I’m Mum to a fully paid-up food allergic, EpiPen-toting tot. Current tally: egg, wheat, nuts, sesame, chickpeas, green peas and, yep, banana. Arrrggh.
It’s early days and we’ve just started tiptoeing around this new, weird world of food allergy. Amazingly, while there are some great resources out there, there seems to be very little practical advice for day-to-day living with a food allergic child.
This blog is an attempt to share my experiences and findings about everything from allergy-friendly recipes, products and places to go to the latest news and research. We live in London so it’ll be from a London perspective but I’ll try to chuck in any other info I find.
One thing I promise is no handwringing here – it’s totally disorienting, of course, but the aim is not to let food allergy rule our lives.
P.S. In my other life I’m a former newspaper journalist turned freelance writer working from home (with baby underfoot).
Alexa Baracaia
Hi, I’m finding your blog fascinating, we have allergies in my family so I’ve always weaned my kids w caution, and find it tricky but interesting alongside blw. I also noticed when my 2nd & 3rd babies reacted to stuff I ate while bfing. My close friend has a 10yr old dd who has wheat, egg, dairy, nuts, salmon, mango, strawberry, apple skin and some more. My friend herself has started developing reactions too – nuts, banana, apple, pear, stone fruit, parsnip…
We’re in northLondon too, interesting to read your local experiences. If you are free or interested in meeting up, we both run a playgroup on Friday mornings, nr New Southgate train station.
Hi Toddy – thanks! It’s always great to meet other people in a similar situation. Do let me know details of the playgroup and we’ll try to make it down…
Hi, we run in term times, including half terms, on Fridays, 9.15-11.30am, at St Paul’s church hall N11 1PN. If u come next week I may well bring some of my “binky” cakes, egg/dairy/wheat free cupcakes. As yr son has soya issues I wld use rice or oat milk.
it is my eldest’s bday on the following weekend, and her best friend has multiple allergies, and they will all be there as next week is half term.
Hi Alexa, as promised a list for you, hope it is of some use, few more posts with a few more useful things to come asap
oops forgot the link…lol
http://fun-as-a-gran.blogspot.com/2012/02/pre-made-foods-that-are-bob-safe.html
Hi, just found your blog via the allergy support group page! My son has identical allergies to your little one. I will be coming to the support group on the 21st. Would be realy nice to meet you if you attend.
Sayinie
Hello Sayinie – thanks so much for your message. Would love to compare notes! Am certainly planning to be there so hope to meet you on the 21st…
Alexa
Hi,
just stumbled across your blog, enjoying reading : )
But oh no, not bananas and wheat as well – makes me feel grateful, although we do have dairy and a few others to contend with!
It’s been 8 years for us now and has just become a way of life – a much healthier one I think.
Wishing you well,
Sian
oops my gravatar is more trouble than it’s worth!
I’m from http://www.myideamine.com/bananaequalsegg
Hm, yes we eat bananas sorry : )
Hello I find your blog very interesting. I am from the States and will be visitng London Dec 15-dec17, 2012. I was wondering if you might be able to steer me to “safe” eating establishments for my Nut and dairy allergic kiddos. Thank you!
Hi there – so sorry for the late reply. We still tread very carefully in terms of eating out (as our toddler is just two it’s very easy to take our own food to restaurants). But I have heard good things about some branches of Carluccio’s Italian chain, Pizza Express, Zizzi’s and Pizza Hut. It’s worth checking with each of these places first, though, before diving in. I’ll ask around for you though! Alexa
If I may butt in, my friend.always recommends Cafe Rouge and Leon’s chains, and placed like. Harvester or similar have very good guidelines and listings. Most chains have lists below the counter of ingredients, if you ask to check them before you order.
Thank you – of course butt in!! Much appreciated…
Hiya, The rainforest cafe in Picadilly Circus (not asuming Mandy will be heading for tourist traps but it is central
has a menu that is clearly labelled with all the allergens it contains and we have had relaxing meals with our allergic child there. It is very pricy though… http://www.therainforestcafe.co.uk/menus/mainmenu.asp
Have fun in London.
Thanks for the blog Alexa – always good to know there’s others out there with similar experiences.
Thanks for reading! And for this top tip…
Hi Alexa
Doubt you remember me (I used to work at freuds on entertainment stuff) since then I too have had an allergy ridden baby Poppy, who at 15 months can’t have dairy or egg. Would be much harder I totally appreciate if we were cutting out wheat too and banana but its hard all the same. Love the blog, on dairy, I’ve found she can tolerate A2 milk, worth getting if its the milk proteins your little one can’t hack rather than lactose. God, isn’t parenting hard enough already?
Mary (Williams) x
Hello Mary! Of course I remember you! Bummer to hear your little one’s got silly allergies too – it’s such a headspin, isn’t it? Would love to catch up – will whizz you an email!
Hi I am an adult with a nut allergy and wanted to let you know that with careful management I have travelled to many countries including those with a high prevalence of nuts such as India and Thailand successfully. As one other commenter put it does become just a way of life. I also ignore labels that say “may contain nuts” on things that obviously don’t such as sour cream but understand as a parent that you apply different levels of risk to children,
.
Thanks Helen – good to know anything’s possible!