When you choose to breastfeed your allergic child you have to give up all the foods your child is allergic to, and yes this is not easy, but you have to do it anyway for the sake of your baby.  There are tons of benefits of breastfeeding your child vs fomula feeding, and for me it was the right choice.  I breastfed Julian for 25 months We started off with 6 foods that he was allergic  to, and we are now down to 4 which is great.

Julian is 3 years old now, as heathy as he can be,  and we  have Eli 4 1/2 months old who has shown signs of food allergies as well. I know for sure, Eli  can’t have dairy and fish, the rest of the foods that Julian is allergic to, i chose to keep them  from my diet till we get  him tested say around 6-7 months. His Dr told me he has to be exposed and get a reaction before they could test him – Meaning he has to eat some of those foods and react.

So, for the breastfeeding mom, who loves a particular food, you may have to give that up for the sake of your baby  and just try  substituting that instead.  This Sunday,  I watched my husband make the African Chai Tea ( Tea with Cream/Milk plus fresh ginger ) mmmmh Quite a delight, especially for the cold weather!  I can drink a whole pot of  that chai, but i can’t have that right now because it will make Eli sick. My substitute – black tea with fresh ginger,  and warms me still.

So, for you it may not be that chai tea, it may be that cheesecake, peanut butter sandwich,  omelet,  or pecan pie etc  You too can live without it -  Your baby wasn’t given that choice, but he or she is living with it.

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Research conducted on kids exclusively breastfed for at least 6 months show high IQs.  Brain development here May be directly related to the emotional bonding during breastfeeding or the fatty acids in mothers milk.

The  McGill study links breastfeeding to increased intelligence, and this is  what  they reported  “The children’s cognitive ability was assessed by IQ tests administered by the children’s pediatricians and by their teachers’ ratings of their academic performance in reading, writing, mathematics and other subjects. Both sets of measures were significantly higher in the group randomized to the breastfeeding promotion intervention.

“The effect of breastfeeding on brain development and intelligence has long been a popular and hotly debated topic,” says Dr. Kramer. “While most studies have been based on association, however, we can now make a causal inference between breastfeeding and intelligence – because of the randomized design of our study.”

for more on this study go to :

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/05/05/mcgill.study.links.breastfeeding.increased.intelligence

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1. First get yourself a good electric , double breast pump this will make pumping much easier. I use a medela pump, they are quite expensive ($300), but worth every penny.  If you really look at it, fomula is not that cheap either.

2. Follow a schedule. If you pump around the same time daily your body gets used to this and you will end up needing to be away for about 15-20min at most.  I work 8 hours, initially i used to pump 3 times, but now i only need to pump 2x. I get 2 breaks and a lunch. So i use that time to go pump…so your boss won’t have any complains there.

3. Relax. When you  have a lot in your mind, you  are not giving your body a chance to let the milk flow out. So let all the stress go out the window while you pump away.

4. Think of your baby. This works for me all the time. I think of him smiling and laughing while i tickle his belly, the next thing i know is milk slowly coming out.

5. Don’t rush. If you still feel full, then pump till nothing comes out anymore. Remember the last milk that comes out …the hind milk…it is full of fatty acids. This is what fills the baby, and nourishes them as well. ( If you want to know if your baby is getting too much fore milk –the clear milk, almost like water that comes out when you start pumping or nursing, esp when your breasts feel full.. the baby’s poop will appear green )

6. Drink water. I have my 32oz  water mug from the hospital sitting at my desk at work, filled with water, then i have no excuse not to drink water throughout the day. You are pretty much hydrating your body, what better way to do it than with water.  No added calories, good for your digestive system, and many more.

7. Eat something. I eat small meals throughout the day, so am not starving. I snack on fruits or raw veggies.  When you have a full tummy you are  more likely  to pump milk.

8. If you are struggling with your milk supply, talk to your Dr about what to take to increase your supply. Oatmeal has always worked for me. I buy the quaker oatmeal  from sam’s club- has 55 packets, i always have some at work, just in case i need some, plus oatmeal is very filling.

9. Get your breastfeeding supplies. Have your bottles, storage bags, lanolin ointment for your nipples, nursing pads, and wear a good nursing bra or nursing tank ( i get mine from Target) and you should be ready to pump smoothly at work. Plus get the medela cleaning wipes..They will save you some time.

And .. just in case  you have chosen not to breastfeed your child, that doesn’t make you a bad mother… We are all different, as long as our babies are healthy and cared for, that is all that matters!

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Julian was diagnosed with food allergies at 4 months. I knew from 2 weeks that he had food allergies. I would breastfeed him then i would see red spots all over his body. I would see swollen spots as if he was bitten by a bee or a spider. So i started writing down what i was eating. The days i won’t have a certain food he would be ok, then the days i would he would be all covered in spots.  He would be so fussy, and the poop will be different.

Our culprits were; milk, wheat, soy, eggs, peanuts and Fish.

So what did i do? I kept on nursing him. I ate all the other alternatives. As he grew older he outgrew the wheat and soy, so that was a big plus for us. The rest of the allergens are still present, but manageable.

So, if your child has been dignosed with food allergies, you can still nurse them. There are so many foods out there that you can have. meats, fresh fruits and vegetables. There are Allergy free brands that cater to most allergens out there.  It is just a matter of choice. If you really do choose to stick to breastfeeding, you can do it.

Breastmilk is very unique. It tastes different daily, depending  on time of day or what mom ate. When you are sleepy and nurse the baby, the baby will fall asleep too. When you are loaded in caffeine, the baby will stay up too…So the point is, whatever you eat, this will be released in your breastmilk and into the baby too. That is why your Dr will offer you other options as far hypoallergenic fomula, should you decide not to eliminate all the foods from your diet.  same thing as if a mom was drinking alcohol….This is  not recommended while breastfeeding as Your baby gets whatever you ingest.

If you decide to stick with breastfeeding your baby, please eliminate the problem foods from your diet as well.  Be sure to get some healthy alternatives and take care of yourself as well, so you can take care of your baby.

Happy Monday!

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• up to 10 hours at  room temperature ( 66-72 degrees F)
• cooler with 3 packs of frozen ice  for 24 hours ( 59F)
• Refrigerator  for  8 days at 32-39 degrees F
• 2 weeks in a freezer compartment inside a refrigerator  ( temp varies)
• Self contained refrigerator freezer unit  for 3-4 months
• Deep freezer  for  6-12 months  at 0 degrees F

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1.  several nursing bras or tanks.
     for the bras look for styles without an underwire as the underwire can cut into milk ducts and prevent milk production
     I love the nursing tanks they are very convinient.
2. Lanolin ointment for nursing moms
     This will soothe the sore and cracked nipples. I use the Medela one, and i apply following a shower, or right before i pump.
3. A nursing pillow
    This really helped me with my back and help  position the baby. I actually had this around Julian so he could hold Eli and i plan on using this on Eli as a balance  when he starts sitting on his own.
4. Nursing pads
    You will save yourself some embarassment if you are out in public for too long and milk starts leaking.
    plus you will have less laundry to do as you keep this inside your bra to catch leaks.
5.  A breast pump
    This was the one thing i can truly say was worth every penny. I get soo engorged, so this was a relief, plus i can pump at work at home and just get me some milk for the baby. The fact that you can pump the milk and have someone else feed your baby while you do other chores is just amazing.
   They come in all different types from manual to electric, single to double. Mine is an electric double medela pump in style. I just love my pump.
6. collection bottles and storage bags
   I use the medela storage bottles and for freezing extra milk supply i get the lansinoh storage bags (freezer bags)

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“So why are you giving him another bottle?” i asked, ‘ He cried” he said. Shil, he cried because he wanted to be held. He was on that rocking chair for a while now… ‘ ha ha , ooh” he said…it is what he said next that had me ask him  my question … he said, but you can pump some more milk, you always do. Can you pump some more? am going to need two more bottles for later ” .”what do you think this is, breastmilk factory?” I asked .. He laughed and dropped the botlle he was holding..oops he said.

Then continues.. “Sophia, honestly honey, if this was a dairy farm, you would be worth a lot. You would be the best dairy cow..look, i told you so,  man honey, that’s a lot of milk.”  he continues to yap his mouth while he watches me pump. He has said this to me before , during my days breastfeeding Julian… so he kept on talking ,  laughing his head off , and i am  just quiet ,staring at him while i pump. ” Shil, if you say one more word, i swear, i will turn you into a dairy cow”, i said .

Julian heard this and spelled C-O-W, cow! we all just busted out laughing. Oh goodness.  You got to love life , in motherhood and all adventures it brings.

Yes, i pumped and left him with his 2 bottles as ordered. I guess,  i do own a breastmilk factory after all.

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I pump at work and at home if  the baby is sleeping and  when am too full. I find pumping has really boost my supply. Remember the rule of supply and demand works in milk making. The more the you feed/pump the more your body makes.

To help boost my supply, i eat oatmeal and when i take a nap, i wake up full, so rest as much as you can ( though it is hard finding that time). I drink lots of water for hydration throughout the day.

Some people swear by these things  : fenugreek , blessed thistle, some blends like Mother’s Love More Milk Plus, the prescription drug Reglan can also help increase your milk supply – yes it is perfectly ok for your baby.

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