'3 day rule' questions

[trimbler]

Ok just a couple of questions re the '3 day rule', which we've been using since DS started on solids and i'm quite keen to continue since he's prone to eczema - and I'm probably a bit of a control freak!

(i) If he takes hardly anything of the new food but still something, then can it be considered to have been introduced after 3 days or not?
(ii) random question - but what about cheese? Is it 3 days for each type of cheese or each type of milk or each different consistency of cheese??

[~inbalance~]

I think that if you see him eat some, even just a little amount, then it still counts!

Not sure about different kinds of cheese but I always figured cheese is cheese!  I've never heard anyone reacting to only a certain kind of cheese, though it could very well be possible.  I wouldn't be bothering leaving 3 days for each kind of cheese though.  I do know that goat's cheese is often more easily tolerated than cheeses made with cow's milk.

When it comes to dairy though, eczema is a reaction from a dairy intolerance so knowing you already struggle with it (does he have an intolerance?), I might be more inclined to wait a bit longer with dairy introduction and definitely go slowly, probably starting with yogurt and then when that seems ok move on to cheeses. 

[trimbler]

Ok thanks, I kept thinking that I had to try again with some of these foods again and again... I was just keen to introduce some of the veggies commonly found in commercial baby food jars - it seems that so many of these have things like tomatoes and dairy which I wanted to hold back on! But he doesn't seem to like the less-allergenic foods either, it would just be useful to be able to consider them 'introduced' for when we're out or travelling. He does seem to prefer them to my home-made purees although I don't want to use them all the time - especially since my freezer's stuffed full with multi-coloured ice cube portions!

His eczema is under control now with moisturisers and occasional steroid cream for flare-ups, I don't think he has an intolerance, and although we have eczema in the family we don't have any family history of food intolerances - I just like to go cautiously! So I was thinking of starting yoghurt in about 3-4 weeks and cheese maybe a few weeks later, does that sound reasonable?

[~inbalance~]

I don't see any reason why you shouldn't stick to that plan for dairy.  Eczema is very commonly aggrevated by foods that are ingested, but if you are managing it well then there isn't any reason to hold back.  Just keep an eye out for flare ups.  It sounds like everything is going fine! 

[trimbler]

Sorry to keep coming back with questions - if it still 'counts' even when he's only eaten a little, then do you think it's possible that the tiny amount of cauliflower he had yesterday and today for breakfast could have been the cause of increased crying today? We maybe had the same thing with broccoli but then we've had teething too, it's so hard to tell but he's certainly not been happy today And if it might be the cauliflower, then we should avoid even the tiniest amount for now and try again later?

[~inbalance~]

It's so hard, isn't it?  I suppose the cauliflower could have made him gassy.  If you think it was a problem, no harm in waiting and trying it again later.  Use your mommy instinct, it's almost always right! 

Do you keep a log?  If you do, then write all this stuff down and make note of what he's eaten on fussy days.  It will help narrow down problem foods.

[trimbler]

Ok thanks - I've been writing EVERYTHING down since the day he was born (well, the day after, when I came home), my DH thinks I'm obsessed, maybe I am