7 Tips For Confidently Introducing Allergens When You’re Nervous
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Introducing allergens to your baby or child can be nerve-wracking and scary. Maybe they already have a food allergy, or maybe their sibling does. Or maybe you just feel nervous. Whatever it is, I know what it’s like and remember how it made my stomach turn with both of my food allergy babies!
Here are my best tips for introducing allergens so it's less worrisome.
Know WHY introducing allergens to baby is important.
Base your actions on facts, not fear.
Be prepared for the worst, but expect the best.
Introduce allergens to the baby early in the day.
Introduce foods one at a time.
Once your baby has tried the food, provide it regularly.
Get help if introducing allergens to your baby is just too scary.
Of course, you should always consult your doctor before trying any new foods if your child is at high risk for allergies. This post is for you if your doctor has given you the ok to introduce allergens, but you’re terrified or feel nauseous just thinking about it.
SIDE NOTE: Are you a parent who is gearing up for an oral food challenge? Check out this post for more information: The Nervous Parent’s Guide To Oral Food Challenges
Why Introducing Allergens Is Important For Your Child
This is so important that I wanted to devote a whole section to it. When I was going through this process I needed to focus on how important it is because I sometimes felt sick to my stomach wondering if some foods would actually be allergens for my baby.
Both of my daughters had severe food allergies. I say “HAD” because one of them outgrew severe milk and egg allergies (yes, there is hope, mama!).
Because of my oldest daughter’s allergies, introducing allergens wasn’t a fun process. Seeing a reaction to milk and then to egg was scary, and made each food afterward scary too. Then, when my second daughter had a reaction to peanut butter, I was terrified all over again.
But my doctor wanted us to keep going, even though it was hard. Which is when I started to search for ways to make introducing allergens easier.
Here are just a SMALL number of benefits from introducing allergens to babies early (yes, there are more!).
Introducing allergens early can reduce the chance of developing more allergies (awesome win here)!
Having a larger variety of foods you can eat TOGETHER.
No more unnecessarily avoiding foods. Not only does it make life harder, but it isn’t as nutritious for babies and kids.
All that being said, this post is NOT about making you feel guilty for any choice. Ultimately, this choice needs to be made by you and your family and what’s right for you. Only you know your family's circumstances and only you can make the right decision for yourself. Whatever you decide, there is no guilt here.
What happens if your child isn’t a baby anymore? It’s never too late to try new foods and the earlier the better!
Hey there, I’m Corinna!
I help severe food allergy moms keep their kids safe without missing out on life at home, school, at social events, and while traveling. I believe that food allergy families and kids deserve delicious meals and safe & fulfilling life experiences, and it’s my goal to help you get there!
How To Make Introducing Allergens LESS Scary
If the baby already has a food allergy or their sibling does, it can be extra scary to introduce allergens and new foods. Now that we’ve talked about why introducing allergens early is important, let’s talk about how to make it less SCARY.
Base your action on facts, not fear.
Fear is normal and healthy. It can help us when we’re in a very dangerous situation and force us to take action that will keep us safe. But according to Psychology Today, you or your child don’t actually need to be in danger to feel fear. We will often fear things because of what we imagine can happen. Many times what we imagine is a lot worse than the actual facts! Of course, an anaphylactic reaction is real and scary, BUT, what are the actual chances of a severe reaction happening?
In the end, whatever you decide is your own decision and there is no guilt either way. But I encourage you to ground yourself with the facts so you make a GOOD decision about introducing allergens to your baby instead of deciding based on fear. If you need help with this I give you a full list of facts from trusted resources in my Get Over The Fear of Trying New Foods Workshop.
PRO TIP: Facebook groups are NOT the place to research facts because there are so many opinions that don’t apply to your child.
Be prepared for the worst, but expect the best.
If you know what you’ll do if the worst case happens, it can help you feel more confident. Review your emergency plan and have it nearby when you introduce allergens to your baby. Don’t forget to brush up on your epinephrine skills too.
I have a full checklist of things to help you feel fully prepared and completely confident in my Get Over The Fear of Trying New Foods Workshop.
Introduce allergens early in the day.
Once your doctor has given the go-ahead and you’ve made your decision to try introducing allergens to your baby, you’ll want to think about timing. Introducing high-allergen foods to babies at breakfast or in the morning is the best time so you can focus on them for at least 2 hours without needing to nap or go to bed. Find a day when you don’t have to rush to appointments or anywhere else. Block off that time in your calendar so you can focus.
Introduce allergens one at a time.
Stick with trying one food at a time and only one new food per week. This way you can easily track the foods you’ve tried and how your baby did with them.
Once your baby has tried the food, provide it to them regularly.
Once you’ve given the food to your baby, try and give it to them at least once per week to keep it in their diet. If you have another child with that allergy, you may want to do it when they are out of the house.
Get help if introducing allergens to your baby is just too scary.
If you’ve had the go-ahead from your doctor, and you're ready to try new foods and introduce allergens, but you feel nervous, I can help!
Check out my 30-minute workshop that’s specifically for parents who want to introduce allergens or any new foods to their child, but feel nervous about it.
In this workshop, you’ll get the support and encouragement you need. I’ve researched the scientific facts FOR YOU so you can save time and effort and become confident introducing allergens. You’ll finally STOP being afraid so you can get this over with!
This workshop has already helped so many parents and it only takes about 30 minutes to complete!
You’ll get:
The support and encouragement you need. You don’t have to do it alone.
A flexible video training right to your email inbox,
A detailed checklist of how to prepare, supplies to have on hand, and what to do on the day of introduction.
A workbook complete with a proven calming technique.
A myth-busting fact sheet of evidence-based research.
Here’s what one mom said after the workshop, but you can find more testimonials on the information page.
Don’t wait to save your spot!
Conclusion
Introducing allergens to baby is a super important step, but oh so hard sometimes! With these tips and tools, you can do it confidently and without fear.
