Managing Food Allergies During Pregnancy

One Mother's Story

By Melissa K.

After the birth of my first son, I was asked to write this article for FAAN about being pregnant with food allergies. I was initially hesitant – I did not think I had any secrets to share, or that I had found any magical way to handle the challenges of having food allergies and being pregnant, but I came to realize that I do have experience, knowledge, and support. We all need those three things, whether we have food allergies ourselves, or someone in our family has them.

I have been allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and legumes since the age of 1. I have experienced multiple anaphylactic reactions, and I’m happy to report that I have not had a reaction in more than eight years.

When I became pregnant with our first child, I became acutely aware of the fact that I was eating for two, and the implications of that for my baby, both from the perspective of our mutual good health, and for avoiding allergic reactions during my pregnancy.

My mantra for living with food allergies has always been “preparation and precaution.” I started carrying my chef card* when I was 16, and I continue to use it faithfully whenever I eat out. Luckily, I have always enjoyed cooking and baking, and I eat mostly at home.

During my pregnancy, I decided that this was not the time in my life to have an adventurous diet. So, I became more cautious about what and where I ate; my husband and I held off on eating at new restaurants, and if we did, my food choices were primarily plain and simple foods. I found that many restaurants were accommodating if I requested my food to be prepared separately in the kitchen, asking them to use clean pans and utensils to make my food.

I have to recognize my mother’s efforts in helping me prepare for the birth of my son, Maxim, in November 2007. She filled my freezer with foods that my husband or I could easily pop in the oven or heat up in the microwave later. We had plenty of food when Maxim was born to get us through the first six weeks with minimal cooking.

My mom knew that I would have neither the time nor the energy to prepare my own food in those first few weeks after he was born. And because I had chosen to be more cautious about my food choices, the option of ordering daily takeout did not exist for me.

I am happy to say that I made it through my pregnancy with no allergic reactions! I truly believe that using an extra dose of caution made the difference. I ate homemade food whenever possible, and if I did not, I stuck to simply-prepared foods from restaurants that I was familiar with and trusted.

My son is now 19 months old, healthy, and rambunctious. We discovered when he was 10 months old that he too has food allergies – to milk and egg. Now we are starting on another adventure in our lives, and I am not only managing my food allergies, but learning how to be the mother of a child with food allergies. I feel well-prepared, given my background, to help him live a well-adjusted life!

Melissa K. was instrumental in shaping the first of our Teen Sessions at our annual Food Allergy Conferences, and has appeared in our “Food Allergies: Fact or Fiction?”video.

*A chef card is a tool that will help you communicate food allergy information to food service staff. Create your own free copy of a PDFchef card.

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