Discomfort Food

I love oatmeal. I have always, to my knowledge, loved to eat oatmeal. The squishy goodness of it is comforting and bland. It's like toast made from white bread except you get to feel good about eating it because it's good for you. It's healthy and whole-grainy, I am even an aficionado of it's weird viscous/lumpy texture.

Gerber makes a baby wash and lotion in their "Grins and Giggles" line called "Oatmeal." The smell of a baby after being washed and greased up in the stuff makes my eyes roll all the way back in their sockets, it smells so good.

My mom used to cook up a batch of oatmeal stiff and good, then we would take cans of evaporated milk from our food storage and thin it down.... a dab of cinnamon, a splot of honey or brown sugar and you knew you'd had breakfast that morning. Occasionally there would be pecans or raisins to liven up the job even further.

Comfort food.

No more. No more for me, thanks. When I was pregnant with Birdie I noticed that I could no longer eat oatmeal. At first I chalked it up to general pregnancy.... erm, flatulence. Expectant moms can just expect to be a bit gassy. After I gave birth it was oatmeal as usual no problems so... rock on! Second and third pregnancies I paid steeper and steeper prices. I could no longer even eat a bowl of Cheerios with out trouble in Gotham City.

Here I am eight months postpartum and it is official. DENIED. Punishment is immediate and swift and encompasses more than just a bit of bloat and gas. Can I just tell you how bad this sucks? The list of foods that I can eat is being whittled down... and they are GOOD foods! Tree nuts of any sort... used to be I could get away with a little especially if they were cooked. No more. Milk, ice cream, yogurt? Gone, I am lactose intolerant.

I guess I shouldn't whine. I know for a fact that it could be so much worse. There is Diabetes and Celiac that runs in my family that could make my dietary life just so much more of a party. Just.... oatmeal?