New With Questions

[Rook's Mommy]

Hello, My name is Addie. I have a 3 month old who we now believe has a wheat intolerance. He has not been tested it was more a trail and error thing. He has been super fussy and has awful gas. He also has had a rash on his face, arms and legs since he was about a month old. I was told the dry skin was because of the dry air in our home. So we lube him up like crazy and got so moisture in the air. No help. To help with his fussiness I was told to give up eggs and dairy. I am breastfeeding. It also was no help. My mother saw a new blip on wheat intolerances. So I called his doctor ( who said I should just switch him to formula. It would be easier on me.) And have be looking on the net. 2 days ago I started a gluten free diet. He seem so much better already. He isn't anywhere as fussy as he had been. And is rash is getting better. It's not as bright. But I am so lost on what I can eat? I know what I shouldn't have, but it's in freaking everything! We aren't a well off family and can't afford for everyone to eat something different. But I am not sure if my family will like the food that's out there. Does it taste good? I know I have to read the labels but what should I be looking for. Do they hide it under fancy words?

A few other questions I have are,

Will he always have to be on a gluten free diet? Will he grow out of it? Do I have to look out for every thing or just some of it? My dd has shown no signs of this but should be have her on a gluten free diet as well. Will it hurt her if she is?

Any info you are willing to share I will be so very thankful for.

Thanks, Addie

[Ursa Major]

Addie, it is not likely that he will outgrow the gluten intolerance. I don't believe you can. It will be much easier for you if your daughter is on the gluten-free diet as well, and there is no way it could harm her. NOBODY needs those gluten grains to be healthy.

All the things that are naturally gluten-free are what you'd mostly cook for supper anyway, like meat, fish, eggs, potatoes/rice and vegetables. And you can thicken gravies with corn starch or light buckwheat flour (I use light buckwheat flour as I am intolerant to corn, and the gravy is delicious). So, there is absolutely no need to cook separately for yourself, you are a busy mother and don't need the extra work. Fruits are also naturally gluten-free.

Keep those specialty gluten-free items for special treats, other than gluten-free pasta. There are different ones out there that are good. If you try Tinkyada you'll find that people won't even notice the difference. Most spaghetti sauces are gluten-free, too.

I don't think that you will spend a lot more money on the gluten-free diet, unless you insist on replacing everything (like doughnuts, cookies, cake, crackers, bread, bagels etc.) by officially gluten-free items. Which isn't a good idea anyway, since gluten-free junk food is even higher in sugars and hydrogenated fats than regular junk food.

[tarnalberry]

Meats, fruits, vegetables, eggs, legumes, and many grains are gluten free - naturally. There's no reason that everyone can't eat together. (I cook for friends often, and it's always gluten and dairy free and everyone loves it.) Keep things simple, and realize that packaged products are going to be the difficult ones, but whole, naturally-gluten-free foods are the way to go. It can get expensive to always go that route if you're not used to it, but focusing on the items that give you the most nutritional bang for your buck to base your meals on (beans and rice, for instance) and then build on them with in-season (and cheaper) fruits and vegetables, and then a small amount of meat.

[TCA]

I went gluten-free while breastfeeding my daughter and was amazed at the difference in her health. It was a miracle for us. Since then, my son did a gluten-free trial and also had miraculous results. I breastfed her for 16 mos, a year of which i was gluten-free. There is a link in my sig line on how to get started on a gluten-free diet that would be very helpful for you. We have a gluten-free house, but started off with just me being gluten-free. I'm not a picky eater at all, so I just stuck with meats, veggies, fruits, and lots of peanut butter. My son is very picky, so I now order a lot of gluten-free items in bulk to save $$$. amazon .com is a great resource. I recommend anything by Pamela's, Gluten Free Pantry, cause You're Special, or Chebe. I haven't been dissapointed by those brands yet.

Feel free to PM me with questions. I've been there and will be glad to help anyway I can! I"m glad he's doing better and WELCOME!

[Kibbie]

My daughter was 18 months old when she was diagnosed with Celiac disease and our entire family went gluten free (mostly My husband and I don't worry about being gluten free when we go out but its only 1 time a month so we are really mostly gluten free)

I was overwhelmed with information and scared out of my mind that my daughter wast not going to be able to enjoy normal foods and such. I also found a lot of bad information on the web! After nearly 4 months now I am confident that I can keep her happy and healthy on a gluten free diet with out having her miss out on amazing foods! You are at the right place for good information and in a month or two you will be an expert and confidant that you can handle this gluten free stuff!

I've started a gluten free blog (at the request of my daughters Nutritionist) so that other moms who are having to switch over to gluten free can see what its really like.... the link is at the bottom of this msg. Its not chalk full of information but I do have a post there with my pantry list, my fridge, and freezer list. Plus a list of gluten free foods that I have come to love! Maybe that will give you a place to start!

I also highly recommend the book Gluten Free Living for Dummies... its a quick easy read full of helpful information. There are other wonderful and better books out there but this one is a super quick and easy to read... you don't have to read it all in one sitting! So for those of us who are short on time this was a great place to start.

Hope this helps!

[Rook's Mommy]

Thank you all so much for your replies. They really helped. I went to TCA's list. And took many notes. On the back of a guide to shopping I found on the net. I also went to day to the book store and got Living Gluten Free for dummies. I am set to read it tonight. And tonight we get the gluten free pasta. Wasn't bad at all. Kinda taste corning. But not bad by any means. I also got dd so gluten-free rice crispies of sorts.

As for my ds, he is doing even better today. His rash is gone and he is HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe it. I am so over the moon right now. I was to the point where I was getting depressed because the only time I got to hold him was when he cried. When he was happy I had to give my attention to my dd. I am so looking forward to the future. This is going to be wonderful.

Also we have made the decision to become a gluten-free home. I will let them go through the crap we have. ( I can't waste food.) The we will be gluten-free. I am looking forward to being a part of this community. Thanks Again.

Addie

[TCA]

I'm so glad he's doing so well. Life will get better all the time!

[plantime]

Addie, I'm so glad Rook is doing so well! At his age, the change to glutenfree means that he will have a much higher incidence of a happy and healthy life!

[Rook's Mommy]

I want to thank you all again. You have made my switch much easier. You are all so kind. I wrote a novel on the family board, I won't do that again. But I do want to tell you how much you've helped. The change in my son is amazing and the difference in me is shocking to say the least. I wish I'd know about this years ago.