fact that I may not be able to breast feed him as long as I originally planned, but at least he can still get my breast milk. Things could be a lot worse, I know. I am going to continue to be happy that we made it this far, as 4 months was my goal at the beginning when it was so hard.
In other news, Gavin has been doing just great during the days with his naps. He wakes up, plays/eats/plays and then like clockwork, 2 hours later he is ready for a nap. He is pretty easy to get down for a nap, we just swaddle him up, stick the pacified in his mouth, and his eyes just shut:) It is so sweet. There is nothing like a happy peaceful baby sleeping:) Most of his naps are only about 30-40 minutes, but about once a day there will be a 2 hour one in there! This is a HUGE improvement from a few weeks ago when he would ONLY nap in someones arms or the car/stroller. Now he is liking his bed more and more. The nighttime is still a pretty big issue for us. He is still waking up every couple hours and wanting to be either rocked back to sleep or nurse...and he also has started getting up for the day at 3 or 4...I am talking wide awake, smiling, and cooing...what in the world do I do then! He is so darn cute that I just have to smile back. We are working on this night issue, and we have decided that sometime within the next few days we will attempt real "sleep training." (I HATE those words, sounds like training a dog!) Please keep your fingers crossed for us...It may make for some pretty long nights!
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