Confusion about eggs and Nutella! Blw 7 month olds.

[Uglybethy]

Not together, although perhaps!!
Started blw with my now seven month old twin girls a month ago. It's going brilliantly... They are really into loaded spoons right now and I think they'll be ready for dipping before I know it!
Anyway, no imediate family with allergies but two of their first cousins have slight egg white, nut and shellfish allergies (they get rashly or itchy but do not swell up at all and take an OTC antihistamine if really worried).
I really want to introduce eggs to them and (occasionally) Nutella as well, just because I want us to eat together and for them try whatever I'm eating etc... They are very intrigued by what I eat and I don't want there to be many 'no no's' when it come to there interest in foods, especially new foods.
Any thoughts on introducing eggs and nut spreads like Nutella?

[michaeljacknnugg]

I would tread carefully on allergens as they are quite young still and because of the slight allergy their cousins have. I think eggs are generally encouraged after six months though?

As for nutella, I don't know your feelings on sweet stuff but we certainly avoided all chocolate until DS was at least one. I think a lot of mums try to avoid sweetened food long after that too - the reason being that you want them to get their taste buds around as much naturally sweet food as possible. That way they can enjoy fruit, natural yoghurt etc as they grow older.

[creations]

Agree with pp.
I would give them eggs and just watch for any reaction (it tends to be the second time I believe that a reaction shows) but nutella is seriously high sugar.  Whatever junk I eat I eat out of sight of DS, that way he is not excluded or told her can't have it. They are super young to introduce sugary foods. I let DS eat sugar birthday cake or an occasional biscuit so he is not left out but he is almost 3yo. At under 1yo he had only sugar free cake, muffins etc and no chocolate or sugar or syrup of any kind.  Fruit and certain vegetables are sweet enough.
There are some great options on peanut butter out there, sugar free if you search.  Perhaps you could switch to that instead?  As for trying nuts I would just do it, smooth peanut butter, no whole nuts at this age.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

The newest guidelines are to introduce allergenic foods early and often to avoid allergies developing...they seem to change that every few years though! I would go ahead with egg but be careful not to intro anything else new at the same time.

Just a side note regarding the cousins allergy...the thing is that past reactions do not predict future reactions so what seems like a slight allergy could be very serious the next time. This site is an awesome allergy resource: http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org

[Mashi]

With eggs I always thought it is the white that causes allergy and not the yolk? At least that was the guideline at the time when ds was a baby. He had allergies so we went slow. But I did do egg yolks only at about 7or 8 months. It was a waste of whites for sure but a better mother than me would make meringues I guess???  After 12 months we did whites as well.

Same with nut spreads...we waited until 12 months old but a lot of that advice varies around the world. 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Yup the whites are more likely to cause allergies...I did the same and tossed them! Spencer was the one I fed them to early and she turned out to be allergic. Go figure!

[Uglybethy]

Thank you all so much for your prompt replies!
I think it's the constantly changing advice re allergens that has me wondering... Introduce early and often vs holding off.
I'm going to try eggs (well cooked through) in the next couple of days I think in tiny amounts and watch closely.
As for the Nutella, well of course you are all right. I think I wanted permission to be playful in this wonderful playful stage of development, but of course introducing Nutella has only my interests at heart (she says whilst chomping down, while babes nap, on lashings of Nutella on warm white packet bread toast hehe!).
Thanks again!
Beth

[TB9]

I was told egg yolk was ok after 6months.  Nuts are big no nos for now according to most peds in my area.  I think they recommend waiting until 2yo now, or maybe sooner but recommend you wait until LO can tell you if they are having trouble breathing.  We still havent tried nuts with dd1 because her cousin has a very serious nut allergy, and her cousin has no family history of nut allergy, so it was unexpected for the family that he had one.

[Uglybethy]

Yes, what a great point actually! To wait until they can communicate appropriately re breathing ir itchiness etc...
Thank you!

[creations]

I think I wanted permission to be playful in this wonderful playful stage of development, but of course introducing Nutella has only my interests at heart (she says whilst chomping down, while babes nap, on lashings of Nutella on warm white packet bread toast hehe!).

I am ashamed of the amount of junk I eat once DS has gone to bed. Pre-baby I almost never ate cake, chocolates, sweets or biscuits, only had jam on my toast a couple of times per year...now I chow down on cr@p every evening, it's shocking, I blame it on long term sleep deprivation and looking for 'energy' from sugar sources instead of sleep which is what I really need.  it isn't a pretty sight, a full pack of jaffa cakes in one hit 

You are right about it being a playful time, I thoroughly enjoyed BLW and just loved cooking and eating with my LO, watched with amazement as he picked up foods and ate them with gusto, it was such a fun time and had me enthralled at every meal. But you know they enjoy the food without it being junk, there are SO many new flavours and textures to explore without it being any sort of sugar.  There are some really lovely treats you can bake too so both of you can enjoy a 'treat' together whilst it being totally wholesome. Sugar free muffins are so easy to make, sweetened with ripe banana, sultanas or grated sweet potato or carrot, they are actually yummy and then you don't need any one's permission yk? At my LOs 1yo birthday we went to a restaurant, being 1yo he couldn't really wait for the good to be cooked so I cracked open the tin of birthday muffins and let him fill his face - a few people on the next table tutted but everyone at my table knew they were sugar free and contained 2 of his five a day and a small portion of protein to boot 
I think the other thing to bare in mind is their tummies are SO small at this age (and even older toddlers) that really you don't want any empty calories, you need eat bite to be something healthy from one of the food groups.  But it doesn't need to be dull.

Continue to enjoy your BLW journey, it was one of the most exciting developments here, and a lovely bonding experience too x

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Creations I am the same way, stuffing my face come evening with all sorts of crap...it is a really good thing DD3 has intolerances and I am bf so had to cut many things out or it would be way worse!

Nuts are big no nos for now according to most peds in my area.  I think they recommend waiting until 2yo now, or maybe sooner but recommend you wait until LO can tell you if they are having trouble breathing.

Tbh I really don't understand why that would be a recommendation...any food is a potential allergen (I will stay off my soapbox regarding peanut allergies, except to say that while they get the attention and media hype there are kids like my nephew who would die if they ingested kiwi) and you can never truly know when feeding what the rxn to anything will be. Yes, there are foods likely to be more allergenic (those ones they label for) but it isnt a given.

 Also, while family history of allergies, asthma or ezcema make it more likely your child will develop an allergy, it does not mean they will become allergic to the same things...they inherit the allergic tendency not the actual allergy if that makes sense. That said, I still have not had the courage to feed my 5 year old nuts of any kind! But we have 3 nephews/nieces with nut allergies so itnis more because I dont want my kitchen/home contaminated when they come over.

[TB9]

they inherit the allergic tendency not the actual allergy if that makes sense.

I guess this is why the peds here say to wait...dds ped said that if she is allergic, she is allergic, whether we give at 9mo, 1yo or 5yo, etc.  So he recommended to wait until she could talk better.  And now we are waiting until dd2 can try nuts before letting dd1 because we don't want dd1 to accidentally give some to dd2 when she can't tell us if something is wrong.

Heidi - Our ped actually asks that we hold off on the most allergenic foods until certain ages to avoid those types of random allergic reactions.  There are lots of foods that other LOs are eating at dd2s age that dd2 isn't eating yet, on the recommendation of her ped.

I should add that kiwi is not one that the ped warned against!  That is a weird one.  I think they caution against the most likely allergens and hope for the best!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

That is one forward thinking ped! Our allergist had us leave off nuts & seafood until age 3 but she had already had the rest of the top allergens anyways. I made sure my sister was here with her boys collection of epi pens when I did feed seafood...not sure what approach to take with E though. At least we have a small hospital a couple of blocks away if anything happened.