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Exclusive Breastfeeding For 12 Months?

allinyourhead

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allinyourhead Newbie
allinyourhead
Posted

Hi, sorry if this is not posted in the correct forum. I've been doing a little research on this and I have found conflicting information online. I believe I am gluten intolerant/sensitive...I've spent a HUGE portion of my life trying to figure out what is "wrong" with me...I think I am finally on the right track. : fingers crossed :

Anyway, I recently found out that that my mom had exclusively breastfed me for 12 months ~ my first solid food was Cheerios ~ I stopped breastfeeding at the age of 4 :o

I am curious if there is a link between introducing solids at that age and gluten sensitivity.

Thank you in advance for any information you can provide.

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1desperateladysaved Proficient
1desperateladysaved
Posted

Hi, sorry if this is not posted in the correct forum. I've been doing a little research on this and I have found conflicting information online. I believe I am gluten intolerant/sensitive...I've spent a HUGE portion of my life trying to figure out what is "wrong" with me...I think I am finally on the right track. : fingers crossed :

Anyway, I recently found out that that my mom had exclusively breastfed me for 12 months ~ my first solid food was Cheerios ~ I stopped breastfeeding at the age of 4 :o

I am curious if there is a link between introducing solids at that age and gluten sensitivity.

Thank you in advance for any information you can provide.

I have always thought that it was better to wait longer rather than shorter to begin introducing foods to an infant. I tried to wait atleast a year with my children. I believe I would have gotten that idea from a La Leche League book of the 80's.

Sesara Rookie
Sesara
Posted

Most of what I have read suggests that introducing solids while still breastfeeding confers protective benefits against Celiac disease, and that gluten is best introduced between 6-12 months. It does seem that it needs to be triggered by something else - there are a number of viruses suspected to be possible triggers of celiac that young children often get around the time of solids introduction. Certainly, it's not abnormal for a child to take very few solids until well over a year - while I'd guess that my son was 7 or 8 months when he was introduced to his very first wheat productsj, he didn't regularly eat solid food until close to 16 months.

So I certainly wouldn't blame your mother for when she introduced solids to you - it's far more likely that a combination of illness and genetics is responsible.

allinyourhead Newbie
allinyourhead
Posted
  • Author

I have always thought that it was better to wait longer rather than shorter to begin introducing foods to an infant. I tried to wait atleast a year with my children. I believe I would have gotten that idea from a La Leche League book of the 80's.

Thank you for the reply=) I think you are right...my mother was heavily involved in nursing mothers and according to her, that's what they were teaching back then.

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

What everyone has said...

And kudos to your mom for nursing for so long! That's fabulous!

faithforlife Apprentice
faithforlife
Posted

Yeah my midwives always encourage nursing and they say some babies dont need solids till as late as 18 months. I just start when they start reaching for it! Plus I believe u get exposed to some degree to allergens through the milk. That's why if doctors discover for example a milk intolerance in the baby they try a milk free diet for Mom.

stacytr Newbie
stacytr
Posted

My kids both nursed till they were 4, and were delayed in eating solid foods. We are currently pursuing a celiac diagnosis for my daughter, but I'd be willing to bet that the reason she's doing so well despite her very high lab #'s is the protective benefits that nursing provides. WTG to your mom!!

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melikamaui Explorer
melikamaui
Posted

I also practiced extended nursing for both of my kids. (The first nursed until he was two and a half, the youngest nursed much, much longer) My gastro doc said that he was convinced that my little one was healthier than a "normal celiac" because of it. I delayed introducing solid foods with my little one because he wasn't interested in them until he was about 13 months old. My first started solids at 6 months. Both have celiac disease, but both are very healthy otherwise.

StephanieL Enthusiast
StephanieL
Posted

I believe they suggest holding off on gluten now till 12 months minimum. Dr. Fassano is currently researching the time it is best to introduce it but in the small study, the later the better.

  • 1 month later...
seattlejoy Rookie
seattlejoy
Posted

I believe they suggest holding off on gluten now till 12 months minimum. Dr. Fassano is currently researching the time it is best to introduce it but in the small study, the later the better.

Where can I get information about the small study? I have a 10 month old and am terrified to ignite this disease in her so I haven't introduced gluten. I don't know what to do.

StephanieL Enthusiast
StephanieL
Posted

Open Original Shared Link

Here it is. He is currently doing a larger study. We tried to get into it but becaus elf DS's atypical issues we were not able.

Hope this helps!

  • 4 weeks later...
come dance with me Enthusiast
come dance with me
Posted

My daughter started solids at 4 months, but nothing containing gluten until 9 months when she started having toast fingers, plain pasta and cereals for breakfast. Up until then she pretty much only had rice cereal, fruit or veges. She was breastfed still in conjunction with food until she was about 3-ish. My nephew is 15 months and is still breastfed, he started having solids at 8 months and has been gluten free. His mum cut out gluten from her diet to see if he would stop screaming so much and it worked, he settled and has been a happier baby. I know research shows that gluten does not pass through breastmilk but we won't take that chance, he was miserable for his first 4 months of life, crying constantly like he was in pain until she cut that out the poor little bub.

StephanieL Enthusiast
StephanieL
Posted
I know research shows that gluten does not pass through breastmilk but we won't take that chance, he was miserable for his first 4 months of life, crying constantly like he was in pain until she cut that out the poor little bub.

That's not the case. As with all food/nutrients, some women will and some will not pass through into the breast milk. Also, sometimes the same foods will pass through sometimes and not at others. I am all for nursing as long as possible and altering Mom's diet if something isn't working! I have been pregnant and or nursing for 6 years now and on an elimination diet of one kind or another through most of it!

justlisa Apprentice
justlisa
Posted

There is definitive clinical data which shows that Gliadin (the harmful protein in gluten) is found in the breast milk of lactating mothers who are not on a gluten-restricted diet...

Open Original Shared Link

Please, click on the "study" link in this article...

I just wanted to share this...

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