I have always loved dairy. When I was pregnant with my daughter (now 7 1/2 months old), ice cream was a serious staple in my diet. Cheese is good. Mmmmm. My family are foodies. We eat at restaurants a lot. We take vacations that are centered around food. Most of my immediate family members are phenomenal cooks, who rely heavily on cream and butter.
I also like soy. My favorite drinks at Starbucks are soy-based and I LOVE Asian foods and soy sauce.
So it was a serious blow when I found out my new baby daughter was allergic to both soy and dairy. My husband and I had two options, switch her from breast milk to a special, allergy-free formula (which we were informed was very expensive and did not taste good), or switch me to a soy and dairy-free diet.
My husband and I didn't want to give up the benefits of breastfeeding for our daughter, and since the diet would be temporary (until our daughter was done breastfeeding), the choice seemed pretty clear. I had done an elimination diet in the past, that included dairy, so I knew what it meant to give up certain foods and adjust your diet and eating routines. So mentally I felt prepared. But I also knew that it would be a challenge.
I've been dairy and soy-free for 4 months now, and I won't lie - eating dairy and soy free is hard. Doing it for my daughter and her health makes it a really easy choice, and I'm certainly not complaining, but it's been a challenge to cook good food, eat out, satisfy cravings, and go to the grocery store without getting slightly depressed and frustrated.
I've done a lot of research, read a million food labels, and tried a lot of nasty, alternative products and recipes. But amid all the food chaos, I've found some real winners. I've discovered some wonderful products and even some recipes I'll continue to make even after I'm back on dairy and soy. My hope with this blog is to share what I've learned with other people that are faced with a dairy and soy-free diet. And maybe I can help make your journey a little bit easier.
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Hi, I have been hoping to come across someone that might be having similar food allergies as me to get recipe support and just not feel alone. After having my son. I myself started to get mysterious rashes and other not so pleasant allergic reactions. It turned out to be soy. Recently I found out milk has been causing me problems to0 along with many other foods. So I am happy to see someone else is posting what they are going threw.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if you are still checking this site, but I am in the same situation as you were with your baby. My daughter is allergic to dairy and soy and I've eliminated them from my diet. I'm wondering if you would update us on what happened once you started to introduce food, dairy,and soy, or if you ever did. My daughter recently had a reaction to rice cereal (bloody stool-same reaction she has to dairy and soy). Don't know what to do. Doctors aren't giving much advice. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for making a blog of what you are learning! There isn't a lot of information out there on good products/recipes for soy and dairy free moms! I'm also dairy and soy free for my almost 11 month old. We didn't find out she was probably having issues with dairy and soy until about 3 months. It certainly is such a hard thing to do, but so worth it if it makes the little babe feel better!! We are also super foodies in my home, so it has taken a re-learning of how to eat carefully, but still eat with joy! You are doing one of the best things for your little girl! Nursing and ridding her body of harmful allergens! The more you stay away from those allergens the better her system has a chance to outgrow it and mature. Their little immune responses are still so underdeveloped! Keep up the good work! We are almost to the point of weaning once my girl hits a year.... I'm trying to figure out what to feed her! :) But I now have WAY more tools than I did before we started this adventure! To the post above, a lot of times commercial rice cereals (like Gerber) have soy in them, so go with Earth's Best or another organic version! :) Happy eating, all! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteSo great to see someone who actually likes milk give options for us mamas who have to give up something we love for our dairy-sensitive babies. I lost weight the first week I was off dairy because I simply didn't know what to eat. Thanks so much for posting about your experiences here.
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