Janine is the mother of two girls who have both battled with lactose intolerance.

While it is not a life threatening allergy, Janine said a lot of people are quick to dismiss it as not being serious. 

“They look at you like you’re a bit crazy when you tell them,” she said. 

Janine’s eldest daughter Addison is now three-years-old and has only just been able to switch over to drinking normal milk. Janine’s youngest Evelyn (one-year-old) is still on a lactose free formula. 

Janine said herself and her partner had no idea about the condition when Addison was first diagnosed. 

“She was experiencing bowel movements multiple times a day but we had no idea that the cause was a result of having dairy overload,” she said. 

“We were told their little bodies just can’t process too much all at once.” 

Janine said the pediatrician advised Addison to take a break from having lactose and it has fixed the problem. 

A lot of people, Janine said, don’t realise how uncomfortable the condition can be for the girls’ stomachs. 

“As the condition isn’t immediately visible and doesn’t cause swelling which other allergies can do,”  she said.