Today I had an appointment with a nutritionist to make sure I was on track with my health. I wanted to make sure that all the things I had been reading were good and that I wasn't missing anything in my diet that would be negative for my son. While discussing gluten intolerance and milk soy protein intolerance she said she had another patient with a recent gluten intolerance diagnosis. She noted that the other person was having a difficult time adjusting to the new world for their child. I realized that I had a very diffucult time myself and perhaps I could help by putting my list of thoughts together to aid another parent.
Be your child's advocate, be their rock.
When we were first trying to figure out what was making our child so unhappy the doctors pretty much laughed at us. Our son was not failing to thrive and he was blowing through his milestones. A visually perfect child had to be totally healthy. What they didn't see was a child who was screaming in pain until tears were running down his face for hours at a time. They didn't have to deal with a newborn with constant diarrhea A newborn so sick that he was starting to get bags under his eyes. We kept coming back to the doctor's office demanding answers. They had none. The suggestion was to start an elimination diet. Well, that ended up being useful advice but there was never any help about how to do that. Here are my suggestions for that:
Buy a journal and use it for every single food. Note the times that you consume food and the reaction at the time. For me, my journal looked something like this:
8am Pancakes, maple syrup, coffee :) Happy baby boy
10am Apple :) Happy baby boy
1pm Rice and chicken :( Baby starting to fuss and arch back
6pm Vegetable soup, glass of wine :( Baby still screaming and needs to be vertical
By doing this day after day I could look back at days with sad faces and compare symptoms and what I had eaten 6-8 hours prior. This let me narrow down that that day something I ate in the morning caused the issue. After a couple of repeated instances, I was able to figure out that pancakes were the problem...later we sorted that the gluten in the pancakes was the main issue.
Go back and ask for tests to confirm things. Do not be afraid to ask to see specialists. We verified that our child did not have allergies 2x just to make sure no one would ignore his intolerances as simply being childhood allergies.
Now that you have a good idea as to the main problem, go back to the doctor and ask for tests. For example, if you suspect that something is causing a problem, remove it and see if you can go a few days without a negative reaction. You might think, ok, I got this now....not so fast. Keep journaling until you can go at least two weeks without a problem. For our son he has a problem when I drink coffee. Specific brands of coffee are worse than others. We wouldn't have gotten the connection if we had not kept journaling. If you are eating processed foods, write down the brand and ingredients.
Keep a positive attitude.
I know this seems especially hard once you are in the realm of the unknown but it is essential. I went into a major depression thinking about my son being sick or missing out on his childhood because of food issues. I was scared, angry, sad, and every other emotion. I made the decision that I needed to find out what was bothering my son so I had a window to work within. Once I knew his limits I could adjust our lifestyle and keep moving. I sat myself down and had to ask myself, does not being able to eat a chicken nugget make my child any less wonderful? No, if anything, this is an opportunity.
See this as an opportunity.
I chose to see this a a great opportunity to educate myself, my husband and my children about food. We eat every single day yet we don't pay attention to what is on the end of that fork. Because of this I have a new relationship with food that is positive and fun. I have up notions of what I do and do not eat and now I try new things. Don't get caught up in feeling bad about no birthday cakes or cheeseburgers. Yes, things will be different but things can be better. Make a gluten free cake, bake a gluten free apple pie. Make homemade gluten free chicken nuggets and keep some in the freezer for snacks. Go to the library and check out a new cookbook that is allergen friendly. Make this the start of a new and healthy relationship with food that will benefit your child as the grow.
Plan ahead.
Do not plan on food being available where you go. Pack snacks. I love to make baggies filled with dried fruits and veggies. I pack small apple sauce containers in the car and have something in a pinch. Find sites to look up gluten free, dairy free, soy free and whatever else free you need. Make lists on your phone, food journal etc as to safe foods. If I am in a pinch I know that my son can eat the Wendy's chili because it is safe for him. I know which brands are gluten free and can seek them out. Do your research. We stick to Hormel brands and Boarshead meats because they are gluten free. The phone in your pocket is your best friend. Do a quick search for the food or brand and the terms gluten free or allergy list. This will lead you to manufacturer's information and message boards.
Be your child's advocate, be their rock.
When we were first trying to figure out what was making our child so unhappy the doctors pretty much laughed at us. Our son was not failing to thrive and he was blowing through his milestones. A visually perfect child had to be totally healthy. What they didn't see was a child who was screaming in pain until tears were running down his face for hours at a time. They didn't have to deal with a newborn with constant diarrhea A newborn so sick that he was starting to get bags under his eyes. We kept coming back to the doctor's office demanding answers. They had none. The suggestion was to start an elimination diet. Well, that ended up being useful advice but there was never any help about how to do that. Here are my suggestions for that:
Buy a journal and use it for every single food. Note the times that you consume food and the reaction at the time. For me, my journal looked something like this:
8am Pancakes, maple syrup, coffee :) Happy baby boy
10am Apple :) Happy baby boy
1pm Rice and chicken :( Baby starting to fuss and arch back
6pm Vegetable soup, glass of wine :( Baby still screaming and needs to be vertical
By doing this day after day I could look back at days with sad faces and compare symptoms and what I had eaten 6-8 hours prior. This let me narrow down that that day something I ate in the morning caused the issue. After a couple of repeated instances, I was able to figure out that pancakes were the problem...later we sorted that the gluten in the pancakes was the main issue.
Go back and ask for tests to confirm things. Do not be afraid to ask to see specialists. We verified that our child did not have allergies 2x just to make sure no one would ignore his intolerances as simply being childhood allergies.
Now that you have a good idea as to the main problem, go back to the doctor and ask for tests. For example, if you suspect that something is causing a problem, remove it and see if you can go a few days without a negative reaction. You might think, ok, I got this now....not so fast. Keep journaling until you can go at least two weeks without a problem. For our son he has a problem when I drink coffee. Specific brands of coffee are worse than others. We wouldn't have gotten the connection if we had not kept journaling. If you are eating processed foods, write down the brand and ingredients.
Keep a positive attitude.
I know this seems especially hard once you are in the realm of the unknown but it is essential. I went into a major depression thinking about my son being sick or missing out on his childhood because of food issues. I was scared, angry, sad, and every other emotion. I made the decision that I needed to find out what was bothering my son so I had a window to work within. Once I knew his limits I could adjust our lifestyle and keep moving. I sat myself down and had to ask myself, does not being able to eat a chicken nugget make my child any less wonderful? No, if anything, this is an opportunity.
See this as an opportunity.
I chose to see this a a great opportunity to educate myself, my husband and my children about food. We eat every single day yet we don't pay attention to what is on the end of that fork. Because of this I have a new relationship with food that is positive and fun. I have up notions of what I do and do not eat and now I try new things. Don't get caught up in feeling bad about no birthday cakes or cheeseburgers. Yes, things will be different but things can be better. Make a gluten free cake, bake a gluten free apple pie. Make homemade gluten free chicken nuggets and keep some in the freezer for snacks. Go to the library and check out a new cookbook that is allergen friendly. Make this the start of a new and healthy relationship with food that will benefit your child as the grow.
Plan ahead.
Do not plan on food being available where you go. Pack snacks. I love to make baggies filled with dried fruits and veggies. I pack small apple sauce containers in the car and have something in a pinch. Find sites to look up gluten free, dairy free, soy free and whatever else free you need. Make lists on your phone, food journal etc as to safe foods. If I am in a pinch I know that my son can eat the Wendy's chili because it is safe for him. I know which brands are gluten free and can seek them out. Do your research. We stick to Hormel brands and Boarshead meats because they are gluten free. The phone in your pocket is your best friend. Do a quick search for the food or brand and the terms gluten free or allergy list. This will lead you to manufacturer's information and message boards.
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