XP: Should I cut out dairy?

boilerup227

I have quite a dilemma and am hoping that you ladies can provide me with some guidance on it.  DS is 5 months.  He has never STTN.  The closest he has come was around 8 weeks when he would wake up 2 times a night to nurse and go back to sleep.  That lasted for 2 weeks.  Ever since then, he is up at least every 2 hours, sometimes every 1.5 hours at night.  The ONLY way he will go back to sleep in his cosleeper is by nursing.  He will happily go back to sleep in the rocking chair in someone's arms without nursing but as soon as you lie him down he screams.  If I nurse him and put him in the cosleeper he falls back asleep, no problem.  He does have reflux for which he is taking Axid and (honestly) I do not believe that is the reason he is waking up so frequently.  My concern is his poops.  They are (sometimes) green and almost always mucousy.  He does wake up with gas pains from about 4-7 AM but does not seem gassy at all for the rest of the day.  I am wondering if eliminating dairy would help us all get some sleep.  I am willing to try anything.  However, dairy is a LARGE part of my diet and don't want to cut it out if it's not the issue.  I just feel like if dairy was the source of our sleep problems and his fussiness at night that he would also be fussy during the day.  He is a happy baby all day (though sleep deprived because he won't nap either).  Has anyone had a LO that had a dairy intolerance that only really reared it's ugly head in the evening?  Does anyone have any other suggestions on what it might be?

 

TIA! 

SaranJonathan

I would have the doctor check the stools for blood. A lot of times with milk protein allergies you cannot see blood from the naked eye however it could be present. 

 

miniray

DS is MSPI and he would be worse in the evenings.  The pedi said it was just a build up of gas from the day and we noticed it more in the evenings because there were less distractions.  The only way to really know for sure is to cut out dairy for a couple weeks and see if it improves.  I know its not fun, especially if its such a big part of your food intake, but if you suspect it, then try it.  It couldnt hurt right?  And remember that if you LO is dairy intolerant they have a great chance of being intolerant to soy as well.

 Mucus is stool is a sign of MSPI so if it were me Id cut out dairy and soy for a couple weeks just to see if it helps.  GL.

miniray

One more thing, do you think it could be a low supply issue?  My supply has been low for about 6 weeks now.  It seems to be ok all day but when the evening hits it isnt enough to satisy DS and he becomes fussy because hes hungry.  He will fall asleep while nursing as well or in my arms but as soon as I put him down he wakes up and cries.  Ive had to supplement him with expressed BM for about 2 weeks now and its helping.  You could do a weighed feed to see if hes getting enough.

webMistress0609

@miniray: Lower supply in the evening is common & not something to worry about. I think Milk protein and/or soy is more likely the issue. 

Your LO sounds very much like Ari - wouldn't nap well, slept poorly @ night, had reflux, fussier in the evening & night time. He tested negative for blood in his stool, but I cut out dairy anyway & had a whole new baby in 48 hours. Seriously, night 2 DH & I sat watching the baby monitor amazed that he had slept 4 hours straight. It took a few weeks to see total improvement, but you should know whether you're on the right track within a week. 

Giving up dairy sucks at first but it's really not that hard once you get into the swing of it. FWIW, Ari ended up with 21 food allergies/intolerances & I nursed him for almost 2 years. Giving up cheese really blows, but I ended up loving coconut milk & coconut milk ice cream. Enjoy Life foods has several dairy free chocolate options too.