New Here With A Question

[JenniferM]

Hi Everyone,

I am a Mom to 2 boys with celiac disease. Joshua is 5 and Zachary is 3, and they were both diagnosed about a year ago. I was allergic to wheat growing up, but do not have celiac. My husband probably does have it, though he has not had testing yet. I have a 3 week old baby who I am breastfeeding. I know celiac is hereditary and odds are probably pretty good that she will have it too. My question is, will my wheat intake affect her through breastmilk? I might add, the symptoms my boys have is simply diarrhea. They don't have the failure to thrive or anything, and she is growing well too. Thanks for your help!

Jennifer

[Jnkmnky]

YES... it goes into the breast milk. No matter what any doctor may tell you... Listen to us here. IT GOES into the breastmilk... Please go 100% gluten free asap. Not because she has celiac disease, but in order to maybe prevent it from occuring sooner rather than later.

[Laura]

JenniferM, here's a passage from Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, by Peter H.R. Green, M.D. and Rory Jones:

Because both trace amounts of gliadin and antibodies against gliadin have been detected in breast milk, many mothers of colicky babies--who have celiac disease in the family--worry about "triggering" celiac disease through their milk. The overriding evidence is that breast-feeding is protective against getting celiac disease. If eliminating gluten, milk products (lactose), or any other food product from the mother's diet appears to help the colic (and calm grandma down), there is no harm in doing so as long as the mother maintains a well-balanced diet.

So it sounds like in all probability it doesn't matter, and you should do what seems to work for you. The really important thing is that you breast-feed.

[Ursa Major]

When a baby is intolerant to something (and it is possible your baby is gluten intolerant also), what the mother eats will matter greatly. It would be best if you would avoid gluten and dairy while breastfeeding.

My oldest daughter had to stop eating nightshades while breastfeeding her twins, because they both have an intolerance to them. When she ate potatoes, or especially tomatoes and peppers, they would get a raw, horrible rash on their bums, and terrible eczema. When she stopped eating nightshades, their eczema cleared up.

Her oldest is intolerant to dairy, which she didn't know when breastfeeding her, and the poor child was so covered in eczema from head to toe, that she looked like she was covered in scales, and her skin was rough and horrible instead of smooth and silky.

When finally she had her tested and took her off milk at the age of 2, her skin cleared right up and is gorgeous now (she will be six next month).