Both of my babies are allergic to dairy and soy. Food allergies present a serious challenge to your breastfeeding relationship, but with the right support and information, mother and baby can maintain their health and happiness while breastfeeding. Here are my top five tips for when you discover your new babe has a food allergy:
1. Read, read, and read some more. The internet is chock full of helpful info on all kinds of food allergies. Facebook and Google are your friends. If this is your first rodeo with food allergies, education is key. Start sending links to your husband, your family, and any caretakers. You’d be surprised by how many people don’t realize that if your baby is allergic to dairy and you are nursing, that means you, the mother, cannot eat a single drop of dairy. I’m often more surprised by how many people don’t realize what dairy is and is not. Education is critical, not only from a support standpoint, but more importantly, from a safety perspective as well.
2. Find support ASAP. I was so lucky to have a good friend text me and ask if I had considered that Baby Girl might have a dairy allergy. She proceeded to text me a ton of great information, tips, and food ideas. She encouraged me and helped me through rough patches. I owe my continued breastfeeding relationship solely to her. Soon after we determined we were dealing with an allergy, I found more support in Facebook groups. Facebook groups are an incredible source of practical information and support from mothers with similar experiences. Don’t discount the value of Internet friends.
3. Find a supportive, knowledgeable pediatrician. This is invaluable and key. If your pedi is behind the times, be prepared to follow your mama instinct and proceed as you see best. This is tough when you are a first-time mother and don’t know which way to turn. This is where outside support and knowledge bases are critical in giving you other perspectives and experience, as well the courage to tell your pediatrician that you won’t be supplementing with formula. Again, I was fortunate enough to have an amazing pediatrician, but I realize that not everyone is so lucky.
4. Make a list of foods you can eat. Focusing on all of the favorite snacks you can no longer eat is demoralizing. Take the time to physically write out a list of foods, snacks, and beverages you can have. It will help shift your mindset to meet the challenge, but it’s also handy to have a reference list when you are exhausted and trying to make a grocery list. For me, eggs, rotisserie chicken (Whole Foods’ Naked Chicken), tortilla chips, and salsa/guacamole were staples for months. In the last year or so, I’ve been able to find dairy-, soy-, and/or gluten-free foods that actually taste good rather easily.
5. Make a special grocery store trip to read ingredients. At least once, go to the grocery store without your baby or other kids in tow and take your time reading labels. Find a brand of pretzels that don’t have dairy or soy in them. Find a brand of spaghetti sauce that is safe for your allergies. They do exist—you just have to take a few minutes to look and make a note of which brand you need to get. Make sure to routinely spot-check labels as companies often change up their ingredients to add or remove soy.
Looking back, I am surprised that I managed to stay dairy- and soy-free for as long as I did. However, I was set up for success with supportive friends and family and a pediatrician who was determined to help me reach my goal. Seek out this support wherever you can find it!
