The Day I Discovered My Child’s Food Allergies
By Melinda Bisram
Becoming a mom means you instantly worry from the time that pregnancy test is positive, until well, forever! Before having children, I have had experience with 2 nephews who have food allergies. I was always concerned that my future children may too. When my firstborn was of age to begin solids, I was determined to make her food myself. Trader Joe’s and the Baby Bullet became my best friends! I followed all the rules trying one food at a time for 3-4 days. Everything was moving along smoothly, and I couldn’t have been happier, but I was avoiding nuts and shellfish as long as possible. My daughter turned a year, and I still did not have the courage to give her either.
A Day I Will Never Forget
On a Sunday evening, I was on the couch munching on a handful of pistachios, my favorite! As all mamas know, as soon as you’re eating, you’ll be sure to find your kids close by asking for some of whatever you have! My daughter was now one and a half years old, and she really wanted to try what mommy was eating. My husband and I were both home, so I finally decided to give in and let her try.
I crushed the pistachio into mini pieces and began to feed her. She was enjoying it and coming back for more! About five minutes go by and I noticed her rubbing her eyes. I did not know if I was being paranoid so before reacting, I just kept watching her. A few more moments pass and she’s rubbing them more, but now they were red and puffy. I immediately knew something was wrong!
HELP!
At this point, I am in panic mode, I’m checking her to make sure she’s ok and breathing properly, my husband is getting the Benadryl, and I’m dialing the doctor (not 911 since she was breathing fine, phew!). During all this frenzy, her puffy eyes are now almost swollen shut. Panicked, frightened, nervous, and fearful are just a few words to describe my mood. Thankfully she was breathing well, not crying, talking well, and she was generally unbothered by her reaction. That is the only thing that calmed me down although I was full of regret for letting her try the pistachios!
She was given a dose of Benadryl, and the pediatrician stated as long as she’s breathing fine, we do not need to call 911. We would just have to wait it out and let the swelling go down. Wait?! UGH! On paper that sounded fine, but in my state of panic, the advice was just not good enough. It was too tough to see her little swollen eyes and just sit at home and wait!
MOM INTUITION MODE ON
I needed to be extra safe. We decided to go to urgent care just in case! I’ll never forget on the ride there, she was playing on my phone peeping through the narrow slits of her eyes. She was content and I felt relief. The staff was extremely helpful. When we arrived, they took us right in and gave her a dose of epinephrine. They informed us they would monitor her and the swelling for a few hours to make sure she was 100% ok. Thank God, she was! It took about 24 hours or so for the swelling to completely go down. We were given a prescription for an epi-pen and obviously advised to stay away from all nuts! The whole ordeal was frightening, but I know it could have been worse! So thankful all turned out to be ok!
Although I wish this never happened, I will say it happened in good timing. We were traveling overseas in about a month, and it was so helpful to know of her food allergies while being away and having an epi-pen on hand! Later on, we were referred to an allergist. When all her tests returned it was confirmed that she is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish
Life After Food Allergy Diagnosis
What to Always Have on Hand:
- EpiPen
- Benadryl
- Allergy-free snacks
What to Do:
- Inform family and school of allergy
- you will need to give the school nurse an EpiPen and maybe Benadryl.
- When the child is of age inform
- them of their allergy and stress the importance of avoiding an allergic reaction
- the importance of informing others and always asking before eating something new
- them to never trade or share food at school
- Always read labels and food ingredients carefully
- Discard of any foods at home containing the allergy
- When eating outside of home inform:
- restaurant staff of all food allergies
- parents of birthday parties and try to attend if possible.
- bring food if you are ever unsure of circumstances.
Parenting and Food Allergies
Discovering your child has food allergies can be overwhelming, but it is manageable. As parents, we will always worry and will be fearful when they are out of our sight, but communication is key. It’s important to always have a plan and continue to teach your child all the dos and don’ts about their allergy. I am always so proud when I hear my daughter ask “Does this have nuts?”, informing others about her allergy, or when we’re shopping and she asks me to read labels on a new snack that interests her. Remember, there are still yummy foods your child can enjoy! The internet today is filled with an abundance of recipes. Check out my family’s Top 5 Favorite Nut-Free Desserts!
Melinda Bisram, born and raised in NYC, is a mother of two who is passionate about all things motherhood. She is the creator of MomChatCircle which is based on the premise of moms supporting moms. Her journey of motherhood has been unique from being diagnosed with endometriosis, trying to conceive, to all the daily challenges and accomplishments of motherhood. What you can expect from Melinda is complete transparency when it comes to being a mom! She’s prides herself on letting other moms know they are not alone and we are in this together through the good and the bad!
