Peanut butter in pregnancy - do you or don't you?

[mrsbabookaloo]

So I gave up peanut butter when pg and bfing dd. The research is a bit contradictory and my instinct says that it should be better to actually expose them to potential allergens, but I thought I'd better be on the safe side.

When I asked the doctor, she clearly hadn't a clue, but said, "well, it's not that big a sacrifice is it?" and made me feel like I was being greedy and selfish wanting to eat peanut butter during pgy.

In fact, it was a massive sacrifice. I love peanut butter and eat it everyday. I get massive energy dips and get grumpy, so I need proteiny snacks. During pregnancy last time I was horribly sick and needed to be able to eat anything I could face that would give me energy.

I know other people who happily ate peanut butter throughout because they didn't know. I read too much!

Pg again now and not sick yet, but want to be prepared and don't want to give up my precious peanut butter for another 18 months!

I don't have any allergies but dh has hayfever and cat allergy. DD doesn't seem to have any so far (she is 2). We're not a very allergy prone household, I don't think.

Any experts out there? Sorry for long post TIA

i'm no expert, just a fellow peanut butter lover. i ate it all the time in pregnancy, and now, breastfeeding. midwives said it was fine - not that anyone knows for sure.

I am a fan, I am 24 weeks, and I have been eating it lots, in fact at one point it was all I could stomach. I did lots of reading and (as is the way of research) found it to be contradictory. I did find something that said allergies to peanuts have increased in the time the govt have been advising none in pregnancy, and that was kinda good enough for me!!

But it did also say if there were allergies in your family there was more of a reason to avoid it - so depends how you feel about dh's hayfever etc? My brother seems to be allergic to things but only in his 30's and frankly I think he is attention seeking (but that's another story...) I think its your call!!

Yes, the sdvice is very contradictory. I'm currently 27wks and avoiding peanut butter. (Don't really mind that, but miss my snickers bars!)

My DD has a severe egg allergy, and when I asked if I should avoid that too, the allergy specialist said that eating egg will be fine. Don't get it

I've avoided them while pregnant and now bfing. Although once or twice I've forgotten and eaten some. But it wouldn't surprise me if at some point in the future we're advised to eat as many as we can lay our sticky paws on, because that seems to be the nature of official advice to pregnant women!

I too love peanut butter!

BUT...I am not eating peanuts (in any form) whilst PG because DH has bad eczema and I have been advised not to have peanuts as a result.

I read various things during my pregnancy, and as far as I could tell if you have no history of nut allergies, asthma or excema in either family (dps or yours) then it shouldn't be a problem. I actually love peanuts and peanutty things (snickers ) but hate peanut butter - tis something to do with the texture - but I certainly ate peanuts throughout my pregnancy. Ds (4.6) is fine. Not sure what the current guidelines say though.

i ate it and was told less likel;y to get allergy if exposed early enough who knows ds is fine though

they do say babies are not exposed to enough early enough and this is what causes allergies but as i say truth in that im not sure but i did eat it and ds is fine

I'm peanutting

I am also peanutting - my mum ate them when she was pg with me (there again she also smoked whilst pg with me) but I have no ill effects from all that and am a tall slim high achiever with no allergies, dontcha know!

I have no nut allergy, so am carrying on having peanut butter as and when I feel like it, and mixed nuts too

I Ate nuts and seeds to my hearts content, no allergies or seemingly related conditions in dc (4 of them). Baby has started scoffing tahini and p-butter in last month with no ill effects.

There are some allergies (allergic type conditions, like hayfever, asthma, eczema) in the extended family, although only nut-related one is a cousin of DH's who developed nut allergy in one of her pregnancies (and has it since, apparently).

I am eating peanut butter and cannot get enough peanuts and raisins, and I did it for first baby too, (although he has not had a peanut yet so I don't know if he is allergic or not)

I am eating peanuts right now, so I hope it's ok! No-one in the family has any allergies we know about, so am assuming it'll be alright.

i was told to avoid it if either myself or baby's daddy have asthma or hayfever type allergies. DH does, so i have avoided them just in case.

I eat peanuts... yum yum yum

I'm adicted to peanuts atm, and haven't given them up in any any pregnancy. The only circumstances I'd be wary would be if there was a history of this type of allergy in your family, and even then, I agree with you, instinctively, it make smore semse to expose the baby to them.

I don't usually eat it but I craved it at the begining of my pregnancy - haven't had any for about a week now - but an going to have a sandwich right now - I'm 34 weeks now.
I didn't crave it in my first pregnancy. I'm glad I saw this thread.

Defo eat it - the advice changed last year when they did a survey and the rate of peanut allergies had gone up in the UK - the only region who had been told to lay off the stuff! Now they think not eating it makes it worse. Lol. Do what you like... in moderation and you'll be fine. I think with all this stuff you have to follow your instinct because most of the advice is outdated or badly researched bollocks.

all the stuff about cheese/salmon/pate etc... you can get listeria from lettuce. does anyone ever mention that?

yep, that's one of my pet prego hates the whole nut allergy thing. seems pretty stupid to me. i'm eating snickers num num!

I ate loads of peanut butter throughout both my pregnancies....my midwife said I shouldnt if there was a family history of nut allergies, there isnt so I munched away. I gave up smoking, drinking, soft cheeses, pate etc etc.....I was not going to give up my peanut butter sandwiches!!

Me and DH are allergic to just about everything between us and jointly suffer from hayfever, asthma and eczema, so I didn't. DS is only 5 weeks old, so too soon to tell if any major allergies.

The jury is still out. Current evidence is veering towards that it is lack of exposure that is the problem. There are some controlled trials going on at the moment. If very concerned you could speak to an ' allergist' - not one of those Chinese Herbal people but a Specialist in immunology/allergies. St Thomas' in London are interested in this I think.

I have no history of allergies and so happily ate peanuts and gave my baby peanut butter early without concern.

I suffer from eczema & hayfever and avoided peanuts during my first pregnancy (although forgot once or twice). Breastfed for 17 months and avoided peanuts for maybe 9 months of that. DS now 18 months and eats his fair share of peanut butter with no signs of any allergy.

Am now 32 weeks pg and decided not to bother avoiding peanuts this time - the evidence is so inconclusive and it has always seemed counter-intuitive to avoid them anyway tbh.

I am eating less peanuts & peanut butter than I would normally though, not because I'm consciously avoiding them but because oddly enough nuts of any type are about the one thing I haven't fancied quite as much during either pregnancy. I'm just taking the view that my body is telling me how much to eat.

I'm peanutting too!

This thread is making me drool!
I love peanut butter, but DH is anaphylactic to all nuts, so I haven't eaten the peanutty ambrosia for over 7 years [dribbles on keyboard emoticon]