Lactose intolerance question

[MomtoCandJ]

TMI and gross....

With this pregnancy I have noticed that I get sick about every time I drink milk. I'm fine eating cheese and other dairy products. Could this mean that this baby might be lactose intolerant?

[Mrs Mungo]

It is extremely rare for babies to be lactose intolerant. Breastmilk has a form of lactose in it. Now, a sensitivity or allergy to dairy, those are different things that have more to do with the proteins in milk than the sugars. I would not necessary link you not being able to tolerate dairy during pregnancy with a baby's inability to tolerate dairy.

[Dana]

My son has a severe dairy allergy. Never noticed any issues with dairy while I was pregnant...and I drank a ton of milk.

[MomtoCandJ]

Thanks ladies, I didn't have any issues when pregnant with dd. This pregnancy is a whole different ball game with all the morning sickness, low blood pressure and low sugar issues (had low BP and sugar for quite a while but now seems worse with actual symptoms)

[TexasRachel]

My last three I got sick with milk only. I just switched to rice or soy and was fine.

[Harriet Vane]

Honestly, I struggled with dairy when I was pregnant with ds. To be fair, I struggled with a lot of foods during pregnancy and was horribly, horribly sick. I forced myself to eat/drink dairy anyway just to get the protein in. As it turned out, ds is lactose intolerant, and I have always wondered about my dairy aversion during that pregnancy.

 

Mrs. Mungo--I am not sure fully how to respond to what you say about lactose intolerance. My ds has been allergy tested and is not allergic to milk. However, each and every time he has even a small exposure to a milk product, he is spectacularly ill (vomiting, diarrhea, cramps and stomach aches that last for literally days). It's truly agony. His doctor has diagnosed him as lactose intolerant. However, ds was able to drink breastmilk with no issues as long as I refrained from ingesting milk products. For the first three weeks of his life, I ate all the cheese and milk I wanted, and he screamed nearly constantly, poor little guy. When I gave up dairy to see if that affected his colic, within a week I had a completely different baby. It was truly a night and day difference. By your definition you would say he is not lactose intolerant, but he does not have a milk allergy and his doctor says he is lactose intolerant. Ds also reacts to other mammalian milk (like goat's milk) but breastfed happily for nearly three years.

[Zebra]

Lactose Intolerance means that you don't have enough enzymes or whatever in your gut to digest the lactose in dairy.  So, lactose just sits in your gut and basically rots, leading to all kinds of uncomfortableness.  There are different levels of lactose intolerance.   Some people can digest yogurt and hard cheeses.  Some people can take lactaid pills which helps digest the lactose.   Some people can't have any dairy.   As people age they usually lose their ability to digest lactose on some level.   Also, antibiotics can wipe out the bacteria or enzymes or whatever it is that digests lactose.  

 

A milk allergy is something different.   You are allergic to something in the milk, it has nothing to do with digesting it.

 

 

[Ellie]

Mrs. Mungo--I am not sure fully how to respond to what you say about lactose intolerance. My ds has been allergy tested and is not allergic to milk. However, each and every time he has even a small exposure to a milk product, he is spectacularly ill (vomiting, diarrhea, cramps and stomach aches that last for literally days). It's truly agony. His doctor has diagnosed him as lactose intolerant. However, ds was able to drink breastmilk with no issues as long as I refrained from ingesting milk products. For the first three weeks of his life, I ate all the cheese and milk I wanted, and he screamed nearly constantly, poor little guy. When I gave up dairy to see if that affected his colic, within a week I had a completely different baby. It was truly a night and day difference. By your definition you would say he is not lactose intolerant, but he does not have a milk allergy and his doctor says he is lactose intolerant. Ds also reacts to other mammalian milk (like goat's milk) but breastfed happily for nearly three years.

 

Both of my br@st-fed dds could not tolerate the dairy that I was consuming, not even the little bit of milk I put on my dry cereal. I did not realize this with my first dd; she spit up all.the.time, had some cranky evenings, and twice when I gave her tiny bit of dairy (a taste of a grilled cheese sandwich, a spoonful of cottage cheese) she threw it all up a few hours later. She stopped nursing at 10mo and we gave her milk to drink, and a week to the day that she nursed last she had her first diaper rash (and head cold). She continued having diaper rashes until just before she was potty trained. I *knew* it was something she was eating, because of the consistency of some of her bowel movements and her poor bum would be red and obviously painful within minutes of those. Her doctor had no clue, either. When she was about 22mo, I read "New Wives Tales," which had a whole chapter about dairy and how it is actually *not* good for every body. Because I'm slow, I didn't figure out dd's problem right away, not until she went a week without drinking any milk; one day she remembered that she liked it and drank it all day long, and BAM--weird bowel movement, nasty diaper rash. Today, dd can drink milk with no problems at all.

 

Second dd started out the same way--spitting up all the time, fussy, so I eliminated dairy from my diet, and the spitting up stopped. I didn't give her any dairy until she was over a year old, and then not as a beverage, but only as part of a meal such as tacos. Today, dd gets stomach aches from dairy; she has some other food issues as well, which she has not figured out, bless her heart.

 

Neither of my dds was allergic to dairy, but neither could tolerate dairy when they were little. The "cure" was the same: no dairy

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

There are tests for lactose intolerance you can ask your doctor about.

[Ravin]

It sounds like YOU might be lactose intolerant. It wouldn't have anything to do with the baby, other than that pregnancy hormones can play whackadoodle with lots of body systems, including digestion.

 

Eat lots of dark green leafy stuff and red meat for calcium and iron, and get enough sun for vit. D. Skip the stuff that's giving you digestive trouble. It's unlikely the baby will be lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance is normal in adults--it's only a mutation in certain populations that allows lactase persistence (continued production of the lactase enzyme that digests lactose). In babies it's extremely rare because babies are supposed to digest human milk, and there's more lactose in human milk than in cow's, so not producing lactase in infancy is extremely rare, just as the lack of ability to produce other critical enzymes is.

[waa510]

I was tested for lactose intolerance as a kid at a children's hospital in New England. I'm not sure of the name of the test, specifically, but I know that it tests the hydrogen in your breath. I have no idea how or why that would indicate that you have lactose intolerance.

 

Basically, you drink a disgusting bottle of liquid that they told me was ' pure' lactose, waited a while (meanwhile I was in horrible pain), then had me breathe into a tiny tube at 15 minute intervals for a couple hours. The nurses stopped the test early b/c my levels were so high that it was very clear that I was intolerant.

 

I often took Lactaid pills when eating dairy, but I'd have to take 3-5 per dairy consumption. I also noticed that while one day I could take 3 pills with a slice of pizza and be fine, other days I would do the same and had symptoms.

 

I can probably ask my mom more about the name of the test if you're interested, OP. I just don't remember as I was fairly young when it was done.

[Ravin]

The test is a lactose tolerance test. Doing your own elimination then reintroduction is pretty effective to test it and cheaper.

[waa510]

True. I just wanted to put it out there. Some are better able to convince well-meaning but ignorant immediate and extended family members of the intolerance being " real" if the medical community is involved in the diagnosis.

[6wildhorses]

When I was pregnant with my last baby, I could not tolerate dairy. I had a horrible reaction (itchy to the extreme) whenever I ate dairy. I was relieved when I finally figured out what was going on and got the dairy out of my system. All my food allergy symptoms went away once I cleared out the dairy. When she was born she could not tolerate dairy in my breast milk, and she couldn't eat dairy for a long time. She's 7 now and can eat dairy, but if she eats too much her behavior declines.

[Mrs Mungo]

Babies who cannot tolerate dairy are usually sensitive to the proteins in dairy, not the sugar. They don't have to be allergic to have a sensitivity to it. In no way am I doubting anyone's experience. But, there are several things that could be going on. For example, if a mom is having issues with foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, then baby may not be receiving enough lactase to break down the lactose. But, it has been my experience that most doctors are not familiar enough with breastfeeding issues to diagnose and/or solve a problem like that.

 

Issues like diarrhea, etc are not usually caused by lactose intolerance in babies. Doctors may describe it that way as a shortcut to explanations, but it isn't what is usually happening. http://www.breastfeed.com/breastfeeding-problems/breastfeeding-sick-baby/lactose-intolerance-babies

 

It is very rare for a baby to be lactose intolerant. It is a rare genetic metabolic issue (rare as in one in 30k births) when it happens and can be diagnosed through genetic testing. Babies who are truly lactose intolerant cannot tolerate breastmilk either (because it contains a form of lactose too) and must be put on a chemical formula.

 

By the time kids leave toddlerhood, some may be developing secondary lactose intolerance, which is completely different from a baby having it.

[MomtoCandJ]

Ok so I will stop drinking milk until the baby is born then see what happens, I love my milk :(

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

True. I just wanted to put it out there. Some are better able to convince well-meaning but ignorant immediate and extended family members of the intolerance being " real" if the medical community is involved in the diagnosis.

 

Truth.

 

 

There is more than one different test now for lactose intolerance. I'm unsure of their names, but I am certain a google search can tell you more if you are interested in being tested for it.

[gingersmom]

My father was lactose intolerant. 

I am lactose intolerant. 

My son is lactose intolerant. When he was an infant milk products also made him break out in horrible eczema. He had allergy testing and is not allergic but is "sensitive" to milk. 

 

My daughter could eat a wheel of cheese and wash it down with a gallon of milk and be fine. 

[Mrs Mungo]

Ok so I will stop drinking milk until the baby is born then see what happens, I love my milk :(

 

If you can tolerate cheese, then it's hard to say. Some people are lactose intolerant (the chances of developing lactose intolerance get bigger as we grow older), but some people are sensitive (even if not truly allergic) to the proteins in diary. The proteins are broken down to different degrees when milk is processed into other products, so some people who cannot drink milk cannot eat cheese. By the same token, there is no lactose in some cheeses (the harder the cheese, the less lactose it contains) because it breaks down into lactic acid. But, if high moisture cheeses or ice cream don't bother you, then it's probably a sensitivity to the proteins not lactose intolerance. Have you tried lactose free milk to see if that bothers you?

[MomtoCandJ]

I haven't yet, it's so expensive. We get 7 gallons of milk a month from WIC, I will see if I can get one that is lactose free. I can eat cheese, ice cream, things with milk in it (cream of wheat and others) it seems to be just drinking milk :(

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

I haven't yet, it's so expensive. We get 7 gallons of milk a month from WIC, I will see if I can get one that is lactose free. I can eat cheese, ice cream, things with milk in it (cream of wheat and others) it seems to be just drinking milk :(

 

I had to get a doctors note, then I was able to get all lactose free milk.

[Harriet Vane]

Babies who cannot tolerate dairy are usually sensitive to the proteins in dairy, not the sugar. They don't have to be allergic to have a sensitivity to it. In no way am I doubting anyone's experience. But, there are several things that could be going on. For example, if a mom is having issues with foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, then baby may not be receiving enough lactase to break down the lactose. But, it has been my experience that most doctors are not familiar enough with breastfeeding issues to diagnose and/or solve a problem like that.

 

Issues like diarrhea, etc are not usually caused by lactose intolerance in babies. Doctors may describe it that way as a shortcut to explanations, but it isn't what is usually happening. http://www.breastfeed.com/breastfeeding-problems/breastfeeding-sick-baby/lactose-intolerance-babies

 

It is very rare for a baby to be lactose intolerant. It is a rare genetic metabolic issue (rare as in one in 30k births) when it happens and can be diagnosed through genetic testing. Babies who are truly lactose intolerant cannot tolerate breastmilk either (because it contains a form of lactose too) and must be put on a chemical formula.

 

By the time kids leave toddlerhood, some may be developing secondary lactose intolerance, which is completely different from a baby having it.

 

Trying to understand . . .

 

I don't understand the secondary lactose intolerance. To me, it looks like my ds has always had the same issues with milk products, from babyhood on up. As a baby, he reacted to milk products with obvious abdominal pain, diarrhea, and occasional vomiting. He has had the same set of symptoms to accidental exposures his whole life. It doesn't look to me like he started with a breastfeeding issue and then developed a secondary lactose intolerance because his symptoms have been consistent from the time he was a baby to now. (His last accidental exposure was a year ago, in summer, at a restaurant, and resulted in first, forceful vomiting, followed by continued cramping and general "raw" feelings in the gut for the next day or two.) Or are you suggesting that he has a sensitivity to milk proteins??? If that is the case, then why does he respond badly to goat's milk?

 

As for ds' lactose intolerance diagnosis, this is the label given to him by his doctor, who is also lactose intolerant. His doctor is also the type of scary smart guy who is always reading and researching (he was a good friend and neighbor for fourteen years), so I tend to trust that he understands the issue both because he lives with it, but also because he researches and reads so much.

 

Truly not arguing, just thinking out loud, puzzling through our experience and trying to understand. Thanks.

 

[Stratford]

My lactose-intolerance first showed up during a pregnancy.  My doc thought it was probably unrelated to the pregnancy, and none of my children have had issues with dairy.  I stopped drinking milk and have been fine since then (I can tolerate yogurt and hard cheese without any trouble.)  A large chunk of my family is lactose intolerant, so I figured it would show up at some point in my life.  

[Mrs Mungo]

Trying to understand . . .

 

I don't understand the secondary lactose intolerance. To me, it looks like my ds has always had the same issues with milk products, from babyhood on up. As a baby, he reacted to milk products with obvious abdominal pain, diarrhea, and occasional vomiting. He has had the same set of symptoms to accidental exposures his whole life. It doesn't look to me like he started with a breastfeeding issue and then developed a secondary lactose intolerance because his symptoms have been consistent from the time he was a baby to now. (His last accidental exposure was a year ago, in summer, at a restaurant, and resulted in first, forceful vomiting, followed by continued cramping and general "raw" feelings in the gut for the next day or two.) Or are you suggesting that he has a sensitivity to milk proteins??? If that is the case, then why does he respond badly to goat's milk?

 

As for ds' lactose intolerance diagnosis, this is the label given to him by his doctor, who is also lactose intolerant. His doctor is also the type of scary smart guy who is always reading and researching (he was a good friend and neighbor for fourteen years), so I tend to trust that he understands the issue both because he lives with it, but also because he researches and reads so much.

 

Truly not arguing, just thinking out loud, puzzling through our experience and trying to understand. Thanks.

 

 

He would not have been able to drink your breastmilk, if he was truly lactose intolerant as a baby. Breastmilk has more lactose in it than cow's milk, as pointed out by Ravin. The amount of lactose in a mother's milk is relatively consistent and entirely independent of whether or not she consumes lactose-containing products at all. These are cold stone facts, not personal opinions. 

 

http://americanpregnancy.org/firstyearoflife/whatsinbreastmilk.html

 

https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bf-info/lactose

 

Sounds to me like there are 2 possibilities: 1) you had a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance and your son wasn't getting enough lactase to break down the lactose, this would mirror exactly lactose intolerance and then developed secondary lactose intolerance because humans *generally* need consistent exposure to lactose in order to continue to process it *or* 2) your son has a sensitivity to dairy proteins. The proteins found in goat and cow milk are extremely similar. Most people who are sensitive to one are sensitive to the other. 

 

I'm not doubting the intelligence of anyone.

 

Again, I think your doctor may have used "lactose intolerance" as a short-cut way to explain it to you.

[Zebra]

I haven't yet, it's so expensive. We get 7 gallons of milk a month from WIC, I will see if I can get one that is lactose free. I can eat cheese, ice cream, things with milk in it (cream of wheat and others) it seems to be just drinking milk :(

You can go to your local Walmart or drugstore and buy some Lactaid pills (or any generic brand lactase enzyme pills) and try taking one whenever you have milk.  Maybe you don't want to do that long term, but before trying to get lactose free milk I would try the pills.  If they work, it probably means you are lactose intolerant.   If they don't, at least you can rule it out.  

[gingersmom]

You can go to your local Walmart or drugstore and buy some Lactaid pills (or any generic brand lactase enzyme pills) and try taking one whenever you have milk.  Maybe you don't want to do that long term, but before trying to get lactose free milk I would try the pills.  If they work, it probably means you are lactose intolerant.   If they don't, at least you can rule it out.  

 

I'm lactose intolerant and they don't work for me. Neither does any lactaid product. 

[Harriet Vane]

He would not have been able to drink your breastmilk, if he was truly lactose intolerant as a baby. Breastmilk has more lactose in it than cow's milk, as pointed out by Ravin. The amount of lactose in a mother's milk is relatively consistent and entirely independent of whether or not she consumes lactose-containing products at all. These are cold stone facts, not personal opinions. 

 

http://americanpregnancy.org/firstyearoflife/whatsinbreastmilk.html

 

https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bf-info/lactose

 

Sounds to me like there are 2 possibilities: 1) you had a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance and your son wasn't getting enough lactase to break down the lactose, this would mirror exactly lactose intolerance and then developed secondary lactose intolerance because humans *generally* need consistent exposure to lactose in order to continue to process it *or* 2) your son has a sensitivity to dairy proteins. The proteins found in goat and cow milk are extremely similar. Most people who are sensitive to one are sensitive to the other. 

 

I'm not doubting the intelligence of anyone.

 

Again, I think your doctor may have used "lactose intolerance" as a short-cut way to explain it to you.

 

The foremilk/hindmilk imbalance doesn't make a lot of sense to me, because I remember him having a terrific appetite and nursing really well. As I reflect back, the idea that he might not have properly emptied one side to get the hind milk just doesn't seem to apply to him. Also the sheer consistency of his symptoms over many years, as well as the fact that it got so dramatically better in one week of no-dairy, tells me that milk is his problem. I would bet that there is a sensitivity that allergy testing does not measure.

 

[Mrs Mungo]

I would bet that there is a sensitivity that allergy testing does not measure.

 

 

Oh, that is absolutely true. Some people cannot tolerate dairy proteins, even though they don't have an allergy. My sister *is* very allergic to dairy, but it never caused her any gastro problems. Those are different things in my experience.