Cutting out dairy

image source - wellnourished

Baby P has been experiencing baby eczema. Poor little pet. Her skin has been rather dry since birth. I wondered if it was the water, seeing as we live in the country...perhaps it's a tad hard. I've tried different lotions and creams from coconut oil to sorbolene. A visit to the local doctor didn't turn up much, a quick look over and a prescription for hydrocortisone cream. I don't want to give my baby that...she's too new. 

So after much research and chatting to other mums I've started her on Moo Goo and decided to cut dairy out of my diet. According to the Eczema Association of Australasia, dairy can be a trigger for eczema. This was further backed up by my Naturopath friend and other mums. There is something about the protein in cows milk that can irritate the digestive  system and create allergic reactions, like eczema. And, this can be crossed over from mum to bub through breast milk.

Now, I don't consume a lot of dairy, or so I thought. But when you consciously take note of your intake, it can be surprising. I have been consuming 500grams of cows milk (2 coffees per day), cheese at lunch, butter and about 200grams of yoghurt. Not to mention the chocolate one just has to consume when breastfeeding. 

So it's now three days in, and I've cut out 80% of my dairy intake, switching cows milk for soy or almond milk, and no cheese at lunch...I have feta in the fridge for when I feel the cheese need. The switch in milk means that I am only consuming one coffee a day and enjoying plenty of peppermint and green tea and bucket loads of water.

I've been making alternative sweet treats for myself using raw cacao and coconut oil. I have also cut down on my bread and wheat intake as these too can provide an allergic response in some people. I find great inspiration from Georgia Harding at Well Nourished. Her recipes are easy to follow and the ingredients are easy to get hold of. The easy peasy fruit whip  is one of her recipes, and it went down a treat with the kids and I. Her chia berry ripe (pictured) is my choice of breakfast for the week.

I am feeling pretty good, if not a touch lighter. I'm sure Baby P is feeling a bit better too, although she is teething, so it's hard to tell. However, her skin is improving. Using the Eczema and Psoriasis Cream a few times a day is helping the red patches behind her knees and elbows and under her neck and chin. We are also massaging her twice a day with Skin Milk Udder Cream and this is helping her dry skin immensely, she is getting that lovely soft baby skin back. I am also using this cream on my face and neck...so far so good.

I'd love to hear your experiences with baby eczema or going dairy free.

Nic Nurtures x