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!! :)

[Anggel]

I am 37 weeks pregnant, and as a life long habbit drink almost a gallon of milk every day. About 3 weeks ago I was admitted to the hospital for intense stomach pain, vomiting, and painful contractions. I had no idea why this was happening to me. It turned out that I'd gone about 3 days without milk, and having some with my morning cereal triggered these symptoms (which I discovered a few days later when the same thing happened again about half way through my breakfast). The pain was unbearable! My Dr said I could have developed a sensitivity to milk, but she did not seem convinced, and put me on bedrest and told me to avoid milk. Well, 5 days ago I made ham, egg, and cheese bagels that I had NO PROBLEM eating, but I ate one yesterday, and ended up in excruciating pain, projectile vomiting and having sharp, close together contractions. I was sent to the hospital, again! After they flushed out my system I was ordered to not eat any kind of dairy for at least the rest of my pregnancy.

What is happening to me?!?
It was so painful!
Will this go away?

[monicam32]

I have had this same problem and went to the pharmacist tonight.  I told her that I was very newly pregnant and was having issues with Dairy.  She told me that this was common and to stay away from dairy all together and not try to take the lactade medicine.  She also said that if I were to continue to eat dairy, the child could develop problems.  

[nomilkferme]

Hi All-
I am lactose intolerant and have been for 3 years. To test yourself for real lactose intolerance, go one day with NO dairy- I mean, read every label, scour for milk/whey/cheese/buttermilk/"flavorings"- they put lactose in everything these days, as it is a cheap way to add flavor. The next day, drink a glass of milk and wait. You will know within two hours if it is lactose. There is no mistaking real lactose intolerance because the pain is AWFUL. Yes, that includes horrid diarreah, farting like a brute, and curling up in a ball to whimper. Sometimes even vomiting. Your intestines will make noises and you might think an alien is going to pop from your gut.
On the bright side- most pregnant women (myself included) can tolerate dairy MORE SO while expecting, as digestion slows, giving the dairy time to digest. Yogurt is OK for me- the acidopholus helps break apart the lactose (frozen or non-active yogurt is NOT OK). A tiny bit of hard cheese is OK. I can enjoy most dairy as long as I take Lactase enzyme pills (lactaid)- ie a dollop of sour cream or pizza, but I would never risk drinking straight milk, even with the enzyme. Not worth the risk involved (especially when you won't be absorbing all those good nutrients for baby- just pooing them out!).
It is possible to have started a milk allergy of some kind- seems like allergies and sensitivities are worse in preg-time. Or maybe it's just morning sickness (fingers crossed for ya).
Lactose intolerance is a pain, but certainly livable compared to other problems in this world! Best of luck!

[amiegamache]

A few months before my 2nd pregnancy I went to Guatemala, got a bacterial infection and took ciprofloxacin.  (It's the same stuff they give you if you come in contact with Anthrax!)  My stomache was a mess!  When I got pregnant a couple of months later and was craving milk - I was getting sicker and sicker.  The lactose intollerance got a little better after the pregnancy but did not go away.  That was 7 years ago.  

Over the years I've found that I can eat some dairy - usually at dinner after eating a dairy free breakfast and lunch.

I'm pregnant again and my intollerance is out of control.  I'm eating so little (lost around 13 lbs in my first trimester) that I can't eat ANY dairy.  I just started taking children's chewable calcium suppliments (that and flintstones, I can't tolerate the regular prenatals)  I'm hoping that helps.  I've also been trying a probiotic as I think perhaps my intolerance is due to an imbalance on my intestinal flora and fauna due to the strong antibiotics.
Perhaps, also, when I start actually EATING I can resume my evening dairy consumption.

[cocacolapanda]

I was Lactose Intolerant before I became pregnant the first time, now I'm just fine!  

I'd say, that a lot of the symptoms you can get from being Lactose Intolerant are normal for many pregnancies, that maybe you aren't really Lactose Intolerant and it's just the symptoms?  

It sounds more like food Food Aversion and morning sickness to me!

[mamagude]

I have a 5 month old, my first, and I also am realizing that I seem to have developed a lactose intolerance.  I have never had any problems before I had my daughter, and I absolutely LOVE dairy.  I had been trying to figure out why I was having abdominal cramping and gas, and as soon as I didn't eat any dairy for a day, it was completely gone.  I tried to find anything about post partum LI, but I haven't found much.  I hope it's one of those weird pregnancy/pp things that clears up.  I'd hate to not be able to have dairy for the rest of my life!