Dairy/Soy-Free Breastfeeding — Holiday Flashback

As I was prepping our Thanksgiving meal this year, my memory quickly went back to my struggle to make it through the holidays last year on a Dairy/Soy/Egg/Nut-free diet. And surprisingly, it was less that I was craving the (many) dishes or desserts I couldn’t eat, and more so that it was just so complicated and difficult to maintain unless I was making the food myself.

For all the nursing moms trying to maneuver new dairy/soy/etc. free dietary restrictions — What I told myself throughout the struggle of trying to maintain that diet as I was nursing my daughter who we discovered had various food sensitivities as a baby, was that it was a temporary situation. This wouldn’t be forever. I would eventually be able to have a meal without —

• scrutinizing every label
• asking whoever brought or made the food if anything in the meal had dairy/soy/eggs in it
• following up with asking if anything in the meal was made using anything with dairy or soy, like vegetable oil (yes, there is often large amounts of soy in vegetable oil) because I found that people often just thought of “on the surface” ingredients and didn’t think about what was used during the process

I did that at the beginning too, and never blamed them for not thinking about it; why would they? But I always felt awkward and hesitated asking the last question because I often got looks of concern because they either didn’t know, or had made it with something that fit that criteria so then I couldn’t eat it and they felt bad. And then I felt bad for making them feel bad. But eventually during my time on this diet (about 7 months), I figured out that it just was next to impossible to eat “out” unless I spoke to the person making the food beforehand (whether a friend or at a restaurant).

What I ended up doing over the holidays last year was just sticking to the basics that I knew were safe, after checking ingredient lists myself (turkey, vegetables). It was mildly depressing at the time, and if I had to do it again I’d probably pack myself something specific to know I had something safe to fill me up, but I just kept telling myself it was a moment in time and I was grateful to share the time with family nonetheless.

So this Thanksgiving, I was taken back to last year and how cautious and anxious I was feeling about eating food I hadn’t made myself, and how long ago of a problem that feels like. It wasn’t even on my mind until it hit me as I was making my grocery list that, YES, this year I could eat whatever I wanted and all of the delicious traditional meals I love during the holidays. And I felt overwhelmingly grateful that mentality had helped me get through that phase, because it helped me feed my baby the way I wanted to for a good long while (longer than I nursed my son who did not have food sensitivities, shockingly!) and I made it through to the point that it’s a distant memory, as I told myself it would one day be.

I share this in hopes that my story helps anyone going through dietary changes as they’re breastfeeding know that it is a moment in time; you can do it if you choose to.

ETA: I know there are many who are DF for whom this is not a moment in time, and is not related to their baby’s sensitivities but other health concerns. I got a glimpse, and it was hard. You rock and I’m in awe. This piece is intended to speak to a subset who aren’t used to that diet and need a little motivation to continue breastfeeding through the restrictions, should that be their desire.