Is My Baby Allergic To My Breast Milk?

Breastfeeding is your precious chance to get closer to your newborn and gain his trust. But, what if your baby seemed uncomfortable and started to cry and act fussy during breastfeeding? Is it possible that he is allergic to your breast milk? 

You have every right to wonder and question, but relax. The discomfort and crying of your infant don’t necessarily mean he is allergic to your breast milk, rather his body’s intolerance to one type of food or drink you are consuming and are transmitted to him through breastfeeding.   

Yes, it’s true. Mother’s food may negatively affect her baby. According to La Leche League, the international organization dedicated to provide support and advice to breastfeeding moms, the infant is mainly affected by cow’s milk protein his mother constantly consumes.  

If you feel this is your infants’ case today, we recommend you carefully watch your daily diet and pay special attention to your infant’s symptoms during and after breastfeeding and throughout the day. The color change in your baby’s stool is one of the main symptoms, in addition to discomfort, severe colic, eczema, acute diarrhea and vomiting and/or breathing difficulties.

If you notice your infant suffers from one of these symptoms, consult his pediatrician. The Doctor will ask you to stop consuming foods made of cow’s milk or containing whey and casein, including yogurt, cheese, ice cream and sauces. Once your infant is recovered after three week, the doctor will tell you to gradually reintroduce dairy products to your daily diet.

If you have done this but noticed no improvement, speak to your doctor about other solutions to your baby’s problem. He may recommend the use of partially or extensively hydrolyzed infant formulas which are the types of formulas recommended by a number of international organizations like “Food and Drug Administration” and the “American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology” because of their long but broken-down protein structure and other components enhancing your baby's immunity and reducing his allergy symptoms.

It is worth mentioning that “breast milk allergy”, if it may be described as allergy, shall not last for long time among infants and quickly disappears once the development of their digestive systems is complete and are able to tolerate various types of food. 

Read More: Protein In Breast Milk