My New Diet

Little Eli with his great grandparents, Granny and Papa, on a recent visit to New Orleans. This is two weeks in to our new diet.

As I wrote two posts ago (and ten minutes ago), Eli's been to a lot of doctor appointments this past month. At his four month check-up, he had blood in his stool and had stopped gaining weight. The doctor thought he might have a dairy allergy so she asked me to stop eating dairy for two weeks (he's exclusively breast-fed) and see what happens.

Two weeks later, the visible blood in his stool was gone, he'd mostly stopped spitting up and he'd gained a tiny bit of weight. So, she asked me to continue with my diet for another two weeks.

One month after the initial  diagnosis, he'd still gained very little weight so the doctor determined that he wasn't getting enough calories/milk. So she asked me to continue on the dairy-free diet (she has repeatedly apologized for doing this to me) and start to supplement with formula. She also wanted me to see a GI doctor because there was still microscopic blood in his stool. I left the doctor's office basically in tears. Not because I had to give formula (though I hated the idea), but because I couldn't supply enough food for my child and I was starving him. So, I tried the formula. He wouldn't take it. He made the "formula face" and screamed until the offending bottle was removed.

A few days later I saw a lactation consultant who wrote a prescription and also told me about some herbal remedies to increase my supply. I now smell like syrup but I think it's working. I also went to the GI doctor and she was fantastic! She confirmed the dairy allergy and told me to start food immediately so that he can get more calories.


Four days later we went back to his pediatrician and he'd gained 7 oz in one week!

After two months of staying at 10 lbs, he's finally growing. Maybe I'll actually be able to pack away his 0-3 month clothing before his 6 month birthday.

I am now dairy-free and will remain so until Eli turns one. At that point, he should be okay and able to drink regular milk and eat cheese and yogurt. It's been an adventure on this new diet. The hardest part is no butter. It's okay at home because I can use vegan butter but most restaurants cook with butter so going out to eat is a special challenge now. I've decided to look on the bright side of this. I'm getting to explore new recipes, eating healthier, losing the rest of the baby weight and learning how to bake (most commercial baked goods use butter, at least). I'm sure I'll want a huge plate of cheese and a big bowl of ice cream come June 5, but for now I'm okay with this.