Lactose Intolerance - Barrington,IL

I have developed lactose intolerance in the past few years. It definitely can cause gas, cramping, and diarrhea. I use Lactose-free milk (Lactaid) for the occasional bowl of cereal and in my coffee, or soy milk and soy creamer are also good. I also take the lactaid pills on occasions when I want to eat pizza or cheese, but it only works when I eat in moderation.

I never did drink all that much milk, and lots of foods are fortified with calcium as well as daily multivitamins, so I haven't worried much about it.

If you are keeping a food diary, it sounds like you may have your answer. The next step would to eliminate dairy in your diet for 3wks, then try a glass of milk again. If you are experiencing the same issue, then you for sure have your answer.

I don't give my 2yr old cow's milk, nor do I drink it as there are much better forms of calcium out there. We do a combination of rice and coconut milk. Rice milk is fortified with the same nutrients as cow's milk, so you do not have to worry about calcium intake. Getting enough vitamin d3 is the big concern as many of us (about 90%) are deficient. (If you bfeed, then bfed babies need 400iu daily) Changing to a dairy-free diet is not hard at all. I do prefer rice, hemp, coconut or almond milk over soy. So Delicious makes a wonderful line of coconut milks including yogurts, ice creams, coffee creamers and half gallon milks.

Have your vitamin d3 levels checked as your son's at his next appointment. Here is an article I wrote in my family health column about D3: http://www.examiner.com/x-7158-Chicago-Family-Health-Exam...

Happy, Healthy New Year!
J. W. MPH
Maternal and Child Health Educator
Chicago Family Health Examiner

I do not have experience with Lactose intolerance. But Broccoli is one food that also has calcium. Also there is orange juice that is calcium fortified. That might help you obtain your daily allowance. Milk stays in your body for 2-3 weeks. So if you are, then you need to get it out of your system. Also, after I had my son there were foods that bothered me for a while that never bothered me in the past. Good luck.

My son was on a dairy free diet for a while. We found that soy and rice milks were often very high in sugar. Our favorite was Almond Milk and it is available unrefrigerated like rice milk. Almond Breeze makes a "no sugar added" variety. I used to get it at Fruitful Yield in South Elgin. If you are still nursing, though, nuts are an allergy concern.

Actually lactose intolerance most often does not cause gas. My son is lactose intolerant and our pediatrician told me that it either cause looser stools and or vomiting. You could be senitive to milk protiens which I read alot about while having issues with my son before diagnosed. Rather than worry about your calcium intake while breastfeeding you should take a gas relief before you eat those items. they have plenty that are safe for breasfeeding/pregnancy.

D. - I am lactose intolerant and mine is mild - I don't get diarrhea but I do get gassy. Milk is the biggest offender for me, not so bad with cheeses/ice cream in moderation. I still drink milk, but never first thing in the morning and never a lot. I have it over cereal. I tried the lactaid milk and to me, it didn't help that much considering how expensive it is. You can get calcium in dark green veggies - spinach, lettuce, broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc.