No Cheese Please

When you become a parent allergies are usually the last thing on your mind or if your like me its something i never thought about. So when my son Teddy was born i had
no idea why he constantly cried, as i was breastfeeding i was told to stay away from certain foods as they can make your baby very fussy or gassy. I realised maybe
it was right as i couldn’t drink a cup of tea without Teddy crying in pain afterwards, it wasn’t just a normal cry it was the most saddest and painful cry i have
ever heard. Still i was very uneducated in this i carried on as normal just cut back on milk and chocolate! I always knew i would wait the recommended age of six
months to introduce solids but Teddy got a little lick of white chocolate when he was four months old and within minutes i knew it was more serious, he broke out
in a rash and his whole face swelled up it was a terrifying experience, i honestly thought he was going to die.So after a lot of research I went to my GP armed with
information and she agreed Teddy had a cows milk protein allergy but he would have to be tested. Even with a referral from your doctor the waiting list was huge and it would
be nearly a year until he was seen. Thankfully my parents stepped in and helped pay for teddy to attend a private clinic where he got a skin prick test that confirmed that
not only did he have a cows milk protien allergy but also eggs,soya and is anaphylaxis to nuts which is terrifying as they could kill him. We have also
learned he is allergic to penicillin, Teddy reacted to these foods
through my breastmilk so i was on an elimination diet which meant i couldn’t have any of these foods or food containing these ingredients. Like everything new the first few weeks are the hardest. I was constantly checking labels and putting food back on
the shelf as i soon learned milk is in everything and i literally mean EVERYTHING. From chicken nuggets to noddles and even bread
. Cutting all these foods from my diet meant i lost a lot of weight and when your already thin its not a good luck. with the help of my facebook group i found out
not only were oreos dairy free but also betty crocker cake mix,hobnobs,pringles, jam tarts and that’s just to name a few! Soon i was thinking of ways to lose weight. Within
the first two weeks of my elimination diet i felt like i had a new baby, he was happy and content like every baby should be.
Starting teddy on solids was daunting at first, we had a lot of slip ups or he got something
by accident and each time he had a reaction they seemed to be getting worse and worse and even If his skin comes in contact with eggs he has an allergic reaction. Eating out
isn’t an option for us even if we are assured the food is safe i couldn’t take the risk knowing what is could do to him. The constant worry of allergic reactions is something
that’s always on my mind and for awhile those thoughts consumed me. Thankfully he has outgrown his soya allergy and can tolerate dairy through my breastmilk. By his
second birthday he will be admitted to hospital to undergo the ‘egg challenge’ which means under the supervision of doctors he will be giving egg in baked foods to see if
he can tolerate it. We all want our kids to be happy and healthy and i used to think ‘why teddy, why us?’ because of these allergies not only did he cry constantly in pain he had
severe reflux,was always sick and was even admitted to hospital. I felt as though i couldn’t enjoy my lovely little baby and as i was breastfeeding i was the reason
for his pain, but no matter what us mothers blame ourselves for everything its something we are probably not going to stop doing but will later realise its not always
our fault (just like it wasn’t my fault teddy slipped on the shampoo HE spilled on the bathroom floor but blamed myself for anyway)
Having these allergies has really opened my eyes to whats in the food i eat and how its made, if and when teddy outgrows them i have decided to keep him on his normal diet hes on until he can decide for himself – as mush as i would love to say strictly vegan he has a new found love for meat. i wont complain about that as theres nothing
cuter that a toddler tearing into a pork chop or a steak right?