Hello Dark Chocolate…my new friend.

OK. I visited Dr Naturale Ants Pants of babies…Dr Underwood, and he was lovely. I’m going Dairy (which i have been already now for 5+ weeks) and Gluten free…to see if that helps Elliot’s gut. So it’s going to be interesting around here breastfeeding a dairy free and gluten free baby! For now I’m sort of feeding myself what i can eat and sorting out everyone else, but i have started following some great foodie blogs: Elana’s Pantry, The Whole Gang, The Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom to name a few that i have found that look great so far. So i will eventually make the shift so that our entire family will be eating dairy/gluten free at home to make things easier.

So i basically paid him $400 to tell me to go dairy, soy (which i don’t really eat anyway – except in bread- did you know most breads contain soy flour, even bakers delight!) and gluten free. Asked me to see him again in another 6 weeks (there was no appointment available for 6 weeks, only 10 weeks away so Elliot will be 7 months) – so i have an appointment for October to talk about solids etc. But at least he was a lovely Doctor….seemed very knowledgeable in dietary stuff for a medical doctor. Told me that sometimes babies can have sensitive guts and we may not find out what the specific issue is, it could be that her gut is just immature and it will sort it self out as it matures and she gets older. So we are about to embark on officially dairy and gluten free and also giving her probiotics which i was already doing anyway (Bioceuticals Babybiotic).

I plan on breastfeeding Elliot for at least 7 month exclusively… and longer if she’s seems fine. I breastfed Amaya until 7 months before solids. A trip to the Philippines at around 6 months freaked me out about feeding her food in south east Asia since every time i have ever gone there over my lifetime (my mum is filipino)  i have vomited my guts up at some point during the trip. I plan on breastfeeding Elliot for as long as i can, I breastfed Amaya till she was about 16 months. Did you know that the WHO (World Health Organisation) recommends EXCLUSIVE breastfeeding until 6 months of age and continued breastfeeding until at least 2 years of age?

Anyhoooooo….

So with this new diet restriction adventure and being my birthday tomorrow, i am going to have to bake my own cake if i want something to celebrate (don’t trust The Man with that one!)…I’m thinking of trialing this recipe…i’ll post pics of mine later this week and let you know how i go!

Chocolate Chip Brownies – from Elana’s Pantry
1 (16) ounce jar salted almond butter, smooth roasted
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup cacao powder
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, blend almond butter until smooth with a hand blender
2. Blend in eggs, then blend in agave and vanilla
3. Blend in cacao, salt and baking soda, then fold in chocolate chips
4. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish
5. Pour batter into dish
6. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes

Makes about 24 brownies

So did you know that Dark chocolate….the really nice traditional kind, is DAIRY FREEEEEEEEEEEEE…. ok i have always been a milk chocolate / white chocolate girl….but chocolate is chocolate and i have not had any in a long time…. i avoided it in the early months due to all the hype about colic and breastfeeding etc etc.

mmmmmm chocolate.