I’m so excited about the mystery knit along! I’ve got my yarn all wound and ready to go. A friend mentioned that she can’t figure out how to wear a shawl and have it look right. My wardrobe doesn’t really go with shawls wrapped around the shoulders, so I wear them like scarves, just thrown around my neck willy nilly. I don’t care to knit scarves, but love to wear them. On the other hand I love knitting shawls, so treating them like scarves when it comes to actually wearing them works for me.
But here’s something really sad: Job has developed eczema on his face. It’s most likely not caused by wool, but I have eliminated it from his wardrobe anyway until I figure out what is causing it (assuming I can figure it out.) It’s been really cold here, so I hate not being able to dress him in wool. I also have to take off my own wool sweaters and shawls before holding him. I’ve been using this beautiful silk and organic flannel blanket to wrap him in. Stephinie sent it as a gift last fall, and I am so grateful to have it now! Job rubs his face back and forth on my shoulder a lot when I am holding him which aggravates the eczema, and the silk gives him something soft and non irritating to rub against. I ordered him a long sleeved silk bodysuit to layer with, since wool is out, along with a cotton cardigan and sweatersuit. There are so many things that could be causing the eczema that it has been easy to become totally overwhelmed with it. My oldest son Seth has eczema as well, and his is triggered by dry winter air more so than anything else. I’ve been washing laundry with castile soap rather than our usual “free” detergent until the laundry powder
But the biggest challenge is that last week in the early days of eliminating caffeine, I realized that I also needed to eliminate some other foods from my diet because a food allergy could be causing Job’s eczema. Rather than go on a total elimination diet, I chose to focus first on being super strict with my already gluten free diet, and also eliminate eggs, dairy and chocolate. Feeding my family is such a big job that trying to eliminate more than that at once would be too much. I have a very fast metabolism and have to eat a lot, especially when I am nursing. I’ve spent the past few days planning meals for myself and the rest of the family, trying to figure out how to make it all work without spending every second in the kitchen.
The good news is that I think Job’s face already looks better. It definitely hasn’t gotten worse. So I feel hopeful.
Oh my heart is with you!! I had a terrible time with boy of my boys…now we are fleece (really all unnatural fibers), gluten and corn free. With reduced dairy and eggs and strictly no chocolate for one of them. I’m constantly holding my breath that nothing else sets him off because it’s already such a challenge! Have you looked up the top most common allergens? Some of them are ones you really wouldn’t usually think of, but it lead my sil to learning her girls have a cinnamon allergy…who knew? Good luck dear!!
I was going to say PLANTAIN SALVE! And then, you beat me to it! I swear by the stuff and make it with oils steeped in calendula and plantain and it works like.a.charm on sweet little faces (and little bums too).
Love the shawl picture of you. But then again, I love every picture you post here. Love my visits here. Thank you.
I agree with gluten free and nightshade free. To help with acute eczema, in the present, something that has really helped me and my son is Aveeno lotions especially for eczema. It not only helps with getting rid of it, but also soothing it. Oatmeal baths are also a big help. So sorry for Job, it it a real nuisance. Blessings to you and yours.
Our daughter Charlotte had terrible eczema for over a year. After throwing away the steroid cream, we put her on a grain free diet to reduce the inflammation. It worked and she had no eczema within weeks. We also found that she was irritated by nightshades and especially potatoes. Now, we are aware of inflammation and the effects of certain foods we are all feeling so much better. I have four children and found that it was hard at first but now we just eat the way we were intended to.
Have a lovely day,
gosh, I love your blog…..
Emx
My youngest daughter has a six month old and the baby recently developed some eczema on her face as well. She had it really bad on her arms shortly after birth. Well, for Christmas I gave daughter some LuSa Booty Balm for the baby in her stocking. She used it on the baby’s face where the eczema was starting and it was totally gone the next morning. Also, daughter used it on a developing pimple on her own face and it cleared that up as well. She’s ordering more. Magical wonderful stuff! Thanks for originally recommending the company.
My daughter has awful dry skin. Not eczema, but still really bad. We do coconut oil! It’s very hydrating and overall beneficial. I hope little Job clears up soon.
Yikes! He is such a beautiful baby……hope you find the right combination to help him….and you….with out too much trouble! A few people above mentioned cider vinegar. It seems to be a miracle food……I have been seen it recommended in so many instances with livestock and other situations, very curious! Good luck…and I can’t wait to see how your mystery knit comes out!
That’s so hard! My little guy had that too; it was rough. We discovered he was allergic to dairy, eggs, fish, nuts and soy…sigh. Great blog to help with the diet cleanse…www.cybelepascal.com. Her cookbooks are easy and filled with yummy food, and it makes life without a breeze!
My three year old had head to toe eczema from 6 weeks until she was about 12 months when we took her to get allergy tested for everything under the sun- and yes, she was allergic to everything under the sun. As we removed all of the allergens (environmental, animal and food related) her eczema finally cleared up. I feel so bad for the babies- and mamas especially whose babies have this for whatever reason. Unfortunately, the only thing that helped her was the neurosporin eczema treatments as none of the holistic treatments worked.
Oh skin issues are the worst! I have found with my babies that simple coconut oil for lotion and mild Castile soap for baths (once a week) works best with the least reactions. Breast milk heals really well too. I hope it gets figured out soon with minimal stress.
I know you’re getting all the world of advice, but remember if you are keeping Job away from wool no lanolin on your nips either! I hope he heals nicely soon, he’s such a bonny boy!
Ginny,
That silk blanket looks like the perfect thing. And that silk bodysuit too.
Our family can definitely relate to having to eliminate things from our diet! Poor Jeff was so allergic to wheat gluten when I first met him, that if he ate even a tiny bit his tongue and stomach would get huge and swollen. It was finally painful enough to motivate him to cut it out all together. Bracken seemed to be allergic to lots of things in my breastmilk when he was first born. We finally cut out grains, sugar, legumes and dairy. It was hard to change our entire diet while we had a new baby and I was so starving all the time from breastfeeding! So I know what you mean about trying to figure out ways to not spend all your time in the kitchen.
Love to you!
Taryn
Oh, so hard!! When all you want to do is grab a hunk of cheese to curb your breastfeeding hunger. I remember! My son (now 8) is gluten and dairy intolerant and although it seemed insurmountable at the time, the whole family is gluten free now and only a few of us tolerate dairy. I’m glad to hear you’re seeing results…makes the extra work worth it.
Good luck!
Ginny,
Poor Job. When my daughter was born (three weeks late) she had dry skin from day 1. A wonderful older nurse gave me grate advice. She said, “Don’t put any pink, fake baby smelling lotion on this child! All you need is a few drops of Olive Oil.” And she was right. After a warm bath, we placed her carefully on a towel and rubber her with a few drops of Olive Oil. …even her flakey scalp. It cleared up quickly and no side effects or anything unnatural to worry about. I hope this advice can help you, too.
Take care.
Shawn
What a beautiful little soul. With rosy red cheeks and all!
I have your cat’s twin up here in MA, his name is Puck.
I would concentrate on what goes into you and consequently the baby (I know you are only breastfeeding). A also think it’s not a good time to do any detox or elimination that is going to cause detox, because that could be overwhelming for your and consequently Job’s system. I really swear by Beeyoutiful’s Tummy Tuneup and their other probiotic products. I’d even open a capsule and put a little on Job’s tongue right before you breastfeed. My youngest daughter has had skin problems since she was a baby. I had health problems during my pregnancy with her and her birth at home was my most difficult. It was just a really crappy, uncomfortable pregnancy (and I felt lousy for about two years after). When she was a baby she got terrible rashes on her bottom and vagina. As she got older she used to complain about stomachaches and then she’d get ugly rashes around her mouth and on her hands. She’s almost 16 and mostly healthy now. Since diets – other than plain, old good, wholesome, homemade food – are almost impossible for me to control in a large family, I concentrated on improving her health with supplements. Cod liver oil, garlic and probiotics helped a lot. Black walnut tincture was something we also discovered helped with any internal parasites or bacteria. I hope something helps for you.
Could easily just be the cold weather. People with eczema are often urged to move to sunny warm places just to keep it controlled. Eggs also common culprit. Don’t eliminate too much at once!
Watch out for glycerin. Several people in my family have an acute sensitivity and it appears in many things,
hang in there mama! thank you for the beautiful pictures!
Jenny, I am completely devoted to Charlie’s Soap for laundry, and I prefer the liquid version (just 1 oz per load of clothes!), but there is a powder as well. I found it from a knitter’s blog who also had a baby and used this soap especially because she washed her own cloth diapers. Schoolhouse Press came out and declared Charlie’s Soap their go to for any and all hand knits. It is amazing, pure and very affordable. You might have to regulate the hardness or softness with your water to make it most effective, and the company mentions that. Just thought I’d mention it, but the one you have ordered might suit you best! Glad to hear Job is getting better, and I bet it does have something to do with the cold dry winter air. Have you put breast milk on his cheeks as a lotion? I’ve heard of doing that.
Thanks Trista! I actually just got an email from the shop where I ordered the other soap, saying that it was backordered so I cancelled it and ordered some Charlie’s! It’s a lot cheaper!
Oh, bless him! I read an article about breast milk soap being good for your skin. You know, just in case you have some spare going 🙂
Sorry about those irritating issues. Look deep inside of you and you will know. My two little boys have sensitive skin too and starting with heating season their skin gets irritated. We have decided to wait until heating season ends. Well and during breast feeding time, I always carried the best elixir with me. All the best to you!
oh dear me! I am sorry to hear about little Job’s eczema, and how hard to have to eliminate wool for the time being. my daughter and I suffer from eczema, and although wool is not a trigger, during an outbreak wool can make it worse/uncomfortable. I have found coconut oil to be the only thing I can actually use on my skin/eczema to moisturize. also, diluted raw apple cider vinegar can help heal/reduce itching, swabbed on the skin. But can sting and dry, so you’d have to really dilute it for a baby.
good luck, Ginny!
You totally have this under control!! I might feel really overwhelmed, but you really know what to do. I hope Job feels better – as do you for your little sacrifices – especially chocolate 🙂
Ginny, could you possibly have Celiac’s disease? If you have trouble eating gluten you really should check into Celiac disease, as there is a skin issue with it also. This is a genetic disease, that if you have your children could also have.
Good luck.
Amy
Wishing Job a speedy recovery!!
My 2nd son suffered almost from birth with eczema. He was a December baby and I did all of the same things are doing. It was hard and I almost lost my sanity. I felt at one point there was nothing I could eat. Turns out to be egg sensitivity and allergies to pine (hello Christmas tree- goodbye Christmas trees) and most other plants, trees and animals.
I swear by whipped petroleum jelly – the pharmacist has it behind the counter. We still use it for chapped winter cheeks.
Good luck – I hope it clears up quickly.
Oh poor Job! I hope it clears up soon. God Bless and See you on Sat!
Eczema bothers my boys and I as well. For me, I’m without a doubt allergic to chamomile and calendula, which is apparently rather common if you’re also allergic to ragweed. Not only do they make me wheeze and itch and run, they also trigger eczema. I find it challenging to find lotions and creams for sensitive skin, especially “natural” ones, without them. My youngest currently has scabby eczema on his eyelid. I’ve never been able to determine a trigger for his, either food or environmental, other than dry air and non-cotton clothing. Good luck!
My seven year old son had eczema, and really bad gas, as a baby, too. I went on a crazy elimination diet and the eczema cleared up. I slowly started adding things back in to my diet and the culprit ended up being dairy. My son still avoids dairy to this day, but he’s not totally allergic. Winter definitely exacerbates the eczema, too. I hope you can figure out what’s going on with Job without eliminating too many items from your diet, and that Job can go back to wearing his beautiful handknits soon!
Poor little Job. Its hard to know how to pinpoint what causes an allergy isn’t it. I hope you can get to the cause of it so that you can focus on eliminating only that product. I have been lucky in that my Little Son does not seem to be allergic to anything and I really hope nothing will develop later on as its such a pain for someone to have allergies. xxx
From a Mother who deals with food allergies not only with her children, but herself, let me just say that I FEEL FOR YOU. It is never fun doing strict eliminations. The first two weeks are so emotionally taxing and mentally exhausting while you revamp meal plans and grocery lists. Wishing you ease in this transitionary time, blessings on little Job, and patience with the process! Good luck mama!
Dear Ginny,
Oh, your sweet babe! It is so hard to see your child suffering, and this rings so true for me because my big boy has suffered from terrible eczema flare-ups in the winters ever since he was 3 years old. It affects his legs mostly and is horrendous. Rubbing evening primrose oil onto the reddened areas is helpful as a sort of Band-Aid to the discomfort, but the underlying reasons have proved evasive all these years. I do know our gluten-free diet is important, as well as no tomatoes or potatoes (nightshades). I also agree that sauerkraut and fermented foods help so much. I sure hope it heals up soon for you…please keep us posted on what you are doing.
xo Jules
Hi Ginny! How frustrating to deal with! We have had good luck treating our eczema with Aveeno eczema therapy lotion. It’s pretty natural, it’s fragrance free and has the colloidal oatmeal. If you are thinking about further eliminating foods, and it’s stressful to do that right now, you may also want to look into taking enzymes instead. They will better digest everything you DO eat so that less allergens end up in your milk or body. This website is the best resource for enzymes I’ve found (and she only does research, does NOT sell stuff at all, no advertising).
http://www.enzymestuff.com/dietsgfcf.htm
My youngest son had eczema at Job’s age — as soon as I saw those bright pink cheeks, I guessed was “elimination” meant.
If Seth has it, you know all that COULD come hand-in-hand. Unfortunately for my Noah, it all did. Hopefully not for Job (let’s pretend they don’t have in common names of obedient, but tried Old Testament men!). I would recommend eliminating all peanuts and tree nuts from your diet, too. I learned too late that peanut and tree nut proteins are passed through breastmilk. I don’t know if you use Dreft, but Dreft with white vinegar in the rinse cycle was a big help for us. Now Noah only breaks out in the summer, when sweat irritates his skin. But he’s itchy all year. And I remember how he would rub that little face on my shoulders and chest and his sheets — just to get some relief from the itching. Poor baby Job! Pass the cotton blankets around to anyone who wants to hold him. And no perfume (my mom used to spritz herself liberally but then I wouldn’t let her hold him).
Enough advice. Sorry you’re going through this. I have a good recipe for calendula lotion on my blog if you are making your own ( http://prayingforgrace.blogspot.com/2013/02/calendula-lotion.html ).
Jenny, a friend of mine discovered their hard water was causing their baby’s skin problem. Just a thought, I hope it clears up soon!
My boy had really bad (bleeding/oozing) eczema 3 years ago and I can still remember vividly the stress it caused us. I remember trying to figure out the whole food/eating thing, which is hard enough when you barely have time to eat, period. I remember trying to follow all the advice, when in actuality, we developed our own “action” plan that was contrary to physician advice. I remember being so overwhelmed at what could possibly be causing his flares and felt like a 24/7″ eczema detective.” It takes a toll, and I just wanted to offer my solidarity here, even though it’s from a stranger. The wool thing wasn’t forever for us…I could write a book here about what we did, but it seems every little person is different, and calendula was a HUGE part of our success. I hope you are able to find enough yummy foods to nurture yourself… and that your little guy feels better soon, which is what is really so tough on us moms!
I do hope those eliminations work for Job. For the five years of gf in our home we ate ALOT of potatoes. Best wishes!
Sounds like you are doing a great job. I hope it continues to clear up. Please make sure to add in fermented foods (kraut, kimchi, etc.) to help heal your and Job’s gut. Best wishes.
That blanket is beautiful and looks so soft. If he wasn’t a baby I’d say he’s doing it on purpose just to get to that blanket! 😉 I hope it clears up soon. I admire all the women who go through the elimination diets. It must be difficult when trying to feed so many people and have to think extra hard about what to prepare. Good Luck!
Both of my babies have had terrible, terrible eczema. 3 things I have found that really truly help are: a humidifier running in our room every night, a hefty splash of white or apple cider vinegar in the bath water (I’m not sure why that one helps but it is the most effective one), and a generous layer of pure shea butter on still moist skin, post bath. Good luck on you elimination diet too, I hope it nets some results!
Would love to hear any recipes that you are loving in dealing with all of those restrictions.
Poor little guy. 🙁 Hope you have an easy time working this out. *hugs*
I’ve had excema my whole life, but mine is mostly related to things that touch my skin. One is coconut. I was using coconut oil castile soap over the summer to wash with, and it got really bad, so I stopped using it, and it immediately got better. As a kid, I basically couldn’t use any soap anywhere other than my hands or else I would break out (and always had a nice red ring around my wrists from the soap touching my skin). We’ve mostly figured out that was either petroleum based products (mineral oil, petrolatum), or glycerine (made from corn, and I’m allergic). The one thing that does help though, is things with oats or oat germ or oat extract in them. They seem to really calm the redness and the itching. My mom used to put just plain oatmeal in my bath when I was little and it really helped.
I would bath him only when necessary. We have eczema in our family as well and can’t use any of the name brand “free” detergents. We use meyer’s laundry detergent which works well and doesn’t seem to bother any of us. It’s all really personal though. I know that if we eat too much sugar or not enough fats that this effects it as well. Best wishes figuring out the cause.
I too had this problem with my youngest son. When I eliminated grains it completely cleared up. To this day the only thing he tolerates well is sourdough which is all I can really eat. Hope that he improves some more! What a wonderful mother you are!
Isn’t eczema the worst? I am so sorry about the wool, that is terrible a blow to a knitter!! My oldest had terrible eczema when she was younger and continues to have flare ups during the dry cold winter and the hottest times of our dry summer. My baby’s face is really irritated too, and I am hoping it is just the cold combined with drool since it’s right around her mouth but am a little anxious that I need to eliminate something here too. I hope Job’s clears up and soon, or that you can figure out whether something is triggering it.
My little ones were born in the winter and also had occasional trouble with their skin from the dry weather. A humidifier helped, but sometimes just a trip to a friends place in a more humid place really did the trick.
Sorry about Job’s skin. My fourth baby developed eczema on his face and then his whole body and I thought it was wool. It actually turned out to be gluten and dairy in my diet and it cleared up when I took it out. He’s 18 months now and still gets eczema when he eats gluten but he seems ok with dairy. To help clear it up fast after he’s been exposed, Borage oil works wonders. I give it internally but it works externally as well. Hope he gets better soon.
Poor Job! It could be an intercellular yeast infection.
Ah poor Job. No hand knits is so sad. You have a strict diet! I still love my organic apple cider vinegar. It really helps when I need a pick me up and don’t want to have caffeine.