Dairy Allergy?

Baby boy has been wheezing/coughing off and on since right before Thanksgiving. He had pneumonia at one point and then when we thought he was getting it again it turned out to be bronchial spasms. Nebulizer treatments are becoming too routine and the thinking between the doctor and chiropractor and others is that Baby has some type of an allergy. Breastfed babies typically don't get colds one on top of the other and signs that point to an allergy are his digestive problems and eczema on his arms and thighs. Thankfully it is not as bad as Seppy whose skin felt like sandpaper at this age. This is all very reminiscent of Seppy who also had breathing problems for at least two years and ended up in the hospital on more than one occasion.

The two common allergies in babies are dairy and wheat. And so, I cut dairy out of my diet for over a month now. It takes three weeks for the proteins to get out of my milk and then another two to three weeks to get out of Baby's system. I cut out dairy years ago when I nursed Pete and Re-Pete in trying to avoid colicky symptoms that George had suffered with. I am finding it much easier this time around as dairy-free foods are in abundance, albeit a bit pricey for some. But I belong to a food co-op and am able to order dairy-free products in bulk for a better price.

We have drank raw milk in the past which is typically tolerable with a dairy allergy but I am completely cutting it out for now. I have found almond milk to be very tasty and it works well in most recipes. And ice cream made from coconut milk is so good too! The only thing I really miss is pizza with freshly shredded cheese. Rice cheese is just not the same, especially when you live in the dairy state!

Now that our systems are both are completely free of milk proteins Baby's eczema has gotten much better with just a bit lingering on his upper arms. His breathing is better with an occasional cough or wheeze. I don't know that I even want to introduce dairy into my system again to test this out as it took so long to remove it. We'll have to see how it goes.