Choosing the right food(s) to eliminate and why it might not be the next right step

I’ve been dairy free for x amount of time, baby got a little better but still has [insert symptoms here]. What should I eliminate next?

I literally cannot tell you.

Sure, soy and dairy have a high cross-reactivity rate.
Sure, eggs and gluten are highly allergenic.
Sure, your cousin’s baby did well after she eliminated peanuts.

But how do you know what’s going to work for you and your baby?

If you have been dairy free for 4-6 weeks, it seemed to help, but you aren’t quite there yet my first question is have you tried anything other than eliminating foods, like working on gut health or optimizing your diet?

Eliminating foods that baby is clearly sensitive to is definitely the way to go, but I’m always careful about eliminating too many foods, especially without exploring other avenues as well.

As a nursing mom, you need as much nourishment and variety (and enjoyment!) from your food as you can get. I’ve seen too many moms cut too many foods to the point of it negatively affecting their health and wellbeing (which is NOT what’s best for your baby!).

So, next question:

-> Do YOU feel like there is something you are eating that is bothering baby?

Not what the mom in that Facebook group said, not what Google told you, what do YOU feel like it is?

Because guess what, most of the time, that mother’s intuition of yours is right!

If you feel like it really might be connected to something you are eating, do you eat a lot of

• Processed foods
• Eggs
• Gluten
• Soy
• Tree nuts
• Peanuts?

It might be worth experimenting with one of those foods above if they make up a big part of your diet.

But remember, I DON’T want you to keep blaming food. Food is not the enemy. You do not need to be surrounded by guilt, fear, or anxiety when it comes to choosing what to eat.

So instead of spending all that time and energy wondering what to cut from your diet, open your mind to what some other possible next steps could be.

Maybe eliminating another food is the right next step, or
Maybe you just need to tweak your diet a bit.
Maybe you need to add certain supplements.
Maybe you need to look at your household and personal care products.
Maybe you need to take a hard look at the stress in your life.

Food is not the enemy. Food has the power to heal!

Before eliminating healthy, real foods, think about eliminating processed foods.

Then, think about what you can bring IN to your diet to help heal baby.

What sort of anti-inflammatory foods can you include?
What sort of healthy fats can you bring in?
What new foods and variety can you experiment with?
What beneficial fibers or fermented foods can you bring in to your diet?

Eliminating foods that clearly bother baby is the right thing to do, but remember that there could be more to getting to the root of your baby’s symptoms!