MaryK
04-17-2004, 12:37 AM
I believe there can be a huge connection between what Mom eats and how the baby reacts to it. When my DS got colic at 2-1/2 weeks, I stopped every "suspect" food I could think of, and I tried a few other things. The colic pretty much went away in 2 weeks. It takes about 2 weeks for the body to heal, so I think my diet changes and the other things I did really made the difference. I'm not a huge fan of giving up foods, but I'd rather do that then listen to my baby cry. This might not work for every baby, but it is worth a try!!!
First, I gave up all chocolate, caffeine, DAIRY!!, wheat, citrus, nuts, shellfish, spicy foods, pre-natal vitamins (the iron!!!), etc.
Next, I changed the way I was breastfeeding. I needed to get more of the fatty hindmilk into the baby. He was getting too much of the watery foremilk, and that was causing most of the problems. He had green mucousy stools and diaper rash. If the baby has too much foremilk, it goes through their system too fast. What I had to do was to express a little milk before each feeding (by hand or pump), and then nurse on the same breast for 4-5 hours before switching to the other breast. I did this until he was about 6 months old. That way the breast that is being used all the time does not have a chance to build up the foremilk. When I switch breasts, I usually express a little extra to get more of the foremilk out. Sometimes I would only express 1/2 ounce. Not much, but it seemed to really work.
You can build up to the 4-5 hours. You can start by using the same breast for the entire feeding without switching. Then maybe later in the day, or the next day, try 2 feeding in a row with the same breast. I've read that one woman actually used one breast per day!! So you can see what works for you.
As far as the food goes, I tried taking my pre-natal vitamins again atfter I had been off of them for a month. DS had a major reaction. Colic, and blood in the stools. It was 2 weeks before I got him back to normal after that. He had another reaction to fatty meat, and another reaction to green chili omlets. I know it was the food, because there was nothing else in my diet at the time that could have done it.
Also, with my first DS, I took dairy out of my diet at 4 months (along with chocolate and caffeine), and he stopped spitting up completely. (He did not have colic...he just spit up a lot.) About a month after that, I cheated with one little tiny chocolate mint. He started spitting up the very next feeding.
With my first DS I only stayed off the dairy for 2 months. With DS #2, I've found he is still very sensitive to certain foods...he is now 12 months old. We have tried the BLOOD TYPE DIET with him, and it has worked out well. There is a list of foods to eat, and a list of foods to avoid on that diet, and he has had bad reactions to his avoid foods, and has done well with all of his "good foods" list.
Let me know if anyone needs more info about anything. I'm happy to tell you anything that might help.
Some other helpful websites are: www.infantreflux.org (http://www.infantreflux.org)
and: http://www.mothering.com (http://mothering.com)
First, I gave up all chocolate, caffeine, DAIRY!!, wheat, citrus, nuts, shellfish, spicy foods, pre-natal vitamins (the iron!!!), etc.
Next, I changed the way I was breastfeeding. I needed to get more of the fatty hindmilk into the baby. He was getting too much of the watery foremilk, and that was causing most of the problems. He had green mucousy stools and diaper rash. If the baby has too much foremilk, it goes through their system too fast. What I had to do was to express a little milk before each feeding (by hand or pump), and then nurse on the same breast for 4-5 hours before switching to the other breast. I did this until he was about 6 months old. That way the breast that is being used all the time does not have a chance to build up the foremilk. When I switch breasts, I usually express a little extra to get more of the foremilk out. Sometimes I would only express 1/2 ounce. Not much, but it seemed to really work.
You can build up to the 4-5 hours. You can start by using the same breast for the entire feeding without switching. Then maybe later in the day, or the next day, try 2 feeding in a row with the same breast. I've read that one woman actually used one breast per day!! So you can see what works for you.
As far as the food goes, I tried taking my pre-natal vitamins again atfter I had been off of them for a month. DS had a major reaction. Colic, and blood in the stools. It was 2 weeks before I got him back to normal after that. He had another reaction to fatty meat, and another reaction to green chili omlets. I know it was the food, because there was nothing else in my diet at the time that could have done it.
Also, with my first DS, I took dairy out of my diet at 4 months (along with chocolate and caffeine), and he stopped spitting up completely. (He did not have colic...he just spit up a lot.) About a month after that, I cheated with one little tiny chocolate mint. He started spitting up the very next feeding.
With my first DS I only stayed off the dairy for 2 months. With DS #2, I've found he is still very sensitive to certain foods...he is now 12 months old. We have tried the BLOOD TYPE DIET with him, and it has worked out well. There is a list of foods to eat, and a list of foods to avoid on that diet, and he has had bad reactions to his avoid foods, and has done well with all of his "good foods" list.
Let me know if anyone needs more info about anything. I'm happy to tell you anything that might help.
Some other helpful websites are: www.infantreflux.org (http://www.infantreflux.org)
and: http://www.mothering.com (http://mothering.com)