Becoming Vegan

I have been a vegetarian for the past 12 years. No fish, chicken, beef or pork of any kind but have always eaten eggs and dairy. I’ve always had this horrible addiction to ice cream and cheese which has always plagued me. I’ve struggled with the desire to eliminate these things from my diet for a long time. Well, recently, after the birth of my second child, I’ve discovered that every time I ate dairy, he would constantly spit up and break out with a rash on his face and chest(I’m breastfeeding by the way). After eliminating dairy from my diet for a few days I’d notice a rapid improvement in his skin. Many days later I would again eat dairy to find the same thing happen again. I mentioned this to my pediatrician (whom I don’t really care for) and she blew it off, saying that “real” milk allergies cause severe eczema. I disagreed. I also mentioned that I had a milk allergy as a child causing moderate congestion and coughing. She wasn’t very interested. As a mother, I feel very strong about my discovery and need to amend the problem. So, I’ve decided to take matters in to my own hands and completely eliminate dairy and eggs from my diet. I refuse to allow a pediatrition who know very little about nutrition tell me I’m wrong and I refuse to allow my baby to suffer from my annoying desire to eat unnecessary foods. It is very important to me that I continue breastfeeding. I thought it would be really hard, but I haven’t had too much problem over the last 4 months. A few lapses here and there. My desire to eat ice cream or cheese is almost a distant memory. For 6 weeks straight, I had no dairy products until yesterday. I had cheese enchiladas (for a special occasion) and my poor little guy who had been almost completely free of rashes, broke out with a rash on his back chest and face. Plus, I felt a little sick to my stomach (mostly mental),stuffed and fatigued. I haven’t felt this way for so long. I’d much rather eat healthy vegan foods and feel so much better. I also have to mention that I lost 8 lbs due to my diet change. Life is definitely improving because of my new vegan diet. I feel so much better all around. My baby is very healthy and thriving on his vegan breastmilk. I will continue to blog through my pitfalls, but hopefully there will be no more.