Yep, it’s milk sensitivity all right.

I’ve been on a milk-free diet for the past three weeks. Adrian’s general state and disposition has improved immensely during this time. He behaves like a normal baby (as far as I can tell). He cries when he is unhappy with his current situation, but it is almost always possible to deduce what is bothering him, and fix it.

But perhaps this was just a coincidence? Perhaps he just outgrew whatever problem he had?

Now Christmas is lurking around the corner and it is time to bake gingerbread cookies and saffron buns. This weekend the question arose: do we have to bake our gingerbread cookies with margarine instead of butter, and to look for a recipe for milk-free saffron buns? We needed a decision on the milk-free diet.

So today I did a milk provocation / challenge: I ate what I would eat on a normal day when I’m not avoiding milk. Milk in the breakfast porridge, and a glass of milk on the side; butter on my sandwiches; a yoghurt for my afternoon snack. Yum.

By 5 o’clock in the afternoon there had been no signs of adverse reaction. I was already celebrating in my mind, thinking of all the nice stuff I can eat again. My mouth was watering just from thinking of it all.

Then at 6, The Screaming was back. Adrian woke, fed, and the moment he stopped eating, he started crying. Reflux, arching his back, painful burps, inconsolable crying until he finally fell asleep, and then some more reflux while he was sleeping.

I don’t know which felt worse: to see him in such pain again, or to know that I will not be eating any of the nice stuff for a long time.

And I really like milk and milk products! I am one of a very few people among my acquaintances who actually drinks milk with meals. Used to drink, that is.

After the situation stabilizes again, the next step will be cautious experiments with goat’s and sheep’s milk products. Cheeses are easy to find, but I wonder if it’s possible to buy, say, cream or yogurt made of sheep’s milk. Can you even make sheep milk yogurt?