Guest Post: The Elimination Diet; Reflection and Recommendation

Welcome to Mommy's Milk : A Breastfeeding Series, today I welcome Kristin from One Organic Mama to share her positive experience withe elimination diet. 

It started with a scream.

A scream that lasted for hours.

Many hours each day.

Like 18.

Or more.


For me breastfeeding was important for a few reasons. Now - don't get me wrong - I am NOT judging you ok?

Just step off. I am telling you about me.

It was important to me because it failed for me with my first child. It was important because I knew it was good, because after I had a VBAC I KNEW anything was possible (especially with a Doula- and I had the best one), it was important to me because if my sister could do it, surely I could.

It was important to me because it was cheaper.

Now I LOVE to spend money.

On Starbucks.

Cute baby clothes.

Organic toys.

A new car.
But I felt like if I could do something for free, I should. Especially since I was taking the year off and not working. So I told myself I was going to give breastfeeding a real shot.

Well. It was EASY for a while. So much milk I was pumping 4 ounces before I even nursed E (the complete opposite problem than the one I had with D).

Then at the 3 month mark, it started.

The screaming.

I knew I had to do something, and in the crunchy circles I travel around (at the very far outer edge of) I had heard of this thing called the Elimination Diet. So one day, at my parents' house, I just jumped in. Head first.

You should know, I don't do anything halfway. Here we are at the start - it was the last time I smiled for a while (note the 3 year old that gets to eat whatever he wants... I was so jealous):

When I started buying organic, it's all I buy. When I started downloading fonts to make my handouts cuter, I needed ALL the available fonts. When my husband bought me a new laptop to blog, I blogged constantly. When I decided to start a non-profit with the best girls around, we had to do it in 2 weeks.

When I started the diet there was just NO way I was going to cheat.

So... here is what I ate:




That's it.

Much to my dad's dismay, I wasn't going to stray. It was hanging in his kitchen so he would stop asking me if I could have butter, garlic, tomatoes, oreos (jk gross).

I tried to make the best of it - Turkey legs for breakfast, pear juice and seltzer spritzers. But it was rough!

It went from rough to - seriously hungry FAST.

If anyone ever wants a tip for how to lose all of their pregnancy weight in two weeks, this diet is it. Seriously. ALL OF IT.

Again, I continued trying to make the best of it with some creative recipes, but man was it hard. I kept telling myself it was worth it. And on day THREE it became worth it.

On day three he stopped screaming.

He stopped being uncomfortable when he was eating.

He started smiling again.

One day three it became totally worth it. Which is why I can't stop talking about it. YELLING about it, to every mom who can't sooth their baby. I am happy to talk about it with you too. Seriously. Message me. Find me on facebook. I WILL respond because I want to help. Since I originally posted about this, a few moms who I hadn't connected with in a long time - messaged me and asked about it - I honestly tell them how hard but rewarding it was.

There is another aspect that non-crunchies get a little crazy about. I was so depressed about not eating anything, especially when I usually eat so well, that in a rash quick decision I also gave away about 100 ounces of my pre-diet pumped milk - my kid wasn't going to use it... so I figured why shouldn't someone else's. I only mention this because I didn't know it was an option, or something people did when I had D. So there - now you know - it's an option. Might not be for you (or for me for that matter) but now you know.

So as my baby continued to be happy:

I added, very gradually, things back into my diet.

You know what?

By the time I added everything back in (it took about 2 months after 1 month of keeping to the diet... I went fast... a few things a day... which is not exactly what Sears suggests... don't tell), HE WAS FINE.

No allergies.

No intolerances.

Just a happy babe.

SO worth it.

Check him out now all chubby and cute:

Kristin is a high school history teacher in Central Massachusetts and a member of the board of directors of Kai's Village. She is currently taking the year off from school to be home with her two crazy boys. She enjoys laughing, getting out of the house with the boys everyday, cooking healthy yummy meals, sneaking take out with her husband after the kids are in bed, and pretending to know how to blog. You can get to know her on her facebook or on her "blog."