Peanut butter while Breastfeeding?

[katerkat]

I eat it in VERY limited quantities - like once a month. My sister and father have a weird severe allergy (celery and potato) so I'm going with "better be safe than sorry." I had one PB sandwich my entire pregnancy.

Russ doesn't like chocolate (what kid doesn't love chocolate milk!?) I don't know if I could cut out dairy!

 

[shrubber]

I would think it make your babies tongue stick to the roof of his mouth.....

 

[mickeyboat]

I would think it make your babies tongue stick to the roof of his mouth.....

Denae

 

[Bob Slydell]

simple solution -- bottle feed

*disclaimer: I'm kidding *

 

[Christine]

Sounds like you've made up your mind but I just want to agree with Disykat here. I have a son with peanut allergy and, believe me, you want to avoid that like the plague.

In my instance, I did not breastfeed nor did I consume a lot of peanut products while pregnant. But we have a family history of allergies (I am allergic to cats and ragweed, while DH has the "eczema" side of things covered). Anyway, my DS was given peanut butter AT THE AGE OF 7 MONTHS!! by a daycare provider. He broke out with horrible hives and swelling.

If there is any indication of even one food problem, you will want to avoid the other big offenders.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

simple solution -- bottle feed

*disclaimer: I'm kidding *

 

[TerryKitten]

Now I just need a substitute for cheese!

Is it cows milk... or any kind of milk. I ate and gave DS cheese made with goats milk, its different but good.

 

[fgardner2393]

According to kellymom, which is now a major source for breastfeeding mothers says... "Is it safe to eat peanuts and peanut butter while nursing?Current research indicates that avoiding peanuts during pregnancy or breastfeeding does not help to prevent peanut allergies in your child. Until recently, allergists recommended that children not get peanuts or peanut products until at least 36 months old, but recent studies tell us that this delay does not help to prevent peanut allergies..."
kellymom.com/nutrition/mothers-diet/mom-foods/#peanuts

Thought I would post this for anyone that is surfing the net asking the same question. However, do make sure to ask you doctor.
Sorry for those with children that have food allergies, its not your fault or anyone's fault, it just happens sometimes.

 

[PaulaSB12]

I have always avoided peanut butter not for allergy reasons because it looks so gross

 

[laughinplace199]

OP, you need to do what you feel comfortable with, but I'll share my experience:

I BF my first child and she was horribly fussy from the moment we were home from the hospital. She wouldn't nurse, cried at every feeding, developed eczema, and even had blood in her stool. This was 14 years ago, so food allergies weren't as common as they are today. I called the dr and they suggested that I cut dairy and soy out of my diet. Because I could no longer have things like butter on my toast, I was eating more peanut butter than usual. DD just kept getting worse and worse - fussier and fussier. We were all miserable. Out of desperation, I put her on formula and in less than 24 hrs I had a totally different baby. She was happy, smiling, and happy to drink a bottle.

Fast forward 3 years to when I gave her peanut butter for the first time. She threw up, broke out into head to toe hives, and her eyes swelled shut. We got an Rx for the Epi Pen the next day. In hindsight, I believe that she was so fussy as a newborn because of the peanut butter in my diet. Since it started pretty much at birth though, I feel that she was born with the allergy. I don't think that I caused it by eating peanut butter.

Two years later, my next baby was born. DD hadn't been diagnosed with her allergy yet, so I happily ate my peanut butter sandwiches every day while I nursed the baby. He was BF for 6+ months with no problems whatsoever. He is 12 now and although he doesn't like peanut butter, he is not allergic to it.

By the time I had my 3rd baby, my oldest had been diagnosed and I opted to not have any peanut butter while nursing the baby. He ended up with a milk allergy and I eventually switched him to Nutramigen. He is 6 now and is no longer allergic to milk. Like his brother, he does not like peanut butter but is not allergic to it.

So I guess this is my long-winded way of saying that I think my DD's allergy was present at birth. She was going to be allergic no matter what I ate or didn't eat.

And my second child is not allergic, even though I ate lots of peanut butter when nursing him.

 

[jrmasm]

OP, you need to do what you feel comfortable with, but I'll share my experience:I BF my first child and she was horribly fussy from the moment we were home from the hospital. She wouldn't nurse, cried at every feeding, developed eczema, and even had blood in her stool. This was 14 years ago, so food allergies weren't as common as they are today. I called the dr and they suggested that I cut dairy and soy out of my diet. Because I could no longer have things like butter on my toast, I was eating more peanut butter than usual. DD just kept getting worse and worse - fussier and fussier. We were all miserable. Out of desperation, I put her on formula and in less than 24 hrs I had a totally different baby. She was happy, smiling, and happy to drink a bottle.

Fast forward 3 years to when I gave her peanut butter for the first time. She threw up, broke out into head to toe hives, and her eyes swelled shut. We got an Rx for the Epi Pen the next day. In hindsight, I believe that she was so fussy as a newborn because of the peanut butter in my diet. Since it started pretty much at birth though, I feel that she was born with the allergy. I don't think that I caused it by eating peanut butter.

Two years later, my next baby was born. DD hadn't been diagnosed with her allergy yet, so I happily ate my peanut butter sandwiches every day while I nursed the baby. He was BF for 6+ months with no problems whatsoever. He is 12 now and although he doesn't like peanut butter, he is not allergic to it.

By the time I had my 3rd baby, my oldest had been diagnosed and I opted to not have any peanut butter while nursing the baby. He ended up with a milk allergy and I eventually switched him to Nutramigen. He is 6 now and is no longer allergic to milk. Like his brother, he does not like peanut butter but is not allergic to it.

So I guess this is my long-winded way of saying that I think my DD's allergy was present at birth. She was going to be allergic no matter what I ate or didn't eat.

And my second child is not allergic, even though I ate lots of peanut butter when nursing him.

The op's kid is 8 now, there is a pretty good chance that she is now longer breastfeeding him.


Zombie thread!!!

 

[okeydokey]

There is some belief now that eating PB while BFing COULD be a cause of PB allergy later especially if allergies run in the family.

Wow, I had never heard this. My son has a peanut allergy and I don't remember eating lots of peanut butter while nursing, but I am sure I ate some at some point. Are they still linking kids who have asthma and kids with a peanut allergy? It's amazing how often things change in medical research.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Wow, I had never heard this. My son has a peanut allergy and I don't remember eating lots of peanut butter while nursing, but I am sure I ate some at some point. Are they still linking kids who have asthma and kids with a peanut allergy? It's amazing how often things change in medical research.

The newest thinking is that not exposing kids to PB until later is causing more PB allergies, not less. They are just starting to research that theory.

 

[Christine]

The newest thinking is that not exposing kids to PB until later is causing more PB allergies, not less. They are just starting to research that theory.

But what I can tell is that *they* really don't have an concrete data to support any of the thoughts yet. It's hard to know what the right thing is to do when people send out all these findings and there are just no reliable facts out there yet.

 

[laughinplace199]

The op's kid is 8 now, there is a pretty good chance that she is now longer breastfeeding him.


Zombie thread!!!

Good catch. I never even looked at the date.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

I was never told that I couldn't eat peanut butter while breastfeeding. I know I ate it while I was, and DS was fine.

I'm lactose intolerant to begin with so I don't usually eat a lot of dairy but I had to watch even more when I was strictly breastfeeding. DS only has one BF now a day and has to be on soy formula. The regular formula made him miserable.