Breast feeding and potential allergies?

[Tiedietop]

I've been advised to avoid nut/peanuts through this pregnancy as lo's dad is allergic. I'm planning to bf once they've arrived and wondering whether I'll still be advised to avoid nuts while breastfeeding?

I realise this is something I need to ask my midwife about but I keep thinking about odd times while I'm stood staring longingly at the snickers in the vending machine at work so I thought I'd ask here in the meantime

I think its unusual for you to avoid them if you don't have the allergy. Who has advised this?

I'm sure I've read that the mother eating peanuts during pregnancy helped lower the risk of allergy in the baby so best not to avoid them

It was my midwife that advised me to avoid them.
From what I understand that is the case generally but as lo's dad has a severe allergy and allergies can be hereditary, and in that case will develop even with early introduction it, it's best in our case to avoid.
I'm very much not an expert tho unfortunately and I'm not sure whether the benefits of early introduction outweighs the risk of a reaction once lo is born and a reaction can be seen and reacted to ??

If I were you, I'd do some proper research in to this yourself. Guidance seems to change often. I definitely would not rely on what your midwife says as it's a complicated issue and she may not be up to date.

www.anaphylaxis.org.uk

Maybe you can find out from the anaphylaxis society ⬆️. I've found them to be an invaluable resource.

I realise this is something I need to ask my midwife

^ make contact with your local breastfeeding support group, NCT or otherwise. Very few midwives or health visitors have training on even the basics of breastfeeding.

Might be worth talking to the National Breastfeeding Helpline: 0300 100 0212 as midwives training on breastfeeding is limited so they may not know the answer and err on the side of caution rather than providing the full evidence based information

Avoiding nuts in pregnancy to avoid an allergy isn't advised anymore.

And I was never advised to avoid it when breastfeeding either (my DH also has an anaphylactic allergy to nuts and peanuts). GPs and HVs didn't have much (any) info on this, so we just carefully introduced nuts at 6 months as that seemed to be the best advice I could find from my research.

Thank you for the resources and advice!

Ex also has other food allergies that I've not been told to avoid so it's all a bit muddled and I did wonder but I'd put that down to them being less severe and also developing later in life so being less likely to be hereditary?

I have tried to do my own research but it's quite overwhelming and feels like a bit of a minefield!

Unfortunately the only breastfeeding group near me is just a meet up for breastfeeding mothers and expectant mothers to get together (which is lovely but not great for actual medical advice)

Ok so in that case contact the La leche League or the NCT breastfeeding helpline anytime you need advice.