If you’re a breastfeeding mom, you’ve probably heard a lot of “rules” about what you can and cannot eat while you’re breastfeeding. 

Here’s the good news: a lot of these rules are myths!

The truth is, there aren’t any foods that are forbidden when you’re a nursing mom. 

If your baby is happily growing on your milk, there’s nothing about your diet that needs to be changed.

However, for a small minority of moms, their babies do react to something in their breast milk—and more often than not, that culprit is dairy. 

Having a baby who is reacting to the dairy in your diet goes beyond normal fussiness, gas, or spitting up. When a baby is having an intolerance or allergy to something you’re eating, their symptoms are more problematic and intense than that (more on that in a sec!).

So what should you do if you suspect your baby is reacting to the dairy in your diet? Let’s discuss the signs and symptoms, how to go about eliminating dairy, and how long you have to stay dairy-free.

 Do I Have To Eliminate Dairy To Breastfeed?

The first thing to do is determine if you REALLY need to be dairy free. 

Remember, it’s totally normal for babies to have fussy periods, to be gassy, to spit up, burp, and get diaper rashes. So how do you know whether what you’re dealing with is something more serious, and might be a sign of a dairy intolerance or allergy?

Signs That Your Baby May Be Reacting To Dairy:

Here are some signs that your baby may have an intolerance to dairy, otherwise known as cow’s milk protein intolerance (CMPI):

• Colic type symptoms (crying for many hours, not easily soothed)

• Vomiting, or projectile spitting up

• Diarrhea

• Greenish stools

• Blood in stools

• Stuffy nose

• Wheezing

• Rash (eczema-like rash)

• Severe diaper rash

It’s important to understand that many of these are also symptoms of other allergies and intolerances, as well as other medical issues. (besides dairy, many babies react to soy in their mother’s diet, as well as other common allergens.) 

It’s best to check with your pediatrician, lactation consultant, or other healthcare provider before determining if a reaction to dairy is what you are dealing with, and whether going dairy free is the answer.

In addition, it’s important to understand that when babies react to the dairy in your diet, they’re almost never reacting to lactose. It is usually the milk protein (casein) that your baby is reacting to, which is why the condition is called cow’s milk protein intolerance (CMPI).

How To Do A Dairy Elimination Diet

If you and your doctor have determined that eliminating dairy may help your baby with their symptoms, the next thing to do is do a little experimenting to see if removing dairy helps. 

The best way to do this is through an elimination diet, where you eliminate dairy for a period of time, and note your baby’s symptoms. 

When it comes to dairy, you need to eliminate it from your diet for about 2-3 weeks to really know if it’s helping, as it takes about that long for all traces of dairy to be eliminated from your milk. 

Most babies will have symptoms resolve within a few days, but babies who are very sensitive to the dairy in your diet, or who may have a true dairy allergy, may not show signs of improvement until all of the dairy is eliminated from your milk. So have patience.

For some moms, eliminating dairy makes such a clear difference that they decide they’ve seen enough and will be adopting a dairy free diet going forward. Other moms may not be so sure. 

If you are unsure whether dairy is the culprit for your baby, you can eliminate for 2-3 weeks, note your baby’s symptoms, and then reintroduce it. If reintroducing dairy causes the symptoms to return, you know that dairy may be the cause here.

Is It All Or Nothing?

It’s important to understand that when it comes to dairy intolerances—as well as other breastmilk food intolerances—it’s not always all or nothing. 

After the initial elimination phase, you might find that eating small amounts of dairy is not an issue for your child, but that they only show symptoms when you eat larger amounts. 

Still, some babies react to even the smallest traces of dairy in your diet, and so you have to be very careful going forward.

What A Dairy Free Diet Looks Like

Starting a dairy free diet can be daunting, especially if some of your favorite foods contain dairy (hello, pizza and ice cream!). However, going dairy free doesn’t have to be that difficult, and there are many delicious and healthy alternatives.

Hot Tips For Going Dairy Free While Breastfeeding

• Remember to check ingredients carefully. Some products that say they’re dairy free simply mean “lactose free” and still contain dairy proteins (like casein) or other dairy ingredients (like whey).

• Almost all of your favorite dairy products have alternatives—including milk, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, and ice cream—but it can take some getting used to. Try a few different products before giving up, and you will likely find a favorite.

• When you first eliminate dairy, you might feel very frustrated and deprived, but you will adjust.

• Eggs are not dairy products, so you can still eat those (unless you discover that your baby is sensitive to eggs as well).

• When you’re nursing, you need extra calories to feel energetic and well. Make sure you are still eating plenty of calories and healthy dairy alternatives.

• Make sure your allotment of calcium is met: you can get calcium from tofu, leafy greens, sesame seeds, almonds, and salmon.

How Long Will I Have To Be Dairy Free?

Most babies outgrow their dairy sensitivities after just a few months. 

You can periodically try reintroducing dairy back into your diet and see how your baby reacts. You may find that they can tolerate more and more dairy as time goes on. 

In rare cases, you may need to be dairy-free for the entire time you're breastfeeding. If that’s the case, you should consider speaking to your pediatrician before feeding your baby dairy products once they start solid foods, as they may have a dairy allergy. Your pediatrician can tell you how to handle this, and whether meeting with an allergist is necessary.

The Bottom Line

If it makes sense for you to adopt a dairy free diet while breastfeeding, don’t fret. 

It will definitely take some adjusting to make it work, but going dairy free truly isn’t the end of the world. These days, there are so many alternatives—some you might even like better than the real thing! 

If you’re finding that going dairy free is difficult for you, you might consider speaking to a nutritionist or dietitian. But for the most part, it’s about reading labels, finding alternatives, and trying to keep things as simply as possible.

Keep in mind too, that this is not forever. 

Most babies outgrow the need for their moms to be dairy free within a few weeks or months. 

This too shall pass, and you should give yourself a giant pat on the back for doing what you need to do to keep your sweet baby healthy and happy.

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