Avoiding Peanut Allergy in pregnancy???

Question

Hi everyone, I have almost reached my due date 6th Sept, and the entire pregnancy I have refrained from peanuts because so many food allergies run on my husbands' side of the family. My question is- can I indulge in a huge peanut butter sandwhich straight away once he is born!! (I am DYING for some) or do I still have to go without peanuts while I am breastfeeding as well?? I want some peanut butter!!!!!!!! Help!

Answer 1

you could have eaten peanuts your entire pregnancy if you, yourself are not allergic. However you should not eat it at all while breastfeeding. Eat a pb sandwhich before you have the baby!

Answer 2

Peanut allergies are not created they are inherited. Nothing you eat is going to give your child an allergy. Your son/daughter once born will either have the allergy by inherited gene or not. Even if mom and dad don't have the allergy, it doesn't mean that someone, somewhere in your gene pool on one side or the other doesn't and it has been passed on to you, even if dormant. It's like any other inherited issue such as depression, diabetes etc.. It is something inherited. It doesn't mean your child automatically has that inherited allergy either just because your husband is allergic. All that means is that they have an increased chance of actually having the allergy because it runs on your husbands side of the family. That being said, I'd probably not eat it at all until they are a year old and onto solid food.  If you really got to have it then you might want to formula feed so you can indulge and not worry about any issues passing on to your child.

Answer 3

no not once you will be breast feeding  that is if the baby is allergic

Answer 4

That's a good question.  I might avoid it while breastfeeding, too.  I am allergic to peanuts (and tree nuts and sunflower seeds) myself, so that isn't an issue.  The link below is to an article about research done at Johns Hopkins, and that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until your child is age three before introducing peanut products to the child if there is a history of family food allergies.    

Answer 5

I would say that you can eat it now.  No one in my family nor my daughter's father's family has a peanut allergy, nor any other food allergy, yet my daughter is allergic to milk, peanuts, and eggs.  You either get it or you don't!

Answer 6

My husband has peanut allergies and all kinds of them.  Anyway, when I was pg with my first, I didnt have peanut butter through out my pregnancy NOR during breastfeeding as instructed by my doctor.  I do not think my son has allergies (he is now 2 so we havent tried peanuts yet)...and now I am pregnant again and am abstaining (and it is SO, SO tough because I LOVE peanut butter!).  

Answer 7

I ate PB during my pregnancy. Never was told not to. And my daughter turned out just fine.