Anyone else Become Lactose Intolerant during Pregnancy?

[amyschlink]

First I want to say THANK YOU for this webstite. It helped me out a lot in the past year. I have found everyone's information VERY useful.

Before I got pregnant, I could drink milk and eat cheese just fine. Never was lactose intolerant. Now that I am about 7 weeks along, it seems like my stomach can't handle the milk or something because I get a upset stomach and (tmi)slight diarrhea everything I drink milk. I don't know if maybe the baby is Lactose Intolerant because my husband is slightly (just gets gassy and slight upset stomach after he drinks or eats to much dairy) or if it is just because I am pregnant or even in my head....lol.

Thank you for your responses!! :)

[jian]

I did not have any problem digesting milk earlier, but now that I am carrying I find, milk doesn't sit well with my tummy.
I do get light stomach upset and uncomforatble in the tummy.
Try yoghurt, I have substituted milk with youghurt now and it even helps my once in a while indigestion and acidity.

[JenLove]

i think it might be more of food tolerance. most pregnant women get weird cravings as well as food that does the exact oposite. cheese seems to be one for a lot of preggies, including me. im 13 weeks and i cant eat cheese since about 7 weeks. i tried to eat grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch the other day but it just came back up. gross. hopefully it goes away!

what are your symptoms? if its just naseau with puking, then my guess is just food intolerance. if its heartburn, diahrea, etc. then i would guess its lactose intolerant.

i would ask a dr. to be sure.

[slapkick1]

I am 38 weeks pregnant, and have found during this last trimester only that i have developed a horrible reaction to milk and cheese. After ingesting either, I get awful pains in my stomach followed by being stranded on the toilet for an hour with a bucket to my face. My doctor recommended taking tums for extra calcium as well as helping with the acid reflux. Gotta love it :D

[monkeygirl76]

Since about 4 months into my pregnancy, I have gotten terrible stabbing gas pains from dairy (or at least I think it is from dairy).  Sometimes they last for hours and hours.  Lactase pills do not seem to help at all.  I was very reticent to eliminate all dairy from my diet, as I love most diary products, so I tried the pills first.  However, the pains in my intestines (not stomach)  are quite debilitating. I will try to post back when I have been off diary completely for a few days and let folks knwo how I make out.  I am also seeing my allergist next week for an LI test.  But some other reading I have done suggests that this is not true lactose intolerance, more of a pregnancy side effect....this makes sense as the lactase pills did not help...so maybe test will be negative.  We'll see.

[nikkicole827]

I thought this was just me!  I have been meaning to get on here and ask... Actually, my lactose intolerance didn't arrive until AFTER I gave birth.  It has me sooooo bummed.  I am a milk drinker and a lover of cheese.  I have had to totally rearrange my diet.  I have to cook separately for my husband and myself.  I have to order my favorite dishes with out sour cream (which I love) or cheese (which I love more) when we are at restaurants!  It just absolutely KILLS my stomach.  I didn't even know they could test for this?  Is there medication? Should I contact my doctor?  I want to eat like a normal person again!  I've even switched to soy milk and lactaid... neither of which I love!

[thewilcoxfamily]

This is exactly what I was looking for.  I've never been lactose intolerant.  I'm 5 weeks pregnant, and I'm having stabbing pains, major gas, and diareha!!!  I don't normally drink much milk, maybe a glass or two a week, now I'm drinking two tall glasses a day.  I don't know if it's because I'm injusting so much more now, or if it has anything to do with the pregnancy.  It's so annoying though!!!  I don't want to give up dairy.  If I deal with the pain and keep eating it, will my body adjust???

[DueinMarch2009]

I am wondering the same thing!  I am 6 weeks along and getting these horrible, cramping pains in my lower stomach.  I've never had a problem with dairy before (I live in Wisconsin, I know how to enjoy dairy!) but it just started this week.  The pains are so bad that I just want to curl up in a ball!  Is this what Lactose Intolerance feels like or could it be something else?

[botheofus]

I too have had lots of gas, nausea, and (tmi) diarrhea with cramping everytime I eat anything with dairy in it. I'm sixteen weeks along and never had any problems before my pregnancy with dairy. I really do think that it is associated with that, because I have made a point not to eat it and then I'll have to have some ice cream or a glass of milk and be on the toilet right afterwards. If you're worried about the cramping, because it's hard to distinguish gas and intestinal cramping with menstrual-like cramping, I would talk to your doctor about it. I also had menstrual-like cramping for the first 2 months of my pregnancy and the doctor said it was my uterus stretching. He said unless there was bleeding associated with it, I was ok.

[mommieofboys]

Seven weeks pregnant and terrible stomach cramping is exactly my problem!  I am going to try eliminating dairy from my diet for the next few days and I'll check back in to let everyone know if it's working!  I'll also ask my doctor at my appointment this week...hopefully we'll get answers!  FYI...exercise or a heating pad on my upper stomach are two things I've found to help when I feel crampy!  Give it a try...not a cure, but temporary relief!

[CassandraOlson]

I just found out about a week and half ago i am pregnant. I am about 6 weeks and have been having problems with Ice cream, cheese and some other type of foods. I tryed eating pizza and that didnt sit so well. I ate ice cream yesterday, and had to have my husband pull the car over so I could puke it all back up. Have never had any problems with ice cream! I have been having stomach cramps(minor ones) from eating some things, and dont know what I can do to get rid of it. I have been having diarrhea on and off for some days now and its kind of wearing me out. Ive never been lactose intolerant so I dont exactly know what to expect, but if anyone has any other good suggestions please let me know so I can stay on the healthy chart of the pregnancy seeing this is my first one. Thank you

[kahea82]

I too am having issues with dairy.  I am 6 weeks pregnant and love dairy of all sorts so this kind of ***** for me.  I throw up every morning that I eat cereal.  I also get very flemish after eating any type of dairy like cheese or yogurt.  This was not a problem with my first pregnancy and I am not sure if it is dairy intolerance or just morning sickness.  I'm gonna try to stay away for dairy for a few days and see how that goes.