Our Infant’s Cow Milk Protein and Other Foods Intolerance/Allergy

Across generations, mothers have often spoken about intuition as though it were its own quiet language. Long before scans, testing and online forums, mothers simply observed — the cry that sounded different, the unsettled sleep, the discomfort hidden beneath a baby’s otherwise healthy appearance. Sometimes parenting asks us to become deeply attentive not only to what a child is saying, but also to what their body may be communicating beneath the surface.

BIRTH

Our little one, Mila, born in July as the perfect serene water-sign (Cancer) companion to our fire-sign (Aries) oldest daughter, had us melting in perfection at the hospital. Just holding her brought tears — she was simply perfect, another miracle unfolding right in front of our eyes. Mark and I were completely delighted.

We brought her home, learned her cues and noticed she seemed bloated during the day, although her sleep was reaching the usual five-hour stretches by around five weeks old. We did not think too much of it initially because Margot had also experienced bloating that eventually settled around four months.

FOUR MONTHS

At Mila’s four-month appointment though, something in my intuition quietly told me this felt different. Her weight gain, smiling and developmental milestones all looked perfect, but she was still waking at night appearing uncomfortable from bloating. My heart kept asking: was something else going on?

When I brought it up with our pediatrician, she tried to reassure me and suggested Mila was likely reacting to cow’s milk protein. She also gently pointed out that since I was exclusively breastfeeding, there was only so much I could realistically eliminate from my own diet while still nourishing myself adequately.

Completely by coincidence — and perhaps divine timing — I had taken a photo of one of Mila’s diapers and showed it to the pediatrician. She mentioned there could possibly be traces of blood and advised me to monitor closely for any repeat occurrences alongside fever or other concerning symptoms.

The moment she said the word blood, my intuition immediately went into research mode. I began reading about cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA), learned the basics and eliminated DAIRY AND SOY entirely that same day.

To my amazement, we experienced what felt like an entirely new baby within a couple of weeks. Happier. More content. More cooing. Longer stretches of sleep. Far less discomfort.

Still, some bloating remained. As I continued researching, I came across discussions surrounding lectins and digestive sensitivities.

Simply put, lectins are smaller proteins than even gluten and pass through a baby’s gut into the bloodstream easily causing digestive discomfort, bloating and pain if the baby’s gut is immature and developing.

That possibility seemed to align with what we were observing, so I immediately began adjusting my diet further.

ELIMINATED — Cow’s products, rice, soy, vegetables with seeds (tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini etc), hard to digest beans (red kidney beans, black eyed peas etc).

FOCUSED ON — Other vegetables, fruit, lentils, other beans

STARTING SOLIDS AT SIX MONTHS

Eventually, we connected with dietician Ms. Ronit Abadi in San Diego, who truly felt like an angel arriving at exactly the right moment. Her guidance brought both structure and calm to what had started to feel emotionally overwhelming.

She advised us to begin probiotics by SFI Health for Baby for two weeks before introducing solids, incorporate daily bone broth and start with a very intentional list of vegetables.

Her recommendation was to focus primarily on organic vegetables and to introduce foods slowly and thoughtfully while carefully observing Mila’s reactions. Introducing new foods in the morning, keeping with the same new food for 3-4 days and observing for reactions like bloating, skin rashes around mouth etc.

STARTING VEGETABLES:

spinach
cauliflower
broccoli
Brussels sprouts
pumpkin
artichoke
asparagus
carrot
chayote
bok choy
yellow squash
broccolini
spaghetti squash
zucchini squash without seeds
parsnip
sweet potato
rutabaga
Romanesco broccoli
okra

She specifically advised us to leave zucchini, squash varieties with seeds and bell peppers until later because seeds and skins can sometimes be more difficult for sensitive digestive systems.

SEVEN MONTHS

By seven months old, Mila had successfully eaten apple and bone broth, and her digestion seemed dramatically improved. Squash did not go well at all, but slowly we kept experimenting, one food at a time.

Slow and steady truly became our philosophy. Every baby is different, and seeing her thrive mattered far more than following a perfect timeline.

Even small mistakes — sometimes even corn — seemed to show up later through disrupted nighttime sleep. At that point, keeping a food diary became one of the most helpful tools for me as a mother.

During a ten-day trip to San Diego around seven months old, Mila suddenly wanted to eat nearly every hour. We found ourselves constantly preparing purees of apple, squash, sweet potato and banana while I simultaneously tried to continue breastfeeding around the clock.

EIGHT MONTHS

By eight months old, my sister gently encouraged us to incorporate more protein into Mila’s meals because she still did not seem fully satiated by what we were offering.

NINE MONTHS

At nine months old, we trialed lentils, broccoli and spinach but eventually paused them after noticing reactions we were unsure about.

TEN MONTHS

Now, at ten months old, we are slowly preparing to reintroduce greens again and observe how she responds.

At her most recent pediatrician appointment, the doctor mentioned how unusual it was to find a pediatric dietician specializing in this area. I immediately thought of Ronit and felt deeply grateful for how much her guidance had helped us navigate an emotionally exhausting season with greater confidence and calm.

One of the most humbling parts of motherhood is realizing how deeply connected babies are to nourishment, regulation, digestion and emotional safety all at once. Sometimes what appears to be “just fussiness” is actually a child asking for comfort in the only language their body knows how to speak. This season taught me to trust my intuition more deeply, slow down, observe carefully and release the pressure to have every answer immediately. Healing, especially with babies, often unfolds slowly — one observation, one adjustment and one peaceful night at a time.