The Nervous Parent's Guide To Oral Food Challenge at Home
So your doctor has recommended you do an oral food challenge at home.
Food allergies can make this test super stressful. I mean a literal stomach ache leading up to it, stressful.
Because the overwhelm of the actual introduction is hard enough and just mustering up the courage can be almost impossible!
If this is you, this post is for you.
If, instead, you’re introducing allergens for the first time, you may want to check out this post : Confidently Introducing Allergens When You’re Nervous
Reasons To Do An Oral Food Challenge at Home
There are a few reasons that your doctor might recommend you do an oral food challenge and they might include:
your child or your child’s sibling already has food allergies and you’re testing new foods that your doctor has recommended.
you’re now adding a food to your child’s diet that they have been allergic to in the past and your doctor thinks they’ve outgrown it. You’ve avoided this food at all costs for months or years, and now your child needs to EAT it (I know how exciting but also how hard this can be).
Your child is doing OIT and they’re challenging a food or updosing to a higher amount of the allergen (usually in the doctor’s office).
First, I want you to know that you’re NOT alone in feeling nervous. Doing a food allergy challenge at home or in the office can be really, really hard.
It doesn’t matter which food it is, if food allergies are a part of your world, any food introduction can be hard and scary.
Our Experiences With Oral Food Challenges at Home
After 16 years of living with multiple severe food allergies for both my daughters, we have done many oral food challenges at home and in the Allergist's office.
Keep reading for how to do an oral food challenge at home, but first a little background.
My oldest daughter had severe milk and egg allergies that she outgrew when she was about 4 years old (YES there is hope!)
The only way to know that my daughter had outgrown her allergies was to do an oral food challenge.
So in her case, an oral food challenge was a requirement to prove that we made it over this huge hurdle. That said, those challenges were done in the doctor’s office and she did fail more than once. They decided that she failed because she broke out in hives a few minutes after eating the food. That meant that we continued avoiding the allergen and went back about 6 months later to do another challenge. In the end, after a few separate food allergy challenges, she passed and she was able to have milk and eggs!
That win was truly life-changing.
But even so, after the office challenge, it was still a little scary to give her eggs and milk once we got home. After avoiding these foods for years, it’s hard to put all those fears in a box and act like everything is normal. So if this is you, and you already passed the food allergy challenge, but are having a hard time feeding your child with the allergen they passed, I want to validate your feelings too.
My youngest daughter has peanut and tree nut allergies.
Several years ago, the doctor recommended that she try OIT. So far, OIT has been amazing for us, but it has been a long road filled with many oral food challenges at home and in the office.
I remember cashews most vividly because it was our first food allergy challenge at home.
At first, we almost couldn’t do it. It was so hard to go from desperately trying to avoid cashews at all costs to actually eating them. We had to do some serious mind work to make it happen (for both me and my daughter).
But it was so amazing when she passed!
Being able to eat that one nut opened the door for more. We could slowly start to see and feel the freedom as we continued on the journey. We still have a way to go, but things are getting better!
As you can see, we’ve had a lot of experience with oral food challenges at home and I know the worry and fear they cause.
When I became a Food Allergy Coach, I realized that I wasn’t alone and that many parents struggle.
That’s when I decided to figure out a way to help.
I used what I had learned from our experiences doing oral food challenges and did some insightful research. I created a set of questions and an encouraging video to help mamas in this boat. Then asked some food allergy moms in my community to test the workshop to see if it made doing an oral food challenge and/or introducing allergens easier.
I took their feedback and used it to make the workshop even better. After many tweaks and improvements, the workshop has grown so much.
I now have a 30-minute workshop that is very successful in helping food allergy parents get over the fear of the oral food challenge and introducing new foods so that they can finally get it done instead of constantly worrying about not doing it.
Since then, the workshop has helped many parents. Here’s what a few have said:
“Our allergist gave us the all-clear to try sunflower and sesame at home, but I was nervous. I've used your tips and education to try sunflower this week, and it went great!” - Jamie
“I loved reading the fact sheet. The facts were helpful and calmed my nerves too.” - Liz
“We introduced a new food to our son this week without as much fear and anxiety thanks to your course!” - Heather
If your doctor has recommended doing an oral food challenge at home, this workshop will help you focus on the good instead of the scary “what if’s”.
**When you click on the links or button above, you’ll go to a page where you can buy the Get Over The Fear of Trying New Foods Workshop. I completely trust and recommend this workshop!
What are the benefits of doing an oral food challenge?
Oral food challenges are used to test if your child has an allergy. If your child passes, the benefits are big. It not only opens up a world of safe foods but it can also:
allow for a larger variety of foods you can eat TOGETHER.
allow your child to enjoy a more rounded, nutritious diet.
give you more freedom when you’re out and about and want to grab something to eat without all the checking and worry.
improve you and your child’s life because you can let your child experience life instead of worrying about birthday parties, camps, school, travel, and more.
So if you think about all those amazing benefits, it seems like a simple decision to just go ahead with the oral food challenge, right?
Well, you and I both know that it can still be really, really hard.
Because even with all those benefits, sometimes your brain can only focus on the scary memories of a bad food allergy reaction OR all the negative scenarios that could happen.
I HEAR you and know what it’s like. So many parents struggle with this! First, I hope you can take comfort in knowing that you are not alone.
Ultimately, this choice needs to be made together with your doctor. Only you know what’s right for your family given your family’s circumstances, and your doctor knows your child’s medical history.
Whatever you decide, there is no guilt.
But, if you already KNOW that completing the oral food challenge at home is right for you, but you need a little extra help ACTUALLY DOING IT, I hope you’ll check out the Get Over The Fear of Trying New Foods Workshop.
This workshop will take the fear away in under an hour so you can safely and calmly do an oral food challenge without getting nauseous just thinking about it.
Go here to learn more about the Get Over The Fear of Trying New Foods Workshop.
**When you click on the links or button above, you’ll go to a page where you can buy the Get Over The Fear of Trying New Foods Workshop. I completely trust and recommend this workshop!
3 STEPS TO MAKE ORAL FOOD CHALLENGES AT HOME EASIER
Step 1:
Find your why- knowing exactly why you’re doing this will help you do hard things. This is important because if you don’t have a valuable reason, it’s hard to push yourself! You may need to dig deep and think outside the box to find what is truly important to you and your child so you can get this hard thing done.
In the Get Over The Fear Of Trying New Foods Workshop, you’ll learn reasons that you never thought of before so you can find what’s right for your family.
Step 2:
Focus on truth instead of what could go wrong. The stats are actually in your favor, but unless we KNOW this and constantly direct our minds toward truth, fear will take over.
Pssst…I’ve researched so you don’t have to. By registering for the Get Over The Fear of New Foods Workshop, you’ll get a full fact sheet that busts through the scary misconceptions so you can feel confident you’re doing the right thing.
Step 3:
Be prepared. Once we fully prepare for the worst, we can be confident because we know we haven’t left any stone unturned.
In the workshop, you’ll get a full checklist for the introduction day and proven mental grounding techniques so you are ready for anything.
Have you thought of breaking the new food process out this way?
HOW TO DO AN ORAL FOOD CHALLENGE AT HOME
Check with your doctor for their instructions, but here’s what we did.
First, I chose a day when my daughter was healthy with no signs of a cold, flu or fever. I also ensured her asthma was under control. We were instructed to ensure she was not taking any antihistamines for at least 5 days.
I fully prepared for a full reaction by planning for the worst but expecting the best. I had her EpiPen and her Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan nearby.
I started by getting her to put a bit of food in her mouth, and she spit it out without swallowing. After 15 minutes, if she didn’t react, I would give her a small, pea-sized amount and she would swallow. I would then give her another small bite.
In between each dose, I let my daughter have screen time while I watched her for any sign of a reaction. I watched for any symptoms listed on her Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan. I didn’t put her down for a nap or feed her anything else so I could keep a close eye on her for at least 2-4 hours after the challenge.
For a full checklist of things to help you prepare for the food allergy challenge at home, check out the workbook included with the Get Over The Fear of Trying New Foods Workshop.
How Long Does Oral Food Challenge Take?
The actual challenge takes about 30-40 minutes, but you need to take it easy and watch for symptoms for at least 2-4 hours after the challenge. Be sure to leave lots of time and not plan anything outside the home so that you can keep a close eye on your child.
Encouragement
As I mentioned, there is no guilt about whether or not you do the food allergy challenge at home.
But, if you already KNOW that completing the oral food challenge is right for you, and your doctor has recommended it, but you need a little extra help ACTUALLY DOING IT, I hope you’ll check out the Get Over The Fear of Trying New Foods Workshop.
This workshop will take the fear away in under an hour so you can calmly do an oral food challenge at home or in the doctor’s office without getting nauseous just thinking about it.
Go here to learn more about the Get Over The Fear of Trying New Foods Workshop, and save your spot. You can finally stop feeling guilty for avoiding that food!
Your Turn
What scares you most about completing an oral food challenge at home? Let me know in the comments.
You May Also Like These Posts
Confidently Introducing Allergens When You’re Nervous
The Most Popular Food Allergy Mom Blog Posts of The Year
DISCLAIMER *As always, this information is for informational purposes only and NOT medical advice. Be sure to check with your doctor before doing any oral food challenge at home.
