Breastfeeding a baby with CMPA? – What can you eat

Cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) is one of the most common food allergies that affects infants. Infants present with severe colic, reflux, blood in stools or watery stools and sometimes skin rash. Once diagnosed, the simple treatment is complete elimination of cow’s milk from the diet of the infant. That implies, complete elimination of dairy products from the diet of a breast-feeding mother. Most infant formulas available in the market contain cow’s milk protein and special hypoallergenic formulas for CMPA babies are expensive and not easily available.

Often times mothers are told that they need to eliminate dairy in all forms from their diet i.e. NO MILK, NO CHEESE, NO CURD, NO GHEE, NO BUTTER, NO CREAM, NO PANEER But nobody tells them WHAT THEY CAN EAT.

As a mother of two kids with CMPA, I know that this list can be very overwhelming. Mothers are often at a loss of food options especially when they have sweet cravings. So, this blog is a food guide for breast feeding mothers of children with CMPA. Disclaimer: This post is not funded by any company or brand. I am using brand names for the benefit of mothers.

Changes in cooking practices

1. It is important to remove butter and ghee as cooking medium in your food. Olive oil and mustard oil works as a good substitute for Indian curries, vegetables and dal tadka. Coconut oil can be used to make halwas and other Indian desserts.
2. Almond milk, oats milk or coconut milk can be used as a substitute of milk in porridges and other food items.
3. Almond milk and oats milk can be used in tea and coffee as well
4. Tofu can substitute paneer and cashew nut paste can replace cream in Indian curries

Dairy-free baked goods

Bakery food like cakes, cookies and breads cannot be prepared without butter or milk solids. However, nowadays with the availability of vegan substitutes, numerous organic bakeries have cropped up that make dairy free cakes, cookies. Several restaurants with vegan options have also opened up.

Bread – Brown bread is mostly dairy free in all brands. I personally use harvest gold brown bread and bakehouse brown bread.
Cakes – dairy free chocolate cakes and brownies are now available on order. Some options in Delhi are organic bakery, cinnamon kitchen, bloom café and big chill cakery.
Cookies – dairy free cookies using almond butter instead of margarine are healthy and can be used to settle sweet cravings. Hide-n-seek biscuits are dairy free but contain soy, cinnamon kitchen cookies are easily available as well

Dairy free ice-creams made of almond milk or coconut milk are also available at all supermarkets. Keventers serves dairy free chocolate ice cream and minus 30 is famous for their dairy free ice-creams.

Some Do’s and Don’t’s

1. Always read the ingredients label of all packaged food items to avoid any accidental ingestion of milk solids. For example, uncle chips and mad angles has milk solids.
2. Double check with the person who has prepared your food and confirm if the meal you are eating is actually dairy free or not.
3. While eating at a restaurant, talk to the chef and discuss how he is making your meal dairy free. Eat only when you are convinced about it being dairy free.
4. Master the art of dairy free cooking as chances are that you will be feeding your child dairy free food once you stop breast-feeding.

Remember that breast feeding is protective for your baby’s gut and it should be continued for as long as possible.