too soon to see improvement?

[ryeslady]

DS2 is 2.5 weeks old and I have started to suspect a possible milk protien intolerance. (I say just milk because I could still have soy with DS1.) I could just be a little paranoid since DS1 cried constantly from 2 weeks on and I thought it was just colic that I would have to deal with. When DS1 was about 6 weeks old DH finally convinced me to just call the doctor to see what they would say. They suggested I cut out dairy (I was bfing) which I thought was ridiculous (I had never heard of it before and when I looked up info online he didn't seem to have the right symptoms besides crying) but I did it anyways because I was ready to try anything. To my surprise 2 days later he barely cried at all. I thought it was too soon to see an improvement since the doctor's office said to give it a few weeks and started eating dairy again. He started crying again so again I cut it out and he improved again.

DS2 started being what I consider excessively fussy right around 2 weeks. His naps got shorter and he seemed to be tired at times but unable to sleep. He would wake up suddenly crying or cry out and I think it sounds like he's in pain or uncomfortable. So the first thing I thought of was a milk protien intolerance again. (Just so you know I usually eat a LOT of dairy) Yesterday's lunch and diner were pretty light on dairy products, but had a little. I didn't have my usual bowl of cereal with milk at night. DS slept better last night but it could have been because I let him sleep with us all night. I decided to start going dairy free this morning and DS has slept better and cried less today. He still had a couple times when he seemed uncomfortable/in pain, but not as often as the past few days.

So my question is: Is it too early to see improvement from my diet? I wonder if I was jumping the gun with considering MPI. I'll probably continue this for another week then have a little milk or cheese and see what happens, but I thought I'd run it by someone just to see what you ladies thought. It seems so soon to see any improvement, but what have your experiences been? I really love my dairy and don't want to give it up without a good reason  Thanks for your help.

[hatshetsut]

It can take several days for milk protein to leave your system. When testing allergies doctors tell patients to go off of the possible allergen for 2 weeks, then back on for 1. I'd do the same thing in this case and see how it goes.

HTH!

Holly

[ryeslady]

But is it possible to see a change this early or does his improvement this early mean that it's not diet related?

[hatshetsut]

Yes, it is possible that you are seeing a correlation this early. Different foods have different amounts of milk protein. Cheeses and processed dairy will have less than straight milk. So, if you've cut out most straight milk it very well could be related to the dairy.

[scarlettsmom]

I, too, think you can see an improvement that quickly.  (and btw - 2 weeks old is usually when you start seeing the symptoms of MPI).  I saw improvements right away with DD2, it was great.  Took a long time to get to a safe baseline (she had multiple food allergies) - but just taking out dairy completely was huge.

Honestly - I would give it at least 2 weeks and if your bub is doing well, maybe wait a few months before introducing?  If it is MPI it will just irritate his gut more and take longer to heal.

Just be aware that you could see him have off days too in the next few weeks because it takes a while to get completely out of your BM, and then completely out of his system.

SO glad it seems to make him feel better!!  ((Hugs))