Hey all

I am on Day 16 of the Elimination Diet to work out what is causing bubs reflux, her wind pains as well as her eczema and I have to say - it is definitely worth doing! Its a BIG sacrifice (and hard work when your partner orders in a pizza and eats it in front of you, whilst also knocking back some lovely red wine... grrr...!!) but to see the changes in my baby are worth it. She is much smilier and happier and sleeps better and all in all is whole new little girl!

BUT... I don't really know how to test whether its Dairy or Lactose she's intolerant to, or how to test the difference between Gluten Intolerance or Yeast Intolerance. I've done many google searches, but can't find the answer!

2 days ago I introduced dairy in the form of organic unhomogenised milk and yesterday she was back to the screaming, uncomfortable baby of old. But now I don't know if its the lactose in the milk she doesnt like, or just dairy in general!?! Do I now just buy lactose-free products and eat those for a day to test that theory? And how do I work out the Gluten and Yeast Intolerance? Buy gluten-free bread to eat for a day, then later on try normal bread? Is there a more 'scientific' way than this?! There are so many articles on to remove foods on the elimination diet - but not so much on how to reintroduce them!

Also, if you have done the diet yourself, how extreme did you go on what you removed? I have taken out wheat, gluten, dairy, soy, corn plus any reflux or colicky foods (broccoli, beans, etc) and any known eczema-type foods (tomatoes, strawberries) and all meats bar turkey and lamb. (So, I'm basically not eating much at all!) I succesfully reintroduced beef, which I'm pleased about so I can get some protein back in my diet, but now am focussing on the key items (dairy, wheat etc) so I can have a more varied diet and will introduce the lesser things (cucumber, tomato, cold meats etc) later on. Is this the best way to do it?

But for those maybe thinking about doing the diet - do it! After 4 days the amount of pained screaming reduced dramatically and by Day 10 her skin had completely cleared up (she'd had rashes on her cheeks since she was 3 weeks old (she is now 4 months old - thats a long time to see bubs without clear skin... the Health Care Nurse kept saying she'd grow out of it 'next week' - but after 13 weeks I figured the HC Nurse really doesnt know what she's talking about!!))

But to just not have her screaming every night when we put her down or have her doing random pained-screaming throughout the day is wonderful. She's sleeping better, which means WE are sleeping better, and so I actually have energy to get out and about again after 6 weeks of being a hermit with her!

Cheers