(I am posting with prior listmother approval and stand to gain nothing financially in so doing.) >>> In working to help breastfeeding mothers, a new hurdle is becoming >>> increasingly more frequent for many lactivists: food allergies. I >>> can't even count how many mothers have found their way to me via >>> word of mouth because their babies have been diagnosed with food >>> allergies and mom is at a loss about how to find and prepare safe >>> foods. Many mothers have felt it simply isn't worth the hassle and >>> have put the baby on formula so they didn't have to restrict their >>> diets. Every time one of these mothers tells me how overwhelmed >>> she is at trying to figure out how to find food without dairy, >>> soy, egg, wheat (gluten), tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish and fish, >>> I can relate. >>> >>> Two yrs ago, my own baby was born w/ severe food allergies, >>> including most of the main ones as well as corn. His corn allergy >>> is so severe he can't have even a trace of it and it's in >>> everything. All children's medications, almost all mass-produced >>> foods, hygiene products, it's everywhere. I remember when all the >>> tests for cancers and metabolic disorders and all the other >>> terrifying things the pediatricians feared were the cause of his >>> weight loss and failure to thrive came back negative and the food >>> allergies came back positive, I wanted to be relieved. But all I >>> could think was, "How can I eat and breastfeed him safely?" >> >>> "What will i feed him eventually, when he starts solids?" Everyone >>> advised me to put him on elemental formula and stop breastfeeding. >>> This being my 5th exclusively breastfed baby, I refused to even >>> consider it. It's very fortunate I didn't, because as he grew, his >>> corn allergy became so severe, he would be allergic to all of the >>> elemental formulas (corn based) as well as the soy and dairy ones! >>> >>> It took me over two years of eating the same safe things made at >>> home over and over to finally get him to full health. It took two >>> yrs to realize all the hidden terms for corn, all the ways I was >>> still exposing him when I'd thought I had eliminated it all. Every >>> step of the way, every nutritionist, dietitian, doctor, >>> diagnostician we consulted, I asked the same thing: "Can you just >>> give me a sample menu that actually shows meals w/ all the >>> allergens and corn eliminated? Do you have a list of safe products >>> I can refer to?" Nobody could help me. It was way too time- >>> consuming, way too complicated. >>> >>> Now I hear the same thing every time I meet another mom in the >>> same boat. "If I could just get some actual meal ideas - if I just >>> knew what exactly to look for ... where to find it..." This is >>> such an incredibly overwhelming issue to deal with when you have a >>> miserable, reactive baby and other children to deal with ! I put >>> the entire family on the elimination diet as it was just easier >>> than cooking different things for so many people and risking cross- >>> contamination for the baby. >>> >>> In the last two years, my baby has been healthy and happy for >>> exactly 2 months. Okay, they call it 'terrible two' for a reason: >>> if demanding, spoiled and completely entitled = happy, then he >>> is :-) ! For the last two yrs, he hasn't slept at night, he hasn't >>> stopped clawing himself bloody, he's looked like a baby vampire >>> and he's hardly eaten. He's been so sickly and miserable, I told >>> one Dr. if he was a cat I would have put him to sleep by now. >>> Finally eliminating all the allergens by finding realistic meals I >>> could make and sticking to them with little variance is what made >>> him healthy again. >>> >>> By sticking as closely as possible to the same safe foods and >>> making them in different ways, any new reactions were immediately >>> traceable to accidental exposure or substitutions in ingredients. >>> It took me this long, but I finally sat down and completed a seven >>> day list of recipes for breakfast, lunch & dinner in a blog that a >>> dear friend encouraged me to start with her to discuss food and >>> environmental issues parents today are dealing with. I did it >>> every night after the kids went to sleep, staying up until 3 am. >>> It's not perfect, it's not in the most convenient online layout, >>> we haven't figured out how to make a printable version yet, but >>> we're working on it! I wanted to get it done as fast as possible >>> while I have the chance with my own healthy baby for all the moms >>> I know who are mired in frustration and overwhelmed at the lack of >>> direction for food choices. I would have paid dearly for this menu >>> of recipes when I was starting down this road. It would have saved >>> me so much time and trouble and my baby so much pain and suffering >>> to just know what to make that was really safe. >>> >>> The site is not professional - it's just two moms sharing what >>> they learn. It's not very polished, we're just getting started in >>> the blogging world. Until my baby got healthy, I hardly had time >>> to check my emails. But I include links to sites like >>> cornallergens.com and hidden dairy terminology sites, which list >>> all the dozens of terms corn & dairy can hide under. I also try to >>> list brand names that are safe and where to find them. I realize >>> this may not be applicable out of the U.S., but it will still show >>> moms what types of foods you can make w/ safe ingredients and give >>> a week long plan that might help give a sense of structure to the >>> chaos of realizing you can't eat 'normally' anymore. These aren't >>> foods you grow yourself, they aren't foods you sprout and ferment >>> and dehydrate. I have five young children to feed - on one >>> parental income. These are foods kids will actually like and eat. >>> These are foods that will give them lots of energy and nourish >>> their brains with healthy fats and oils and help them gain weight, >>> even on an almost complete allergy elimination diet. These are >>> foods that will still be familiar to them, even if mom knows >>> everything about the way she cooks, shops, eats and feeds her >>> family just got turned upside down! >>> >>> The site is www.greenandbitchy.blogspot.com. my friend aptly >>> describes the name as "How you feel when you start out trying to >>> be greener and healthier (or go allergen-free) and realize how >>> much work it's going to be!" >>> >>> We welcome any feedback, constructive criticism or even additional >>> substitutions/recipes. All of the meals listed are free of: dairy, >>> egg, corn, wheat, soy, gluten, peanuts, tree nuts. there are some >>> with shellfish or fish, but in most cases, this can be substituted >>> w/ chicken or omitted. Please feel free to forward this email to >>> any parents, people, groups or forums you think would be interested. >> >>> Jacqui Gruttadauria, BSW - who loves it when something so small >>> can help in such a big way! > near detroit, michigan > >>> >>> >>> >> > *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome