Lactose intolerant will baby be too? (biting tongue)

35baby · July 2011

So I am lactose intolerant, will my baby be as well? (Hoping that isn't the case.) I want to breatfeed although cannot exclusively. How will my intolerance affect my baby and my breastfeeding her? TIA.

laurenFaith · July 2011

I am lactose intolerant and DD isn't. I don't see how your intolerance would affect your LO as long as you're getting calcium from other sources.

smorzandoj · July 2011

Babies are lactose intolerant like adults. They are allergic to the cow milk but not a specific part of the milk as are those adults that are lactose intolerant. Could she be allergic to milk yes....that just means you need a dairy free diet.

smorzandoj · July 2011

**Aren't

IlliniQT · July 2011

My doc said it's not genetic...I was so allergic to formula/breast milk/everything when I was born I was on a special beef liver formula special ordered from gerber. Pediatrician said there's no reason to think I won't be able to breastfeed :c) GL

Kurlyfry · July 2011

I am VERY lactose intolerant, my daughter isn't. I breastfeed her for a year, and now see drinks whole milk, without any problems.. I was really worried when she switched to cows milk, but she as tolerated it just fine.

momtoRaegan041008 · July 2011

I am not lactose intolerant but my first had a dairy intolerance. Every time I drank milk or had cheese she would spit up. By the time she was one she grew out of it. She also couldn't eat any of the gerber baby meals.

gremxul · July 2011

No. Definitely not. Babies are not born with lactose intolerance. It doesn't matter what ethnicity, whether mom is intolerant, etc. Lactose is the sugar in breastmilk, so throughout history, babies born with intolerance to lactose (i.e.- babies who don't have the enzyme to digest it) wouldn't have survived.

A reaction to milk protein is another story (and no where near as common as lactose intolerance is in adults), but it is not connected to lactose intolerance.

gremxul · July 2011

And sorry to skip your second question, the fact that you are lactose intolerant will not affect your ability to breastfeed the baby. Your milk will still have lactose in it.

Good luck!

desmerelda317 · July 2011

gremxul:
No. Definitely not. Babies are not born with lactose intolerance. It doesn't matter what ethnicity, whether mom is intolerant, etc. Lactose is the sugar in breastmilk, so throughout history, babies born with intolerance to lactose (i.e.- babies who don't have the enzyme to digest it) wouldn't have survived.
A reaction to milk protein is another story (and no where near as common as lactose intolerance is in adults), but it is not connected to lactose intolerance.

This. True lactose intolerance means your baby wouldn't be able to breast feed at all because as the pp stated, lactose is the sugar in milk (all milk - from human to cow to goat). And what's even more interesting is that human milk has loads more lactose than cow's milk does. It's much sweeter - some folks who've tasted their own breast milk liken it to the taste of vanilla ice cream because it is so sweet But some babies are born with a reaction to a milk protein in cow's milk (which is why some moms have to have a dairy-free diet while breast feeding). It sounds like that shouldn't be an issue for you though since you're already lactose intolerant, I'd assume you already have a dairy-free diet.

Also, contrary to what some folks believe, you do not have to drink milk in order to make milk (think of cows - they eat grass and drink water and yet they provide the world with all sorts of milk and dairy products). As long as you're eating healthy, getting good nutrients, staying hydrated and taking your prenatals as you breast feed, you will be making high quality milk for your child

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Lactose intolerant will baby be too? (biting tongue)

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