Elimination diet is actually helping.

After seeing that Tycho has been doing well with my milk, I started adding back eggs and gluten, carefully adding each so as not to cause a reaction. I'm still off dairy considering his intolerance, and I have to admit that I've been feeling a lot better (though I missed the hell out of pizza).

The verdict:

• Eggs are no problem at all. I added them back with no adverse reaction.


• Gluten may be an issue, but seems to be okay in small doses -- "gluten-lite", if you will. He reacts okay save for gas, which is reduced when I cut back -- not out -- on the gluten.

I'll admit that I'm excited to add back the gluten, even in small doses! At least now I can have some cheeseless pizza. ;) And I'm not, nor have I ever considered myself, vegan.

Nothing else in my diet seems to have any effect, though I notice that he'll get gassy shortly after I eat something that makes me gassy, even without gluten, so I need to watch my broccoli intake. Aw darn. ;) I'm also careful about alcohol consumption by following KellyMom's advice, which works well to maintain my dark-beer-a-night thing for milk production.

Otherwise, things are going well! He nurses in the morning before daycare, takes two and sometimes three 6oz bottles of formula while at daycare, nurses when we get home, and either nurses and gets a bottle of expressed milk with me or a bottle of expressed milk with Matt. Nighttime depends on how much I managed to express that day and who feeds him at night -- since I'm still only getting 6-7oz per workday, it's switched between formula and breastmilk.

I'm happy where we are right now. While my goal is still to EBF by the time 2014 rolls around, this is much better than it's ever been. He's cut down from 5 to 6 bottles of formula a day to 2 or 3, and my supply is only getting better.

My regimen:

• Domperidone, 30mg 4x/day


• 2 Tbsp brewer's yeast, in morning smoothie


• 2 tsp flaxseed meal, in morning smoothie


• One dark beer each evening after Tycho goes to bed


• Oatmeal whenever possible

What I'll be adding:

• More Milk Special Blend, 1 cap 4x/day (I had discontinued this for a while as I ran out, starting back up tomorrow)


• More Milk Plus, 1/4 tsp 4x/day (given to me by an amazing couple friends, Christian and Ali!)


• Fenugreek, 2 caps 3x/day

My hope is that I can cut out the Domperidone bit by bit, to replace with everything I'll be adding -- cheaper and, let's be honest, not as pharmaceutical-y. I also plan on trying this tincture from my friend Sarah, with more galactagogues in it!

AND... I need to rave about these lactation cookies I got from my friends Gena at Bake All The Things and, mommy-related, Miracles for Mommy! Because they were delicious AND helped tremendously. :)