BF'ing and Cow's Milk Allergy

ArielD · November 2010

I really have no idea where to post this, so I am starting here. DS2 has what I think is an allergy to the cow's milk in my diet (I am bf'ing and he is 7 weeks old). He's had green, slimy, bloody diapers and a lot of acne and excema. I took him to the doctor last Thursday and the doctor suspected he had the allergy as well, although wasn't entirely convinced because he said this kind of allergy is very rare in a breastfed baby. Anyway, he still had me cut out all cow's milk and cow's milk products to test this out. I am about 4 days into cutting out cow's milk and I think there has been some improvement in his diapers..it sort of goes back and forth. Also, his excema and acne have almost entirely cleared up, but I don't know if that is just coincidental.

Not exactly sure what I am looking for here. Just want to hear from others who have dealt with this. How long did it take for diapers to go back to normal once you cut out milk? Are there any good resources for information? Did you have to cut out soy as well?

Thank you!

shouldbworkin · November 2010

This is not rare at all, actually. Many babies have a sensitivity to dairy proteins and need to have them cut out of their diet. Most can tolerate them again by 6 to 12 mos.

Both of my kids cannot tolerate dairy proteins to this day (which is rare, most kids don't have this problem for this long). both had exactly what you describe and their baby acne and eczema cleared up within days of cutting out dairy. Their dispositions improved greatly too, poops took a little longer to improve.

A word of caution, read the ingredients on everything you eat. There is hidden dairy in things like margarine (fleischmans unsalted in the green box is safe, I believe), baked goods (bread, cereal), "nondairy" creamer (still dairy, stick to silk creamer), commercially prepared waffles and pancakes, deli meat ... the list is long. Some babies are ok with baked dairy in baked goods, some are not. So get your baby completely off it and then see just how bad it is in a couple weeks. Also, a lot of babies who cannot tolerate dairy proteins cannot tolerate soy proteins as well. So, if you don't see improvement after all dairy is out of your diet, I would elimate soy as well.

GL! I know it's not easy. PM me if you want some product recs.

luvmagoldn · November 2010

I didn't figure out DS #3 had a milk allergy (and eggs and peanuts as it turned out) until he was seven months old. I BF until he was nine months but had already cut all dairy from my diet. I couldn't figure out why he was having random flares of hives and took him to an allergist. That's when we found out about the eggs and peanuts.

My niece has a milk sensitivity but it is not an allergy to the protein found in milk. She is on soy milk and each time her mom tries to introduce cow's milk she gets rashes and tummy trouble.

It may take some time to figure out whether it's a sensitivity or a true allergy but you will have to cut out all dairy from your diet if you continue to BF. It's HARD. I agree with reading labels. You will be shocked at how many items have milk in them. If you visit the FAAN website (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) you will find a list of things to look for when reading labels.

Good luck. I know how difficult it is!

forensicmama · November 2010

Hi there. I breastfed my daughter for 2.5 years... I love to help a girl out.

Talking about the symptoms of your son... 1. Do you breastfeed on one side for each meal so he gets the hindmilk? If you only breastfeed partially on one side, then switch to the other side, he won't get the hindmilk which can result in green bowel movements. 2. Baby acne is common at that age. I wouldn't even worry about that. It relieves itself really quickly and may not be an allergy at all. 3. My daughter also has eczema and again, this may not even be related to an allergy at all. Make sure you bathe him without soaps and perfumes and dyes, wash his hair in shampoo that's hypoallergenic and rinse thoroughly, and make sure you use lotion that's hypoallergenic a couple of times a day.

I'd say since the acne and eczema have nearly cleared up, it's possible that it's the milk allergy, but again, it could be coincidental. I think that if I were you, I would give it a couple of months, then try a glass of milk or cheese and see if he's doing fine still.

Always a good breastfeeding resource is Kelly Mom! https://kellymom.com - it has just about every answer to every question you might ask about breastfeeding. Best of luck to you!

BF'ing and Cow's Milk Allergy

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