Food Allergies – A Mom’s Perspective

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 I knew immediately it was an allergy. My husband stayed with him as I got the Benadryl. Gave him a dose and rushed to the hospital. The twenty minutes it took to get there was enough time for the Benadryl to take affect and we ran into the ER with a baby claiming food allergy! I think they thought I was insane, because his face was perfectly fine, back to normal.

They examined him anyway. Thoroughly of course, told us to follow up with his pediatrician who would then send us to an allergist. We did, and it turned out he was allergic to so much more than just the dairy or the egg that were the possible culprits of this first attack.

Now What?

I would go to the supermarket for hours, with lists I printed from online, of all the things that mean dairy, or egg, or corn or soy etc. The lists were so long and intimidating with words I could barely pronounce. I would walk around the supermarket for hours and come home with maybe three things. Crying because I didn’t know how to feed my own baby who needed to eat. I was sticking to extremely plain foods like fruit, vegetables, and meat while I was waiting to see a nutritionist.

I think for someone like me, a nutritionist’s purpose is to help navigate and conquer the world of ingredient lists and allergy warnings. She gave me the confidence I needed and helped me to understand that it wasn’t so intimidating, I could manage his food allergies and manage them well.    

This was also over ten years ago. Since then, things have changed quite a bit. Like for instance – there are apps now that help with reading labels. (I don’t know exactly what they are though, I would have to do some research) but back when I was going through this transition, there were no apps.

Tip:

you do not need to memorize every single word on a food allergy list. Learn the top words that mean dairy for instance. Look for those and look up what you don’t know. It makes reading labels so much less intimidating.

We would search labels online to find safe choices for cooking with butters, oils, and essentials. We even found a special cheese that he could eat. (Daiya cheese – https://daiyafoods.com/) I could do so much with it!

Snaking one day at the nutritionist’s office. I showed her, I was so excited I made him goldfish crackers! She was curious enough to try one and liked them too even suggested I write a recipe book, but because most of them are other recipes that I change to make it safe for my son to eat I haven’t written any of them down yet.

I have found that a lot of the foods that are safe for him are on the more expensive side. I always try to make sure that he is incorporated. I don’t wanted him to feel different at birthday parties or holiday gatherings. I always make sure to make a special cupcake, cookies or something. That he has his own chips and diners, but I would try to make what they were serving to not draw unwanted attention making him uncomfortable or self conscious about his allergies.

When I have dinner guests, they would ask why do you cook like that? Why don’t you make his food separate from ours?

When I have had guests, I have found that it’s cheaper and less work to cook a family meal and make it something we can all eat together. I mean, I would have to make two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners. Everyday? I would spend all my time in the kitchen! Who wants to do that?

I want to play with my kids, enjoy them while they are young. I did and I have. I only buy butters and milks he can eat, stuffing’s, side dishes that are allergy friendly for him. I cook like that every day.

Food Shopping

Certain food stores cost more than others especially, when it comes to some of the specialty allergy foods I buy. So, it takes a little longer, but shopping around helps for the budget.

I have found that even though I budget well, my food bill is twice as much as the ordinary family’s bill, no matter what I do. But we must eat. I have learned that if I just don’t tell people I made it with my sons’ ingredients they don’t snub their nose up at it and they don’t even notice. When they wouldn’t even try it before. Saying “what do you mean? So, you didn’t use real cheese? I knew it tasted funny.” (People can be snobby)     

 Now, with all that being said. I do spend a lot more time in the kitchen than most moms. I do make a lot of things from scratch, but that’s also just me enjoying cooking, knowing that he will enjoy it drives me to make better creations in the kitchen. We eat well and I know most of it is healthy. I do have a high grocery bill, but I have learned to incorporate high-cost items with items that cost less.

Now don’t get me wrong, We have our share of treats too. The boys love when I make cinnamon rolls it’s their favorite. I have even gotten creative with holidays making special chocolates, cookies, or cakes. Want to know a secret? (I use Enjoy life chocolate – http://enjoylifefoods.com to make all sorts of things, ganache for cakes, chocolate covered apples, and strawberries. Even when I do birthday cakes. People always ask what kind of chocolate I use. When I tell them it’s allergy friendly, they are shocked and say it tastes better than other chocolates) but if they had known that before they ate it, they wouldn’t even taste it.

Great Resources – Learning to navigate the food allergy world

• Food Allergy Research and Education  –https://www.foodallergy.org/  FARE.org                        
• Kids with food allergies – https://kidswithfoodallergies.org/
• Your allergist & nutritionist
• Food Allergies – A Mom’s Guide to Breaking it Down – Available soon!

There is a lot of information online about food allergies. Reading it all at once can overwhelm you. Sometimes less is more. The resources I listed above are what my focus was on. This made it more manageable for me and less intimidating.

TIPS :

• Create an allergy alert card with phone numbers, name, address, and a list of allergies. – For younger kids this is great for venturing out to eat, giving to friends, relatives, doctors, teachers to leave for substitute teachers if they are ever out of the classroom, school nurses, day cares, etc. you get the gist.

(For the schools I liked to staple a picture of my son to the card, so they also know exactly who he is if there is a substitute. If you go out to eat at a restaurant. The waiter can show the chef.)

• A medical alert bracelet or necklace. – For young kids I suggest the bracelet. They make fun kid ones that are waterproof and durable. You can also place a medical alert on their backpack.

FUN TIP : They make allergy tattoos for a pool party or beach day, stickers, or shirts that say “don’t feed me”. There are tons of creative medical alerts for children out there start searching, you’ll be surprised.

• Find a food ingredient allergy app – these can be great, I have heard. They didn’t have them when my son was younger, but you might find them extremely helpful.

• Allergy cookbooks are a great resource, but any recipe is a great resource. – Keep the ingredients that are safe and change out the ones that aren’t. It’s what I do and let’s just say it usually works out well. Occasionally, we have a flop, but it’s ok it’s kind of funny, they all can’t be winners!

• DISNEY! We are a huge Disney family. – I thought vacationing would be impossible with this many allergies, but I did my homework and on our first trip I also brought premade food, a waffle maker, and toaster oven on our trip. We used it. Breakfast is the hardest meal to find allergy friendly, but I will say besides breakfasts, Disney has its own allergy chef that comes to your table discusses things in length if needed, then gets and makes the food specifically for you. I have never felt safer besides cooking for him myself at home.

• Learn what you need for your child. What works and what doesn’t. The best advice a doctor once gave me was. “You’re Mom, you know your child. If you feel it isn’t safe, then don’t give it to him.”

• Halloween – buy a lot of candy and walk the neighborhood the day before with a letter describing the allergies and Halloween costume. He was always so impressed buy all the candy he could eat. Before I did this there would be hardly anything he could eat. The fun part was dressing up and going door to door. (I never put anything in the letter that gave away our names, or address. Just that he would be a cute monkey with a teal bucket) something that was enough so they would know THIS is the child who gets the special lollipops!)

• As an allergy parent always have food with you. In your purse, in the diaper bag, I mean most parents do anyway, but this is a new level. every meal every snack, every drink. It’s a lot, but you’ll get used to it.

• Always carry your emergency medications, no if’s and’s, or but’s for my son it is Benydryl, and the epineperine auto injector always.

Have faith in yourself. If I can do it, anyone can. Learn it and enforce it. You got this!

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