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Both Hamlet and Boris have had intolerances to cow's milk protein. Hamlet was intolerant of soy protein, too; I haven't yet been brave enough to test Chinese food on Boris.

How do you know? In our case, both boys' sensitivities made their reflux worse. For four months, Hamlet threw up once a day and cried a lot. Boris would have done the same, had I not recognized the early warning signs--and cut dairy from my diet when he was 2 weeks old.

Medical professionals tell you not to diet while nursing, because you burn about 500 calories per day and also because dieting may eliminate necessary nutrients. I found this out the hard way: after a month of no dairy--plus other things that seemed to upset Hamlet's tummy via my milk--I became seriously malnourished.

Instead of switching to formula (for very personal reasons), I called the local La Leche League leader. She gave me wonderful advice on how to regain my strength through non-dairy, non-soy sources. I still use her recipe for oatmeal.

This time, however, cutting dairy has been much more psychologicallv difficult. I'm a stress eater, and let's face it, caring for two small kids, a husband, a house, and a freelance career is pretty stressful, no matter how much you love them.

So, I'm making do. Steering clear of trigger foods and, admittedly, "testing" them once in a while to see if Boris has outgrown his intolerance. If nothing else, it's good for postpartum weight loss!