Tongue Tie, Food Eliminations, and Baby#2

Four months after eliminating dairy and starting on this journey I discovered that I was pregnant again. I was shocked and elated all at once, such are the emotions of a newly pregnant woman. I was on my way to a healthier me having recently lost 40lbs and gone off the antidepressants I had been on for ten years. I had eliminated dairy and eggs, two huge no-nos for my body and the world was looking brighter. I had conquered some unknown demon and was finally healthy!

My second pregnancy was easy and I felt great. Compared to my first pregnancy this was a breeze and we excitedly awaited the arrival of Jackson. Or Abigail. We weren't sure since the baby wasn't showing the goods!

I distinctly remember saying at one point in my second trimester, "Watch, this baby will be allergic to something else, like soy or wheat." Did I have a crystal ball that told me this? Did I know deep down I was headed for what came next? Or did I know on some level I had issues with these foods and just needed the kick in the pants to see it?

We welcomed Our second daughter in November 2009. From the start she was bumpy and rasht but I was told ny our new pediatrician this was baby acne and totally normal. By 3 days old the baby was losing suction while nursing and the THREE different LCs I presented this to said the baby's as doing this because she was done and sleepy. No no no that didn't seem right and no one listened to my concern. Once the milk stopped flowing freely she'd lose suction and struggle at the breast. No one thought it was an issue and chalked it up to my being over anxious. We plodded along this way since she was gaining well and having adequate wet and dirty diapers.

At 10 days old I gave in to my extreme cheesecake craving (and don't I deserve that after a surprise home birth?). We went to Whole Foods and picked up a MooCluck cheesecake, made from soy. It was quite delicious for a cheesecake void of all cheese. Anyways, by the next morning my daughter was covered in bumps. As I was nursing I was watching the bumps appear on her body and it was obvious that soy was an issue. I laughed about that a lot that first day but being that I needed to test my theory I held off on the cake for two days and tried again. Same reaction. I had proved to myself it was an issue and the soy elimination began.

Did you know soy is in everything? EVERYTHING. One of the main ingredients in Stovetop Stuffing is soy protein isolate and oddly enough that stuffing (as delicious as it was) always made me sick. Huh. Go figure.

Along with the bumps came green poop. Baby poop should be yellow and smell sweet but my poor soy allergic baby had green, slimy, mucous filled diapers that were just....wrong. Her weight gain continued to be adequate but her stools were weird - green - with the occasional "normal" stool thrown in to give hope.

The details are a little fuzzy but over the next month I ended up eliminating peanuts, nuts, fish, shellfish (which I know I'm allergic to) in addition to our dairy and eggs. Another month went by and I eliminated wheat (THAT was scary). On day 3 of my wheat elimination I woke in the middle of the night with diarrhea and extreme nausea. I ran a fever and felt absolutely hideous until my husband made me a slice of spelt toast and after a few nibbles I felt normal again. Sounds weird, right? I was going through withdrawal! Remember how we talked about dairy being a drug? Wheat and gluten are as well, and my body was not happy with the elimination.

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/04/wheat-is-an-opiate/

http://www.livingwithout.com/issues/4_8/giving_up_gluten-2024-1.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/246282-gluten-free-diet-and-withdrawal-symptoms/

At this point my daughters stools were still green and mucus, and they had zero smell at all. In early March I tested my wheat theory and both the baby and I were very sick. At that point, and grasping at straws, I eliminated gluten. I had to psyche myself up for it because going gluten free in our society is no easy feat when you don't know where to start.

My daughter was now 4 months old. She's still rashy, still pooping green and mucus, she wants to nurse all the time and on top it off it all she stops sleeping. I can't eat bread or peanut butter or pasta or anything thats tasty and oh.my.goodness I'm so hungry all the time and every food seems to be the enemy. Breathe.....

I'm tired, I'm beyond frustrated, and I'm mad at the world. No really, l was so angry I could spit nails or breathe fire. I saw no joy in life because it was all such a struggle and all anyone could offer was "why not use formula?" Yes that's the easy I-dont-have-to-do-all-these-food-eliminations way but have you seen the ingredients in formula? They're dairy or soy based. That makes formula a no no from the start! I'd also like to remind you of my resolve from my first child to eliminate dairy as not to hurt her. My resolve is strong as steel now and isn't nobody getting between me and breastfeeding. Nobody.

This is also when I discovered my older daughter was allergic to corn....a bumpy itchy rash on her behind. We tested this theory too and within 20 minutes of eating Ian's gluten free chicken nuggets (corn in the breading) she hd a red, itchy, bumpy rash on her behind. It took awhile to get rid of all the corn because it hides in everything by weird names.

Is your head spinning yet? I'm off dairy, eggs, soy, nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, gluten, and now corn.

But the acne I've struggled with since I was 11 is gone. I've lost all my baby weight plus an extra 15lbs. Wow.

But my baby, 6 months old now, has only gained 5 oz in two months. I'm starving my baby. I'm not producing enough milk. Here come the comments....formula...you can't nurse....formula is better....you're failing...

You know what? I didn't do all this to fail. This is my child, my chance, and I'm not giving up.

A friend gave me the number of a holistic lactation consultant and I met with her that week. She gave me a list of things to try, suggestions to pump after feeds, and sent me to see her chiropractor of choice for body work for the baby. I felt like someone was listening. Finally.

I saw the chiropractor and within the first 5 minutes she confirmed there was a posterior tongue tie. WhAt?! How did this go unnoticed for 6 months? Oh yes, I had no pain and she was gaining well. Remember the loss of suction I mentioned? Tongue tie. Remember the green poop? Tongue tie and food issues. Remember how I said I wouldn't fail? I won't!

To be continued....
~Stacey