Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Almonds, Soap, and Diapers, oh my!

With the holidays and some new developments, things have been BUSY around here! Here is an update:
We took the leap to cloth diapers to help with Elianna's eternal diaper rash that resembles a burn and looks strangely like her reactions to her patch testing.

We trialled homemade almond milk. Its super easy to make (recipe here).

We began using soap on her in the bath - organic shampoo/body wash in one. We used it maybe three times at the end of her bath with a quick wash and rinse with the hand held shower wand.

After a week of documenting and watching, we called almond milk a pass (hooray!) but there were some other signs of reaction. The diaper rash returned and her eczema became worse than ever. The questions began. Was it the almonds after all with a delay onset reaction? Was it the bath soap? Was it the new diapers? Was it how I washed the diapers? Or the diaper fabric? This method of questioning is common and some days makes me insane!

In desperation I read the back of the shampoo bottle once more and found what I had missed - wheat protein. CRAP! How did I do that? A call to a girlfriend who battles Celiacs confirmed what I already knew; your skin is your largest organ and absorbs what it touches. Back to 1/4 cup baking soda only, and a lot of prayers that this was the cause of some reflux, pain, and what looked like the start of a full blown reaction. Please please don't be the almonds!

After three days it resolved itself. WHEW. Dumb mommy! But now we have the additional delayed response - sinus congestion, drainage, and raspy asthmatic type cough. It's working it's way out of her system, and I am SO happy it was not almonds. Who needs bath soap anyways?

On to trialling the actual almond nut now!

4 comments:

  1. This is good to hear that it isnt' the almonds!! But also good clues as to how sensitive she is! Sam does ok with bath soap- as you describe, wash off right before getting out and rinse well. If i don't rinse (he's had a few sponge baths while in the hospital)- he instantly breaks out with eczema.
    Also, wanted to mention when Sam was much more sensitive and i wondered why he reacted to seemingly everything...our allergist said (after he failed corn) that it was the inflammatory cascade in his body, that once we removed any and all sources of corn - he would get less sensitive...makes sense and we noticed this a lot with Sam after moving away from the formula. Hoping almond milk continues to go so well!! I'd love to trial it for Sam!! (I drink it everyday myself- and did when I was nursing on elimination diet).

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  2. Hmm. thanks for the info. I just scheduled a new appointment with the allergist today because I want her off the corn. I do NOT want to deal with making formula and the issue of nutrients but her skin is getting worse and worse and the only thing I can attribute it to is the corn. Fingers crossed the allergist agrees. I just can NOT figure out how to get the actual nut into her. Its very frustrating!

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  3. If she passes the almond test, can you make almond soap?

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  4. ALMOND SOAP? I have never heard of it! I am totally going to look into that!

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