Where We Are Now After Our Baby's Egg Allergy Scare

Starting solids isn’t always the exciting milestone it’s made out to be — sometimes it comes with a lot of fear and second-guessing. Solids have been a bit stressful for us lately, and we’ve been pretty unsure of what to do next. After meeting with a paediatrician, we’re finally feeling like we can move forward with more ease and confidence when it comes to George eating solids. We’ve been cautiously trying new things and monitoring closely. With this newfound excitement around giving George solids, we’re exploring more textures and flavours. It’s slowly becoming fun again.

Where We Were With Solids

We’ve been a bit cautious with solids since George’s reactions. I was more eager to get him eating more solids, but Brandon wanted to wait until we saw the paediatrician. This created some stress around what we wanted to do when it came to trying new foods. We felt stuck and ended up sticking mostly to purées and mashed foods.

George loves his oat cereal, apple, banana, carrots, potatoes, and beef. It’s been going well, and we haven’t seen any other reactions, which has been so reassuring. Still, I worried that we weren’t doing enough and wanted to make sure he’s learning how to eat solids now so it doesn’t become a struggle later. I want to move on from this phase and not live in fear of what we can and can’t give him.

Paediatrician Appointment

We finally got in to see the paediatrician, and it was such an amazing appointment. I felt like all my questions were answered, and I didn’t feel rushed out the door. After reviewing all of George’s notes and hearing about his reaction to eggs, the doctor agreed that George does have an egg allergy.

He asked if we had EpiPens yet, and since no one had prescribed them, he gave us a prescription. This alone made us feel so much better — knowing that if there were ever accidental cross-contamination, we’d have something on hand to help with a severe reaction. The doctor also asked about an allergist, and we let him know we have one coming up in the next month, so that was all sorted.

While we were there, I took advantage and asked about nuts and what we should do. He told us we should be introducing them and that the fact Brandon is allergic doesn’t really mean much for George. He suggested doing a small patch test on George’s cheek and then offering a bit if there’s no reaction. Having a clear plan of action was incredibly comforting. I finally feel like I know what I need to do to make sure George is okay.

Not only did the doctor address my concerns about George’s allergies, but he also took the time to answer questions about his spit-up, which turns out is still normal and something he should grow out of as he sits more (which I’ve already noticed). He also reassured me that based on George’s weight and height, he’s growing well. Overall, George is a healthy baby, and we’re to keep doing what we’re doing. This appointment was exactly what we needed to feel confident about our next steps.

New Found Confidence

Now that we’re feeling more confident, we really want to make sure George is getting solids multiple times a day. We’re starting with twice a day, since most of his nutrients still come from my breastmilk, but we want him learning new textures and how to eat now before it becomes harder later on.

We’ve been offering more strips of food and things like beans that he can grab and hold. We’re also trying to let George feed himself, as we’ve heard this can help prevent choking since he controls how much he puts in his mouth. He’s getting pretty good at using his spoon too — once we load it for him, we let him take over.

Mealtimes are definitely messy with self-feeding, but it’s so worth it. Watching him devour his food gives us more and more confidence to keep trying new things. Solids can be scary, but we’re learning to trust the process. We’ve already seen such positive changes in how well he’s doing. Plus, George loves food — turns out he’s a foodie just like his family. This new confidence has really eased my mind when it comes to feeding him. It feels so good to be on the same page as Brandon, and I feel truly supported on this journey.

Moving Forward

We’re excited to get George eating more and more each day. While most of his nutrition still comes from my breastmilk, it’s so exciting to think about all the foods we can introduce to him. Watching him learn and start to love eating has been such a joy.

Coming from a family that loves food, it’s incredibly special seeing my little man get to taste the things we eat. He’s so interested in what we’re having, and it really feels like the best next step. I still don’t feel like I know everything — and honestly, I probably never will — but all I can do is take it day by day. George is learning, and so am I. This is all new territory for everyone involved.