To make a long story short, my pediatrician thinks that Collins has a dairy allergy. She has had about 5 diapers in the past 3 weeks that have had some blood in them. We did a stool sample to confirm it was blood and after that was positive, we were sent to Children's Mercy to have her blood drawn to rule out any infections. Her red and white blood cells were normal so their back to thinking it's a dairy allergy. I was told to lay off dairy for a week or 2 and then we will re evaluate at her 2 month check up next week.
After googling dairy allergy, I am 99% sure that's what she has. With the blood in her stools, eczema, upset tummy, etc. She was in horrible pain last night and screamed when I tried to give her a bath or change her diaper. A worse cry then when she had her blood drawn. I was in tears too and felt so bad that I was causing her this pain since it takes a couple days to get out of my system and a few weeks to get out of hers. So I was up half the night debating what to do. Do we just quite nursing and go straight to a dairy free formula (expensive as shit) or do I keep nursing and just give up dairy and possibly soy since most babies who are allergic to dairy, are allergic to soy too. Since she doesn't have that many bloody stools, I don't think she is allergic to soy and I think her dairy allergy is a mild case. I am hoping the doctor next week will just tell me to go easy on the dairy but that I can have it like in bread and all the foods it's hidden in (and man you don't realize how many things have dairy till you have to check the ingredients on everything). I don't love the idea of giving up dairy but we finally have the hang of nursing and I will be sad to stop. My daycare kids have brought in everything from fevers, flu, ear infection, croup, etc and I think nursing has helped her not get any of that. Plus, I really worry she won't take formula.
So that's what's going on around here. For the most part, she acts completely normal but occasionally she cries like she is in pain and it breaks my heart. I'm hoping to have a plan after we go in next week. Let me know if any of you have any experience with this and if you have any suggestions on what to do.
Now I will leave you with pics from her having her blood drawn. 1st nurse- poked and protruded at her vein in her arm with no luck getting blood. The 2nd nurse came in and poked and protruded a vein in her head. She kept digging around INSIDE her head with the needle trying to get the vein and I wanted to pull it out, pick her up and run the hell out of there. It was awful!! 3rd nurse came in with a vein light and found one in her foot. It wasn't great so she put a heat pad on her leg to try and get the vein to come out more. Finally got enough blood out of that one. Poor girl was a trooper. She screamed when they were doing the draws but she was smiling and talking in between each one. The nurses kept apologizing and making sure I was OK cause I was crying more then she was!
Poor baby!!!
She was so happy and talkative as I loaded her up
And fast asleep before we walked out of the hospital
Poor baby! Poor mommy! Hope you get some answers soon and Collins starts to feel better!
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