(03-17-2012, 03:27 AM)Zebra Wrote: Marci: I am in the US. I have tried gluten free and, like I said, it was very hard. Its not really something I can see myself actually being able to stick to. My diet is already so limited. :/ I had a CBC about 2-3 weeks ago when I went in to the urgent care (and later the ER) for postpartum Preeclampsia. I was told everything was normal at the time. What type of doctor would be best to see for more nutritional side of things? Would a dietician or something be adequate in the medical sides of SPD?

Zebra: sometimes when you're in the middle of a crisis, it can be hard to think in new ways. If you have celiac, which seems possible from what you've said, not sticking to a gluten-free diet will shorten your life and greatly decrease the quality of it. Yes, I do mean to scare you a bit - I'm a survivor of celiac caused cancer, and my son's neuro problems are due to celiac. Once you've past the learning curve, gluten-free is not that hard, not nearly as hard as being constantly sick/confused/overwhelmed.

Ask for a referral to a gastroenterologist and insist on being tested for celiac. Insist on a nutritional profile (bloodwork) to find out if you have nutritional deficits; if you have a very limited diet it is likely you do. Many women are severely depleted after childbirth and you will recover your strength more quickly with the right nutrition, but it has to be the right for you, not just generic "right" nutrition.

Also, why is your diet limited? Are there ways you increase the variety of what you eat?

I'll look into it more but a lot of doctors have told me that the tests are not very reliable and are also quite pricey which my insurance wont cover for whatever reason. My mom, for example, had two tests done. A blood and a saliva test, both which showed different results (one normal, one said a gluten intolerance of some sort) but started eating gluten free had felt a lot better and had a lot of her symptoms stopped (her aches from her lingering lyme disease also decreased)

My diet is quite limited due to being a vegetarian. There are also quite a few foods that dont really set well with me. Then there are some textures of other foods that i avoid mostly due to SPD type things. I dont really do well with changes, but I do branch out a bit (my dad is a chef ) but I dont tend to try anything really new. I tend to use a lot of "Dressings" on foods as well as salt.

(03-19-2012, 01:37 AM)Zebra Wrote: I'll look into it more but a lot of doctors have told me that the tests are not very reliable and are also quite pricey which my insurance wont cover for whatever reason.

Any doctor who told you the boold tests for celiac aren't reliable doesn't know enough to test you. If you have the right blood tests, they are quite reliable: http://www.celiac.org/ for more info. The saliva test has a very poor repuation, however, and most specialists do not consider it to be reliable. If you can get a referral to a gastroenterologist, most can help you get the insurance to cover necessary testing.

(03-19-2012, 01:37 AM)Zebra Wrote: My diet is quite limited due to being a vegetarian. There are also quite a few foods that dont really set well with me. Then there are some textures of other foods that i avoid mostly due to SPD type things. I dont really do well with changes, but I do branch out a bit (my dad is a chef ) but I dont tend to try anything really new. I tend to use a lot of "Dressings" on foods as well as salt.

What's your protein intake on a vegetarian diet? Do you eat enough protein to maintain stable blood sugar? My SPD kid has to consume a very high protein diet to manage his SPD - if his blood sugar gets low, a meltdown is inevitable and there goes half the day. His neurologist has him on carnitine supplements now to help with that - carnitine is something that many vegetarians do not get adequate amounts of in their diets.

If you have a chef in the family , here;s a link to a blog of great vegetarian and gluten-free recipes: http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/
I'ts written by a friend of mine who is an excellent cook.

I eat a lot of beans. (I try to combine them with rice as often as I can) Peanut butter, and protein shakes (blended frozen fruits with a protein powder added...yummm) I do eat eggs, too. I try to have some daily but I dont always get that in. I tend to get low iron so been trying to eat a some spinach more recently (although that is a very peculiar food for me ) What all is carnitine found in?

And good thing its almost dinner time for me! That blog...the food....my tummy is rumbling!

Little update:
My OB had prescribed Busipone for anxiety an dsaid to give it a week and if it wasnt helping, to go see a psychologist. Well, a week went by and i had had a few more anxiety breakdowns. Yesterday I went to see a psychiatrist and she prescribed Lexipro to try so that i can continue trying to give my son breastmilk but if its not doing anything by next appointment then we would have to stop the breast milk and try some other stuff. She also said that the anxiety and depression might not be related to the SPD so we are going to go after that first and then she would send me to a councelor (as the psych is quite pricey xP) to try to work through some of the rest..... sooo I guess we will see if any of this works. I also discovered there is a local SPD group that has meetings every month for parents of SPD... Im debating if I should go just to learn more of what to watch for in my son (and maybe myself!) But i'm not sure just yet

Post partum depression is a risk for any new mother. I don't know enough about it to recognize it.

Your sensory issues might make you even more at risk for it. It is best to get psychological help if you are having problems attaching to your child no matter the cause. The earlier you can bond the better for both you and the baby.

Feeding a child formula instead of breastmilk isn't the end of the world. If that helps with one of the core problems then formula is a good idea. Breastmilk is cheaper for a family, but your sanity and attachment to your child is priceless.

(03-28-2012, 04:52 PM)Zebra Wrote: I also discovered there is a local SPD group that has meetings every month for parents of SPD... Im debating if I should go just to learn more of what to watch for in my son (and maybe myself!) But i'm not sure just yet

GO!

What have you got to lose? Just an evening, and you might find some local folks who could really be a resource for you.

Thanks for the update, we here really do care about you and your baby.