Pregnancy peanut cravings

I had gestational diabetes and ate peanuts almost daily as a snack, switching from my candy beceuse of the sugar issue. I also ate peanut butter sandwiches for the first time in years. I did crave the stuff. Also sesame in all its forms. I went so far as to ask my doctor if sesame was high in some trace vitamin or mineral. My first child was peanut allergic from his first exposure at around 9 or 10 months.
However, I also ate peanuts M & M's
on an almost daily basis with my second child and she did not turn out peanut allergic (so far). I didn't crave it as much either.
HIndsight is 20-20. There is some evidence peanuts during pregnancy and nursing increases the rate of peanut allergy in the child. BUT obviously not every pregnant woman who eats peanuts has a peanut allergic child. There have to be some additional unknown factors.
There is nothing to be done about it now, except caution others about your experience. Some will want to hear it, some won't. I would really push hard on family members- sisters, etc. who may be or become pregnant in case there is a genetic factor + exposure. That is very speculative on my part, but you do see some families with many allergic individuals (not necessarily peanuts).
I feel more guilty for the mistakes I make now with PA and my child, that can be prevented. It's too late to cry about eaten peanuts in pregnancy. Try and put your guilt to work somehow. You can't know everything.

I also ate a lot of peanut butter, actually, anything with peanuts, while pregnant and nursing. My prenatal vitamin also had peanut oil in it. I did not use this particular vitamin for my first 2 children, who are both allergy free. And I agree with you, CVB, we need to alert others to the possibility. The doctors sure aren't!

I also ate alot of peanut butter sandwiches while is was pregnant. Elizabeth is severely allergic and Will has a sensitivity to them. I also ate them while nursing. My allergist asked me if Elizabeth had had peanuts prior to her first reaction. My answer was no. He said somehow she would have had to because the allergy reveals itself on the second exposure. He said the body has to be sensitized to the allergen. My guess is she was sensitized through pregnancy or my breast milk. If I had it to do over, I would have avoided it and I try to inform expectant moms about it. I do believe Elizabeth's allergy is inherited from her father but the exposure while pregnant and nursing did not help.

i just wanted to to know i have a 2 yr old with what we believe to have the pa among other allergies, and being a vegetarian, i ate tons of peanut butter when i was pregnant for my source of protein. if there is any truth to that study, it needs to get out to our obs.

I ate a can of mixed nuts in one sitting many times while I was pregnant. Peanut butter on hot toast with sugar sprinkled on top was my other big craving.
[This message has been edited by KarenT (edited February 26, 2000).]

I can say that I did not eat peanuts while I was pregnant. I don't like peanuts and did not use peanut butter. In the time since conception to now (my son is eight months old) we have had peanut products a total of three times - in cookies. So I believe this should take some guilt off of those of you who are feeling it. My doctor even questioned me about it. They (doctors) must be trying to figure out what causes this allergy. I can honestly say that it wasn't something that I ate during the pregnancy. I think the fact that my husband had unknown allergies as a child would be more of an influence. My doctor provided me with a sheet when you are pregnant or nursing and have allergies in your family. Things like staying away from peanuts was on it but only if you had a family history. Don't feel any guilt over eaten peanuts. You can only go on from today and take care of your children now.

I also ate alot of peanut butter when I was pregnant and while I nursed my son. He was horribly cranky and had alot of gastro distress when he was an infant and develped ezema on his skin at around 6 weeks of age. At 12 months he had his first peanut butter sandwich and had a full blow allergic reaction. He is 14 now and is severely life-threatning allergic to Peanuts, Soy Protein and all Nuts. While my son was an infant and uncomfortable with his gastro problems, skin problems and general crankiness, not One Doctor ever thought to mention the connection between peanut sensativity and nursing. I strongly believe there is a large corrolation between the two. I would suggest to everyone to stay away from peanuts and soy protein during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Some hospital should do a study on the relationship...

I ate very little peanut products while pregnant and I also nursed my son, now 4 years old. He was the perfect infant and had no problems nursing, sleeping but just had minor ezema. My husband has minor allergies but no food allergies so there could be many factors contributing to this. We found out about his life threatning allergy when he was 8 months old. He had a lump in his neck (not visible) and the ear, nose, throat dr referred us to an allergen dr who performed the skin test and found this out. Thank God we found out this way and not by a reaction!

There are several threads on this board about pregnancy and peanuts, all of which are extremely informative........