This week I had planned to start the
Stuntman on a journey up the ‘milk ladder’. Despite this post's heading, we didn’t actually fall off –
we never even made it onto the first rung.
For those not up with the lingo, the milk
ladder is a step by step process that aims to desensitise sensitive little
tummies that are intolerant to the proteins found in milk. There are specific
recipes that go along with each step, with the amount of dairy increasing and
the amount of cooking decreasing as you progress. Baked goods that contain
dairy are more easily digested than raw dairy products, and separated milk
solids (such as those used in flavouring) are often harder on the tummy than
straight dairy. The milk ladder was developed by allergy specialists taking all
of these factors into account, and has been proven to be a very effective way
to reintroduce dairy into an intolerant little one’s diet.
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| The basic 'milk ladder' |
We worked with a paediatric dietician to
develop a specific plan for the Stuntman, incorporating his likes and dislikes,
as well as my style of cooking. The plan
was to start on the first rung this week, moving up the ladder over the
holidays, with the end goal of him being able to tolerate some dairy in time
for him to start kindy early next year. So I had menu-planned, shopped and scheduled my baking days - I was feeling pumped, and
ready for the challenge (if you’ll pardon the pun).
Well, best laid plans and all of that…. we
went to a birthday party on the weekend, and, despite me watching him like a
hawk and rugby tackling him on several occasions to remove ‘unsafe’ foods from
his sticky little hands, he has somehow ingested something that has caused him
to react. I don’t know what he ate, it could’ve been any number of things. I extracted
a couple of tiny teddies from his monkey-grip at one stage, and also had to
stop him from table-topping the leftover birthday cake. He was intrigued by the
fairy bread, and I saw him eyeballing the Oreos (which are dairy-free, but
unfortunately contain soy) with open adoration. The poor little guy was
overwhelmed by the food-laden table, and worked hard to avoid me and my
offerings of ‘safe’ ham sandwiches and the paleo chocolate cupcakes I’d brought
with us (which were delicious if I do
say so myself!). He was very cranky with me for spoiling his fun, and I felt
awful denying him the treats that all the other kids were enjoying.
But
obviously he managed to cram something into his little gob, because by Sunday
night he was exploding out of his nappy and very grumpy indeed.
Monday morning he had a little vom, another
disgusting nappy, and no appetite, and the same on Tuesday (with the added
bonus of three screaming-wakes through the night). Followed by more horrid
nappies, and the appearance of big dark circles under his eyes (which could be
due to the multiple overnight wakes, but can also be a sign of
allergy/intolerance). I feel so badly for him that he still reacts so violently
to even just the tiniest amount of ‘something’. He’s 16 months old, I really
thought (hoped) he would have grown out of it by now! Each ‘accidental
challenge’ takes me back to the early days before we discovered his
intolerances, when he would projectile vomit after pretty much every feed (“happy
chucker”? I don’t think so!!), have foul, mucousy nappies several times a day,
and be generally miserable a lot of the time.
It’s hard not to feel like a really crap
mum when something like this happens. It is my responsibility to monitor what
he eats, and to keep him safe and healthy. It feels like a big, fat #mummyfail.
I have to say though, it is virtually
impossible to patrol what goes into a toddler’s mouth; food is often the least
of my worries. This morning we had a moment of utter panic as I realised he’d
managed to get the battery cover off my little kitchen timer, and the tiny
lithium battery was missing, presumed eaten. Luckily, the little bugger had just
tucked it up between his cheek and gum, saving it for later like a squirrel
saves nuts. After much squirming, squealing and protesting, and several bites
to my fingers later, a trip to the Emergency Room was averted.
The Stuntman has also been
known to eat the usual toddler things like rocks, sand and dirt, and is partial
to a nice bit of chalk every now and then. Crayons, playdough, blue-tack – all on
his regular menu. He loves to chew on the plastic earbuds on ear phones, and he
just can’t get enough cardboard. If he
hasn’t licked, tasted, chewed or mouthed something, then he really hasn’t
experienced it at all. He’s a bright, curious, inquisitive little guy, and
telling him he can’t have something just makes him want it more!
I’m hoping that the symptoms of this latest
reaction are nearing their end, but for now we’ll have to postpone our journey
up the milk ladder for a little while, and wait until whatever it was has
cleared out of his system.
But we will definitely try again soon, so cross your
fingers for us!
