Dairy? - Montague,MA

Me and my son both have bad seasonal allergies and I have asthma. My doctor recomended switching to soy products. It took a bit to get used to but it seems to really have an impact.

Hi, my name is L. and my son (who is now 5) is very dairy sensitive...The proteins in dairy can not be absorbed in his digestive tract and they actually leak into his blood stream, affecting his central nerveous system and his brain. It is so hard to avoid dairy; however it has made such a tremendous difference in him. We use Almond milk, soy milk (this sometime can be a problem as the soy protein is very close to the milk protein), and rice milk - all of which are very good and if you start the kids out early...they have no comparision - my kids love it! There are millions of websites geared to this very dilema...www.notmilk.com is one (they are the extremist in this field - beware - they go a little far but they have some great info) Also research "leaky gut" this will also provide a lot of information as to why some kids are dairy sensitive. If you wish to talk...my email is ____@____.com - email me and I will send you my phone number! Best of luck!!

Hello!

Yes, we limit dairy with our 16 month old quite a bit. I am still nursing and basically didn't have any dairy in my diet or hers until she was a year (I stil eat only very little dairy). There is a huge history of dairy allergies on both sides of her family (including me!), so it seemed the prudent thing to do.

I have done a lot of research on this issue, because I am not that comfortable with soy either (http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/index.htm). I do give my dd some soy and a little dairy here and there-- not cheese or yogurt straight, but maybe something cooked with butter or milk in it. What I have given her with some success is raw milk (http://www.realmilk.com/what.html). It's admittedly not for everyone, but if you are interested in more info, let me know.

Did you notice problems (eczema, green, bloody or irregular stools, sleep problems, behavioral issues, etc.) with your son when he was nursing and you would have dairy? If not, maybe he is okay with dairy and throwing up the yogurt was just a coincidence?

Other than that, I want to reassure you that your son can still get a ton of calcium from non-dairy sources (for example, beans, broccoli, almonds, spinach, calcium-fortified orange juice). I also make my dd chicken and beef broths (http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/broth.html), which have calcium and several other vitamins and minerals.

My son has never had milk. He has always had almond milk or soy milk. He does eat cheese and eat other foods rich in calcium like broccoli. If I feel he is not getting enough, I give him a Pediasure and that balances it out.

My son never had a problem with dairy. But if you want to play it safe, you can always introduce soy milk to him, or lactose free milk, you could always call the pediatrician for that kind of medical advice first.
I wouldn't worry about how much calcium your baby is getting, I would definitely contact my pediatrician. Good luck and let us know what happens!!

If you want, you can always give him juices fortified with calcium and vegetables like broccoli also have calcium. He does need certain fats and proteins from milk but these are also great to start in his diet!!

I didn't give my son any dairy for a long time although I suppose he got it thru my breast milk. When I finally did it was all he wanted. Now the naturalist I go to says he's got a mild allergy to it so I don't give it to him hardly at all. Now we do soy yogurt and rice milk. I've read things like that dairy calcium isn't assimillable and that's why we have such a high incidence of osteoperosis in this country even though we consume much more milk than other countries with lower amounts of osteoperosis. Who knows if that's true. I haven't been worried about the calcium (but maybe I should). If I were you I would consult a naturopath, or some other type of wholistic healthcare practitioner or maybe the lady at Nature's Pathways. She knows a lot.

Good luck!

Hi! We were in a simular situation a few months ago. My son weaned himself at 10 months(I was so....upset)and with the doctors approval was started on whole milk. For a few weeks he would throw up when we laid him down at night. It was such a mess having to change his sheets every night. I asked my doctor and she tested him for allergies. Even though he everything came back fine she suggested not giving him whole milk. He may just be lactose intolerate. We switched him to all soy products and his vomiting stopped. I am glad that we switched him and soy milk don't expire as quickly as milk products so we never have to make late night milk runs! If your worried about the blood test just ask your doctor to do it when he has his iron tested (usually around a year). Good Luck!

We limit dairy in my 17 mo's diet but only because it inflames her eczema. I was told by my dietician that children need to have a source of calcium to drink AS WELL as in their food sources. It doesn't matter if you try soy or rice, or organic milk, but the milk substitute MUST have at LEAST 30% calcium in it or more, nothing less. Good luck!

My children tolerated dairy very well but i felt it encouraged ear infections. (My 9 month old breastfed son had three, i took him off dairy until he was two and he didnt have ANY more) Spinach, kale, and seaweed have enormously high amounts of calcium in them. While hes still young try and get him to have a few bites. If he categorically hates that, i know mom's who give nettle tea (cooled down) in a cup, that is also rich in calcium. Try small amounts of dairy after his second birthday, you may find he tolerates it better then....but it is never 'neccessary'.

Someone mentioned Organic milk ... while that won't solve your problem it is healthier. But unpasturized or RAW milk might be an option. It's the processing of milk that seems to cause all the issues surrounding milk. Not always, but well over 90% of the time.

Here's some great information www.rawmilk.org and http://www.realmilk.com/

I personally eliminated all pasturized dairy products from my diet before I knew that you could still get milk straight from the cow. Now me and my family drink raw milk, and eat raw cheese. I have not yet been brave enough to attempt to make my own raw yogurt yet though.

I would like to say that you should avoid too much soy products as well. Soy, for the most part is not processed properly here in the US. It's more for production than for the full range of benefits, and the asians do not consume nearly as much soy as they would like you to believe, and when they do, it's nothing like what's here.

Best of luck finding the best options for your family.

Blessings,
Rolinda

Have you tried Lactose free options instead of going completely Lactaid free?

My neice is Lactose intolerant and can't tolerate full strenght milk or cheese products. To give her a variety of foods, her parents have started purchasing Lactaid Milk and Cheeses for her (they also have Lactaid Ice Cream!) so she can enjoy herself with the rest of the family instead of having to eat or drink something completely different.

Oh - there are also "rice cheeses" you can purchase at Whole Foods that taste practically like the real thing but won't bother your little one's stomach.

Hope everything works out no matter what you choose!

I agree with other moms that recommended talking to your child's pediatrician. They will be the best source for figuring out any potential allergies (refer you to the ped allergist) and making sure your child's diet is adequate. It's important to feel you can talk with your child's doc and get a response that you feel is appropriate. If that's not happening, you should check around for a new one.

That said, my 18 month old and 3 year old do not drink milk - no particular reason except they just don't like it. I nursed both exclusively for the first year so neither did formula. I offered my first milk around a year and she wouldn't take it. Honestly, I can't drink milk either - I never could. I literally spit up when I try. So I didn't push it. I tried other varieties of milk than cow's milk. She didn't like any - not even chocolate milk. She ate a lot of yogurt and cheese so my pediatrician was ok with it. When I offered cow's milk to my son, he gagged and spit it back out at me - so that was the end of that. Around 2.5 my daughter decided she liked vanilla soy milk (silk) and shortly after my son took to it as well. They are both addicted and drink at least 2 gallons a week between the 2 of them. Both are healthy and on a normal growth curve. We are vegetarians so we talk openly about a variety of food alternatives with our doctors and they are very helpful.

H.

Hello my name is B. and I am a mother of a boy who will be two in oct. I seriously recommomend that you give your child whole milk once he/she turns one its not only for the calcium thats in it but the fatty acids and other nutrients that are only in melk and needed for the brain delveopment. Its very important that he/she does have whole Milk untill the age of two when then u can go to 2%. So I dont recommend withholding Milk. If he/she is having a reaction two yougurt doesnt mean that he/she will have reactions to Milk. I do recommend that you just let his docter know whats going on and what signs to look for if a reacion does occur. But again whole Milk is very important till the age of two for brain del. If there is a reaction your docter may have you try goats milk or one of the many other types of Milk. Good Luck GOD BLESS B.

Hi
I have had 2 children w/ milk allergies. Both, thank God, have outgrown them, but until I did worry about calcium. If he/she will drink calcium fortified OJ go for that. Also I agree w/ the dark greens... we put spinach in spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, any food we could hide it in.
There is NO need for a child to have milk. A healthy diet can provide all the calcium needed w/o any dairy at all. Omega 3s are important for brain development (NOT whole milk) So, you could put ground flax seed in his cereal, pancake mix, etc.
Your child will be fine. You are the mom and you have to trust your own instincts... if you think he may have an allergy eliminate the food from his diet. If he gets better be proud that you know your own child so well... if he still is bothered, then take him to an allergist (I did have to take my last one to an allergist at Children's for more severe allergies).
Your doing a great job!

I haven't gotten to this stage yet with my son (he's 6 months), so I can't speak from personal experience. Maybe lactose intolerance is an issue? Perhaps trying soy milk? Have you spoken with your pediatrician? I think 3 servings a day of dairy is what "they" are saying is good for you now.

My son had lots of issues with dairy as well and I also had to give it up while breast feeding. As the last person wrote, at this young age it is often the milk proteins that are the problem. We found enriched soy milk a great alternative for him, although as previously posted, it can be a problem for some. We have slowly introduced other dairy products as he has grown and he can safely eat cheese and yogurt now(he's 2 1/2). Too much of any dairy gives him diahrrea, but in moderation he is just fine. Talk to your ped, of course. My ped was fine with the soy as long as he was growing and healthy. Best of luck!

just a suggestion..did you try organic milk?

First off, get yourself to a children's allergest to find out if in fact he is allergic to milk. It may just be, that, like the rest of us, he does not have the enzymes to digest milk (yes I said all of us) leaving him "lactose intolerant". There are many alternatives to avoiding milk. Soy milk, rice milk, and I have even seen oat milk. I would suggest a visit to the allergist first however, because soy is also high on the list of foods kids are allergic too. There are also ice creams, cheeses, etc all made with either soy or rice milk. My poor brother did not have these options when he was growing up, but now there are many many products to help eliviate milk from a diet. But like I said, get an allergist involved first. He may be allergic to other things that you are unaware of.
Good luck.
L.

My son was allergic to diary for over two years. The first 15 months I breastfed and did not eat any diary. Then for his second year, I used soy formula instead of milk. Then when he turned two, we used soy milk (calcium enriched)calcium supplements in his vitamin and diet. Our ped was very helpful with finding food that was calcium rich. He finally grow out of it when he was around 3 yrs old. Its not that hard, just takes time to figure it out. Good Luck!

My one-year-old son is also intolerant to dairy (congestion, diaper rash, spitting up, etc.). I don't worry too much about calcium because we use calcium-enriched soy milk in all the food I prepare at home. Also, you could find some recipes that call for kelp (available at health food stores), which has a ton of calcium in it. We have found we really don't miss the dairy in our lives at all.

Hi,
I am in the process of switching my two children off of dairy & have had good luck with plain fortified soy milk (not the flavored kind) or even almond milk. The almond milk is a bit expensive, but you can make your own. As long as they are getting their calcium from other foods, they don't need the dairy. Hope that helps.

Hi there! We are avoiding dairy too. My 19 month old has an intolerance, which he'll hopefully outgrow. He is really sensitive and since I'm still nursing I can't have any dairy either. (BIG bummer for me!) He eats a lot of broccoli (good calcium source) and he drinks a ton of fortified soy milk. He eats well otherwise too so I'm not really worried about him. Our ped isn't either. While it wasn't a choice, I truly think his good health has everything to do with no dairy. I don't know of any other kids his age who have never had an ear infection and the only time he gets colds is when we fly to see family.

So, there are many families who do not believe in dairy for a variety of reasons. As long as your son is eating a well-rounded diet with some fortified soy/rice/etc milk he'll be fine. I'd check with his ped if you're really concerned though. Hope that helps!
K.