Allergies to food?

By Sara Weisman

So, I’m vegan, and I am trying to eat as healthily as possible. Kelly and I have actually changed our diet substantially since I became pregnant. For instance, we buy all this whole-grain stuff now instead of more processed grains (whole wheat flour, whole wheat pasta, soba noodles, brown rice). We are also experimenting with more high-protein foods. Last night we cooked with seitan for the first time, and it was a success.

But, I have also been having more heartburn. Pregnancy leads to more heartburn, but if you have a wheat allergy or something, so does eating more whole-wheat foods (I think). Does anyone know how I can go get tested for food allergies? Or should I wait until I am not pregnant any more?

EDIT:

I called the allergist’s office in my medical practice, and they said that they don’t test for food allergies during pregnancy.  This makes sense, because if you end up having a major reaction it might affect the baby or something, or even just lower your general health for a while.  But this also sucks, because what if I am having smallish reactions all the time?  The eight most common food allergies are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and wheat.  I already don’t eat milk, eggs, fish, or shellfish, and have stopped eating peanut butter since I got pregnant.  I seem to eat tree nuts with impunity, but I have noticed mild reactions to both soy and wheat lately.  But I need those things to be vegan!

3 Responses to “Allergies to food?”

  1. alex Says:

    Heartburn is super super common during pregnancy. I would attribute it to that and see if it resolves after the birth. MedlinePlus, a service of the NLM has great home care advice. Check it out. It still might not get better. You organs are shifting!

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003114.htm

  2. alex Says:

    Also, I’m seeing that the main foods which can trigger heartburn include: alcohol, caffeine, carbonated beverages, chocolate, citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, tomato sauces, spicy or fatty foods, full-fat dairy products, peppermint, and spearmint. Not wheat.

  3. lookingforwards Says:

    Yeah, I guess it’s not just heartburn, but with soy milk I get a tummy ache and my throat gets itchy and swollen, while with whole wheat I tend to get a lot of acid regurgitation, and sometimes a tummy ache to boot. Blech! It’s not really a problem with soy products other than soy milk, although I have no idea why that would be. Similarly, processed wheat is less of a problem than whole wheat.

    Thanks for the heartburn link, though!

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