BFing 3mo son. Eat PB daily. Just found out hubby's half baby(2yrs) brother has nut allergy. Issue for us?

Question

I am breastfeeding my 3mo son exclusively. We just found out that my husband's baby (2years old and only a half sibling) brother had an allergic reaction to trail mix containing cashews. I have eaten peanut butter and raw almonds almost daily throughout the entire pregnancy and my son's young life. No reactions that I am aware of. We also have a 5yr old daughter with no food allergies.

It's been mentioned that I should change my diet. Is that really necessary?

Answer 1

From what I've heard, yes it is necessary.

My best friend was told to eat peanut butter every morning during her pregnancy, so she did. Then, at her six week check-up, her doctor reminded her that she shouldn't be eating peanut butter while breastfeeding. She was upset because after she gave birth, she'd continued the routine of having two pieces of peanut butter toast every morning.

Apparently exposing infants to peants once they're out of the uterus increases the probability of a nut allergy.

Good luck!

Answer 2

If the younger half brother has a food allergy and your husband does not, then it is extremely unlikely that your husband passed an allergy along.

That being said, if you have been eating peanut butter and your infant hasn't gotten sick, more than likely he won't have a food allergy to PB. Also, changing your diet now is not going to hurt.

There are many debates about whether exposing an infant to certain allergens will hurt them or not. A lot of doctors will tell you their opinion, and more than likely you're going to have as many different opinions as you do doctors. There have been families that have brought home newborns to a house with animals with no adverse affect to the child. However, that is also an environmental allergy, not a food allergy.

I seriously doubt that you have increased your baby's risk of having food allergies by eating PB. However stopping it now would be a wise decision.

And on a final note, I wish there were more parents out there like you. So many mothers that I see every day give not one care to whether they are hurting their baby once it's born. They go back to eating fish by the pound and not really caring that it can harm their baby. I wish you the best of luck.