Expecting our Little Brother in November!

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Gluten Free Genetics

Someone asked if I thought James was allergic to gluten because I was on a low gluten diet while I was pregnant with him.

I tried for three years to get pregnant, and I was not able to do so until I stopped eating gluten, in combination with other things. This is probably because of a gluten sensitivity, or possibly low-level Celiac's disease. Because of the intestinal inflammation that the gluten causes (evidenced by my swollen stomach), I was unable to absorb nutritional properly and therefore my eggs could not grow properly.

(Additionally I had ovarian inflammation (Poly cystic Ovarian Syndrome) which could have been caused by the gluten allergy or was a symptom of a related problem--I took Glumetza for that (but maybe the gluten-free diet would have been enough?) . . .

Anyway, being gluten-free was a necessity so that the fetus (Little James) could get the right nutrition while he was in there and could grow.

I think him being allergic to gluten is probably related less to him being exposed to it sparingly in the womb and more to do with him being my son, and since I am sensitive to gluten he is more likely to be sensitive as well.

Anyway, gluten and dairy allergies are among the most common for small babies, and typically they will grow out of them with time.

I think him being allergic to gluten is also a symptom of the problem with the FOOD. In the US, all the wheat grown is a high-gluten, genetically modified strain. Our bodies are not made to process it, and so we have more and more people identifying that it is a problem for them.

Oh well. I am DEFINITELY healthier and I DEFINITELY feel better when I'm not eating it, and now since I've seen how miserable it makes him, I won't be eating it any more. I'm happy about it in a way because I know it is better for me. It's just hard to give up something you like so much . . . :-P

2 comments:

mpence said...

Not to mention the convenience of not having to worry about eliminating so prominately found in so many things!

That is my fear with looking into food alergies with my children's very sensative skin...a pandora's box so to speak being opened...

I like not having to scrutinize labels (any more than I already do, lol!) for those 'hidden' gluten things...

Thanks for sharing. I might have to do something more if I can't get their exzema back under control with the environmental factors I know that make it worse!

EricaG said...

Allergies can be so mysterious! However, research shows us a high genetic component (strengthening your argument). The only time I've heard of under-exposure being a factor in an allergy is in animal allergies. Children who live in homes with animals are less likely to have allergies in childhood or later. The same relationship doesn't seem to be true with food-based allergies.

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