Dairy whilst breastfeeding?

Question

Alot of the books I have read have suggested that you should cut out or cut right back on dairy products when breastfeeding a newborn. I can't imagine how I will go without milk, I drink a litre or two a day, love the stuff!! What do you know about this from experience etc? (I'm 33weeks pregnant and just curious)

Answer 1

LOL!  I'm exactly like you.  I can't live without milk.  My husband has to buy 4 gallons of milk each week because I drink so much.  I'm currently breastfeeding my 2nd child and I haven't cut back on milk at all.  My son has eczema and possible other allergies and asked the pediatrician could it be an allergy from milk or is something I'm eating and was so relieved to hear that it wasn't me.  If I could only drink one fluid for the rest of my life it would be milk.  Got Milk!  Sorry, I couldn't resist!

Answer 2

I love milk so much, but I noticed that whenever I drank a glass or so while I was breastfeeding my son he would get gassy and fussy and his p**p would be different.  So I had to cut all milk out of my diet.  Then when I stopped breastfeeding and tried milk again, I had an adverse reaction and found out I'm now lactose intolerant!!!!  I miss milk.  

Answer 3

You only need to cut back on dairy products if your baby has a lactose intolerance.  

Answer 4

I eat and drink whatever really and I have had no problems. If she was colicky or anything I might investigate a bit but so far I have had no issues at all. I do avoid spicy foods and try to avoid caffeine (try...). If you have problems you could investigate as to why or get advice from your doctor. I researched a lot about breastfeeding before she was born and pretty much everything said there was no concrete evidence on anything causing issues in babies while breastfeeding. Dairy is good for you! A good source of vitamins and calcium. Drink up!

For the person who suggested you drink raw milk: VERY bad idea. There are plenty of reasons raw milk is illegal to sell in most states. You can get very sick from things like Campylobacter and Listeria, both of which could potentially kill one or both of you. Stick with the pasteurized stuff.  

Answer 5

My doctor suggested I cut out milk since my baby has eczema that is caused by allergies -  i figured some out and it was not milk, so it depends, you will see when you have baby. If he or she will have allergies then you will figure it out, and who knows it maybe milk or maybe not.

Answer 6

Congrats on the new little one inside you!

Dairy shouldn't be a problem, but if you instinctively feel like there might be a problem after the baby is born, you can always switch to raw milk.  Raw milk causes almost no allergies or reactions compared to processed milk.

Don't worry, worry will be your worst enemy :-)

Answer 7

Actually food allergies are rare in all children, but breastfed children in particular.  Furthermore the level of foreign protein in mom's milk is pretty low.

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/foo...

How closely do I need to watch what I eat?

Most babies have no problems with anything that mom eats. It's generally recommended that you eat whatever you like, whenever you like, in the amounts that you like and continue to do this unless you notice an obvious reaction in your baby.

Some sources say foods you ate during pregnancy are less likely to be a problem, some say foods you ate a lot of during pregnancy are more likely to be a problem.

From my own experience my first I didn't have any caffeine during pregnancy and he was sensitive to it until about 3 months.  My second I drank moderate amounts of caffeine (2-3 cups per week, but by cups I often mean a large starbucks which is too much really) and he never had a problem.

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/foo...

There is no list of "foods that every nursing mom should avoid" because most nursing mothers can eat anything they want, and because the babies who are sensitive to certain foods are each unique - what bothers one may not bother another.

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/foo...

Sensitivity to cow's milk proteins

Breastfed babies who are sensitive to dairy in mom's diet are sensitive to specific cow's milk antibodies, in the form of proteins (not lactose), which pass into the mother's milk. Cow's milk (either in the mother's diet or engineered into formula) is a common source of food sensitivity in babies. Cow's milk sensitivity or allergy can cause colic-like symptoms, eczema, wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea (including bloody diarrhea), constipation, hives, and/or a stuffy, itchy nose.

If your baby is sensitive to dairy in your diet, it will not help to switch to lactose-free dairy products. The problem is the cow’s milk proteins, not the lactose. Cooking dairy products may reduce but will not eliminate the allergens.

A significant percentage of babies with cow's milk protein allergy will also react to soy. Most dairy-allergic babies will also react to goat's milk or sheep’s milk. Some will also react to beef.

If you think that your baby may be sensitive to dairy products in your diet, remember that it can take 10 days to 3 weeks to eliminate cow's milk protein from your system—allow a full 2-3 weeks of dairy elimination before evaluating the results.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/t032100...

I worry about allergies. We have a lot of allergies in our family and I'm concerned that my child may develop milk allergies. How common are these and how do I recognize them? Milk allergies are over-diagnosed by the general population and under-diagnosed by doctors. The real incidence of milk allergies lies somewhere between the folklore and the skeptical view of many physicians. Around five percent of children and adults seem to be either allergic to milk or intolerant of it. One carefully controlled study showed that 75 percent of infants under one year of age were allergic to cow's milk. Cow's milk allergy is more likely to develop in children who have a family history of milk allergy. The good news is that of the approximately two percent of children who are truly allergic to milk, many will outgrow this allergy by the time they are two or three-years-old.

The protein in cow's milk is what provokes the allergies. Because milk is a species-specific protein, cow's milk is suited to bovine intestines. Exposure of human intestines to bovine protein may cause irritation and damage to the intestinal lining, allowing these allergenic proteins to be absorbed into the circulatory system. The immune system recognizes these proteins as foreign and attacks them, causing the usual allergy symptoms of wheezing, runny nose, or a red, rough, sandpaper-like rash, especially on the cheeks. Milk allergies are often the underlying cause of repeated colds and ear infections, due to fluid building up in the respiratory passages, sinuses, and eustachian tubes of the ears. Milk allergy has been implicated in subtle behavioral changes, such as irritability and nightwaking. Research has even shown that the allergic proteins in milk (beta lactalglobulin) can pass through a breastfeeding mother's milk into her baby and cause some babies to react with colicky symptoms. The colic- cow's milk connection should be suspected as a possible cause of fussy behavior in an otherwise, normal breastfed baby. The allergic reaction between the milk protein and the intestinal lining can cause minute gastrointestinal bleeding (sometimes so slight that it is missed) and be a subtle cause of anemia in infants and young children.

Chronic milk allergy can also weaken the intestinal lining, allowing foreign substances into the bloodstream that would ordinarily be screened out, a condition known as the leaky gut syndrome.

Since true milk allergy involves the protein in the milk, the fat content of the milk should not affect allergy symptoms. People who are allergic to milk may be able to tolerate cheese or yogurt, or milk in baked goods. When milk is heated, the proteins become less allergenic. (See related topic )