Lactaid safety questions

[COElizabeth]

I have never taken Lactaid or drunk Lactaid milk, but I think that both James and I may have some sensitivity to milk products (gas, stomach pains, night waking on his part) and am thinking about experimenting with Lactaid.

Is there any reason why it wouldn't be safe and okay for a nursing mother and/or toddler either to drink the milk or to take the tablets with other dairy foods (I wouldn't give the tablets to James, but I might eat them with pizza)? I have heard of several parents on here using the products, but I just wondered if anyone knew of any reason or circumstances when it might not be okay.

TIA!

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02

[houseof3boys]

Elizabeth don't freak me out! I switched to Lactaid milk early on when I realized that Ryan had a major sensitivity to dairy. I have not heard a thing that would be contradictory to nursing. No one else better either! :P

[KathyO]

The good news is that you won't harm James by drinking Lactaid milk or using the tablets to allow you to eat pizza (ice cream, milkshakes, whatever). The pills supply an enzyme called lactase, which is normally present in your body to help you digest lactose properly. We lactose-intolerant types don't make enough of it ourselves, so have to supplement it from outside. All it does is break lactose down into its component sugars. Lactaid milk has already had the lactase added - which is why it tastes weirdly sweet - the sugars are broken down. If you don't like the taste of it, I suggest trying other no-lactose milks - up here we have one called Natrel which tastes waaaay better.

The bad news is two-fold. Lactaid/lactase will not help an allergy to the milk proteins themselves. So if James's problem is actually an allergy, no luck here. But it can't hurt to try.

The other downer is that you produce lactose yourself... human milk is actually HIGHER in lactose than cow's milk! You taking the pills might possibly help, but the odds are that your in-built lactose factory will keep cranking the stuff out in your breastmilk. So you might find the pills/Lactaid help you, but James may still have problems. Some babies do become temporarily lactose-intolerant after a flu or other intestinal upset. Your doctor can administer a test to find out if this (temporary or permanent) is really James' problem - or whether he's just a gassy kiddo. If he IS intolerant... well... there ARE lactose-free formulas, but I would be beating the bushes and shaking the trees BIGTIME for other solutions before I'd wean just for that reason.

You probably knew most of that already, but I do tend to run off at the mouth! I think is was Mark Twain who wrote that "I am writing you a long letter because I do not have time to write you a short letter..."

Good luck,

KathyO

[daisymommy]

There shouldn't be any reason not to use it. Acording to Dr. Sears, Lactaid tablets are just a synthetic form of lactase to help people who are lactose intolerant (and don't make enough lactase on their own) digest the lactose. Lactaid milk just has the lactose removed. Thats all. Drink up!

*Note: I am not a doctor!

[COElizabeth]

Sorry to freak you out, Debbi! I thought it was fine, but I just wanted to check. And thank you, Kate and Amy. To be honest, I really don't have a clue whether James is sensitive to dairy or not, and if he is, whether it's the lactose or the proteins. I don't think he is an especially gassy little guy, but I was trying to come up with an explanation for his waking up screaming so many nights. It seems like those episodes are often on days when he has had pudding or yogurt or when I have eaten a lot of cheese, but I could easily be just barking up the wrong tree. I just night weaned him a week and a half ago, so the screaming could be just him in the habit of being nursed whenever he woke, or he could be teething, or who knows what. I already took him to the doctor and had his ears checked. Last night, though, he slept straight through without screaming once, and needless to say, I'm hoping that will be a pattern. I am keeping him off dairy for a few days, and if he does sleep through the night for several days and then wakes up when I reintroduce it, I guess I will have an answer, but it's so difficult sometimes to determine the cause when there are so many variables!

As for me, I think I may have some lactose intolerance, but it's not too bad unless I really consume a lot of dairy in one day. I think I may pick up some of the tablets for occasional use.

Thanks again!
Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02

[lizajane]

kathy-

"i am writing this letter longer than usual because i lack the time to make it short."

i am not sure if it was twain, but i will NEVER forget that quotation (although i may not have it perfect) because my ninth grade teacher used it to teach us about concision!! so it made me laugh when i saw you use it! what a great line, and so true.

sorry. random interjection on this post. now back to your regularly scheduled programming...