What to do???

[Anonymous]

I can’t believe I’m posting in this section. I really thought those days were over, and, thankfully, I’m not nearly as desperate as I used to be when posting here. But, I do need some “help,” so this is the best place to go, right?

Anyway, I started trialing dairy with Benjamin just over two weeks ago. I started with 1/2 yobaby yogurt and worked up from there to 1 container a day. After a week, I started giving him some goldfish crackers as well. A few days ago I also gave him some cheese at lunch. He seems to be fine with the dairy overall. Every once and awhile (though unpredictably) he will have a stool that is a little loose and sharp smelling, but no mucous, etc.

About 5 days into the trial he came down with a cold. I thought, “uh, oh, is this a reaction?” but I waited it out because I also had cold symptoms, and sure enough, I got his cold, so I knew it wasn’t due to the milk.

His cold has since cleared up, but he is still irritable, refluxing more, isn’t nursing well at all, not eating well, isn’t sleeping quite as well, and I am worried that it is the dairy bothering him. However, when we went to his 1 yr. check up last week, the doctor said there was some suspicious looking fluid in his ear, and knowing Ben’s track record, an ear infection after a cold would make sense too. I’m also waiting on a tooth number 6 that should have been here about a week ago.

So, here’s my question (finally, right?) Should I:

1. continue with the dairy trial assuming it’s still the cold and after effects bothering him.

2. stop the dairy and see if he improves.

3. take him in to the ped. to see what the ears are doing.

4. continue with the dairy trial because he is also likely to be teething.

5. other suggestions?????

Bensmama2007-09-24 14:43:44

[Anonymous]

Since he seemed to be doing so well with the dairy, I am willing to bet he developed an ear infection and is possibly working on a tooth! Both of those things kill Landen’s appetite and cause major irritibility and lots of refluxing. Of course, it would always stand out in my mind that it could be the dairy, but as you said, he seemed to be doing ok on it before until the cold and it’s after affects popped up! I’d first have the ears checked….maybe cut down on the dairy and nurse more until he’s well and then up the dairy again. Then if things act up again, you’ll know for sure it was the dairy. or the dairy/cold BOTH! ughh, the guessing game!!

[Anonymous]

Which came first? The big chicken or the egg? It is so very hard to sort out allergies/gerd/offending foods. I also would stop the dairy. Wait until the cold/ears clear up. When he is tip top shape, try the dairy again. 2nd time has to be a charm! I am so sorry it is this difficult. It really shouldn’t be this hard to FEED our kids!!

Big HugS!!

[Anonymous]

To me it sounds like either the ears or the tooth (or both), but probably not the dairy….but what kind of nursing problems are you having? I don’t think dairy would affect nursing, but I know that ear pain or jaw pain certainly can (as I’m sure you know). I would probably continue with the dairy in the current amounts you’re giving Ben (not increasing) and see what happens with the ears and tooth??? Once those issues are resolved, if he’s still having problems I would stop all dairy and see what happens.

I had some of these same questions/problems when I tried to wean my older son to whole milk at a year….it is really hard to tell what’s bothering these little ones!!! He had been milk protein intolerant as an infant (I assume Ben was also, right?), so when I started giving him whole milk, the only things I knew to look out for were the old problems from when he was a newborn (crying all day!) What I didn’t realize at the time, though, was that it seems a lot of milk protein intolerant babies outgrow their intolerance to dairy pretty quickly, but may still have lactose problems. That is exactly what happened with my older son. On whole milk, he was pooping all the time (though never diarrhea, mucousy, or bloody) — 5 times a day sometimes at a year old — and he had insomnia also. I had no clue that dairy could cause insomnia in kids til I came across it in my What to Expect for Toddlers book. Baron would lie in his crib and just stare at the ceiling very peacefully but couldn’t drift off…it was almost like he was asleep with his eyes open! He would wake up from his naps really early, too, and just stare at the ceiling calmly…I wouldn’t even know he had awakened. Because he wasn’t screaming or acting like he was in pain (as he did with the milk protein intolerance), I was clueless. After I finally realized it was the lactose, I switched him to soy milk and these problems went away within about a week. Even still, when he eats much dairy, he has trouble going to sleep or staying asleep and poops a lot.

Sorry to go on and on…just wanted to mention to look out for lactose problems such as these as you continue to trial dairy…you may already know about this stuff but I certainly didn’t 🙂 Hope this helps!!

[Anonymous]

I would def take him to the doc to see if the ears are the culprit and if not hope it is the tooth and then assume it is the dairy trial…

[Anonymous]

Paula, that is so interesting! I did not know about the intolerance possibly leading to a lactose issue. I will definitely be on the lookout for that. He does poop alot, though I can’t say it’s ever been 5 times a day, but then again he’s only eating a little yogurt at this point. Usually, it’s about 2-3 times a day.

Is Baron still on soy or were you able to switch back to whole milk eventually?

Oh, and as far as the nursing goes… I don’t think it’s the dairy causing it either, unless it’s affecting the reflux and that’s causing it.. but it’s very much like when he’s been teething or had an ear infection. Just shortened nursing periods.. not emptying the breast, latching on shallowly (does that make sense?).

Bensmama2007-09-24 19:49:29

[Anonymous]

Baron is still on soy milk and is doing great (he drinks so much of it that my husband and I joke we should buy stock in “Silk”). I hate that he can’t enjoy the dairy foods he loves (yogurt, cheese, etc.), but I think he will one day. I’ve heard most kids outgrow lactose problems by age 3 ??? One of my brothers was lactose intolerant early on but has no problems with milk as an adult, and Baron can tolerate a little tiny bit of dairy now. I think my little Nathan is even more severe, though! The lactose in his Prevacid solutabs was bothering him just like whole milk bothered Baron (insomnia, excessive bm’s), so we switched him to the Prevacid packets and he’s doing much better. Baron’s solutabs never bothered him, so I could hardly believe that such a tiny amount of lactose would affect Nathan, but given our family history nothing should surprise me anymore 🙂 Good luck with Ben!!!

[Author]

Posts