I've heard from many people, not just those on this list, that they or their
babies were "allergic to their mother's milk". I am extremely skeptical about
this statement, since I do not think a fetus could survive nine months in
utero if it were truly allergic to its mother's proteins. (The mother can be
allergic to the fetus, as in the case of Rh incompatibility, but not the
other way around, or the infant would never grow to be born.) Rather, I think
it is a case of some thing or many things the mother is eating/ingesting that
is then passing into her milk causing the trouble. When I was nursing my
babies I belonged to the LaLeche League, an organization that promotes
breastfeeding, and there was always much discussion about which food
substances were causing trouble for their breastfed infants. I personally had
a friend whose baby had a severe case of colic, and was being unsuccessfully
treated with many medications that were not helping. My friend's pediatrician
suggested giving up nursing, an idea my friend did not like. I suggested she
try eating plain rice, boiled carrots and chicken, with no condiments except
sea salt, for a few days. Within 48 hours the baby's colic totally vanished.
She added foods one at a time, noting reactions, and rotating as much as
possible, and was able to control the colic completely, without medications,
and continue nursing her baby until she was 13 months old.

Maddy Mason
Hudson Valley, NY