Argh!!! Flippin picky, allergic kid

[Heartmum2Jamie]

Sorry, this is likely to more of a rant than anythng that anyone can atcually help with, but hopefully I will feel better for getting it off my chest.

As a recap, DS2 was diagnosed at 19 months with dairy, egg, nuts and wheat allergies. We also avoid soya as it gives him tummy ache in large amounts.

DS2 is also very picky. Not suprising I suppose, part of normal toddler development, but could also be allergy related. We have always closely monitored ds's eating habits as he has a heart condition, so we try and feed him healthily, but make sure his food hads plenty of calories and calcium, even though he is on a supplement

DS2 has been eating Readybrek for breakfat everyday for nearly 2 years. He has always eaten brekkie with gusto, the only meal he does. This last few weeks, he has been eating less and less and for the last few days, telling me he doesn't like it Now I am at a loss as to what to try him on. He really liked a cereal called Gorila Munch, although he only ever had it dry, has never tried cereal and rice milk together. Tesco (and all other supermarkets) no longer stock it and it appears i can only buy it from somewhere like goodness direct at £2.50 + postage ) And even if i do buy some in, I can't guarentee he would like it with ricemilk. He needs his ricemilk for the added calcium, but won't drink it on it's own.

Anyone have any other suggestons for brekki to try, before I tear my hair out?! I am currently a very frustrated mummy!

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Waitrose still sell Gorilla Munch .

[Saturn74]

DS2 is allergic to wheat and dairy.
He likes bacon on wheat-free toast.
Porridge made with rice milk, with maple syrup drizzled over the top.
Fruit salad.
Alpro soya yoghurt, particularly the strawberry ones.
Our local Holland & Barrett stocks Gorilla Munch.

[Heartmum2Jamie]

Thanks! I thought that Holland & Barrat might be my best bet around here. It's not very big, but worth a shot. Waitrose, should have known, the nearest one is miles from here, lol!

He loves toast, but already lives on it for other meals. He has wheat free bread for lunch and often tea as well, if he is not having smiles. He is sooo picky and fussy, but I refuse to allow him to have bread at every meal. Tried porridge, he hated it, although maple syrup is a good idea, might try that in his ready brek tommorow, I have to finish the box anyway. Problem is, I wil be tempted to eat it and I'm on a diet, boohoo! I definately need him to keep up his calciu intake through breakfast and rice milk becuase he won't touch a veg at all. I was hoping that the paed psych could help there, but she seems to think he is fine as he is and doesn't want to work with him too much until he outgrows his allergies

Maybe I could try ds on the little fruit pots he eats with something. I am unsure which is worse, the allergic child or the picky/fussy child, but to have both in 1 kid is just darn unlucky, roflmao!

[hennipenni]

Sainsburies also stock Gorrila Munch.

[Heartmum2Jamie]

Thank-you Hennipennie, I will go and have a look tomorrow, I have a large sainsburys near here Will try the maple syrup in the morning before the store opens though!

[Heartmum2Jamie]

HP, you are a star!!! Thanks so much, managed to pick up 2 boxes. He loves it dry, hopefully will eat it with a bit of ricemilk on it too.

[Isababel]

Oh Kerry... just when I was about to write it down in my shopping list! [stick tongue out emoticon!)

[twentypence]

If he is on a calcium supplement can you up that a little bit to make up for the rice milk disappearing? Apart from the calcium it is pretty empty nutritionally anyway.

Ds goes off sloppy breakfast every now and then, and only wants dry. Then he gets a cold and it becomes clear that the two are related.

To get milk on cereal we gave ds a teeny tiny jug and let him add his own.

[BernieBear]

I know this feeling, my ds too is also allergic to dairy, milk and nuts and very very picky!

He too goes through stages of wanting dry cereal.

Rice Krispies is a good one! You can also make rice krispie cakes with dairy free chocolate. (for use in bribery!!!)

My ds used to hate veg too, he now eats carrots as I grew some in the garden and he was able to see where they came from IYSWIM. (You can use pots if space is limited)

To get other veg into him I make soup (with potatoes) he does eat that. Also use the blender a lot to disguise the use of vegetables.

Someone on here once said that allergic children are fussy because they have an inbuilt wariness of food. Therefore showing them where the food comes from (i.e. the carrots) they then understand. Not sure if this is right, but it certainly worked for me.

[Heartmum2Jamie]

Thanks Berniebear!

I had also heard that about allergic children. I suppose I can't strictly say that ds won't eat veg as he did have a little bit of homemade veg soup over the weekend, completely organic and homegrown too . It was yummy. This is our first year growing our own veg and so far, he still refuses it all, although he enjoys helping out. Maybe our single little corn on the cob will convince him?!

Tried ds with gorila munch and provamel rice milk this morning, he liked it for the first few mouthfuls and then told he he didn't like it and refused to eat anymore. I think he probably didn't like it once it started to go soft (he had problems with food texture and feel for months and months, but is doing better). Mind you, I don't like soggy cereal either .

Looks like brekkie will be dried cereal. I may try rice dream instead and see if I can get him to drink a bit.

[Heartmum2Jamie]

Kerry, just saw your post. That must be very frustrating for you. Although we were told the ds is allergic to nuts, he has never had a reaction, so we were told we probably didn't have to avoid traces, although I try my best to avoid traces too.

Twentypence: I am not sure if I should up his calcium supplement as I know there is alot of debate about whether it is good for children to be on it anyway, something to do with vitamin D. I can see a phoncall coming into the dietician today. Shame, I was only thinking last month how well we were doing

[tatt]

heartmumtojamie - no practical suggestions, just sympathy. I find the pickiness (my child too, but not the same foods) annoying too. Has anyone suggested a food trial for the nuts? Your child is either allergic to them (in which case they need to avoid eventraces) or not - when you'd be smiling. Not sure how old he is now or how high his tests results were - they don't do food trials if the test results are high but then they should tell you to avoid traces. If the levels are low enough to risk traces they should arrange a food trial.

[Heartmum2Jamie]

Thanks Tatt. DS is 3, was 20 months when diagnosed. I think he tested at grade 3 for nuts and egg, grade 2 for eggs and grade 1 for wheat.

We are due to see his consultant next month and I will certainly be asking about getting him re-tested and doing a challenge.

[Heartmum2Jamie]

Opps, I meant grade 2 for dairy

[tatt]

sorry I don't know what level they consider safe to risk a food challenge or nuts - just know my child's was too high. I think 3 is seen as pretty high still but maybe someone else has managed to get a food challenge and will have a better idea.

[Isababel]

Tatt, in this side of the country, they only do food challenges if the child is 5 or older AND if there is enough evidence to suggest the allergy has been outgrown.

Last time in the allergic clinic there was a 12 years old having a food challenge, the poor thing was so stressed up at putting them in her mouth ... Now, thinking of that... how is it that they were given her nuts while sitting in the same waiting room where other allergic children were waiting to be retested? [rolls eyes up emoticon)

[tatt]

testing at 5 makes sense because they may have outgrown the allergy then and you don't have to worry as much about choking risk.

Don't think the op should be told its OK to risk traces if it isn't ok to food challenge!

We had a level 3 test result for a food my (over 5) child can eat quite safely and were still not offered a food challenge - useless paediatrician! I didn't push for it because didnt want to take resources that might be needed for someone else. Now I wonder if I should have asked for a food challenge for the other new positives.

[Heartmum2Jamie]

I think that is the problem in the UL Tatt, the information from one consultant to the next is so differnt, not to mention people from different departments. Ds's paed tells me one thing, his other paed (the one who diagnosed his allergies, he's a gastroenterologist with specialities in food allergies and nutrition) tells me something else and his dietician, something completely different to the both, never mind his cardiologist, GP or HV. It is no wonder I am never sure what to do for the best.

DS has an appt in 3 weeks, on the 21st and I will definately be asking exactly when the re-testing will be and if the results are promising, about the challenge. I am not looking forward to that part at all, particularly nuts, although it will be interesting to see the difference in his numbers, especially as I heard the RAST's are not very accurate in the under 2's.

[Heartmum2Jamie]

Opps, should say UK