Thank you for visiting the Black Allergy Mama (BAM) blog. My intention behind BAM was to create a space for community among parents of allergy kids. As a parent of two sweet girls, one with food allergies and the other without, I’ve realized how important it is for us to rely on one another for support. Black Allergy Mama is where I share allergy-friendly recipes, tips I’ve learned along the way, and resources that have helped me throughout my journey as an allergy parent. My hope is for you to find something here that helps you along yours!
We were blessed to welcome our first daughter Emory into this work back in 2018. At four months old she began exhibiting symptoms of food allergies. What’s interesting about this is she was exclusively breastfed until she was 9 months old. This means that the allergens she was consuming were coming through my breastmilk. I can’t tell you how many times her pediatrician tried to convince us that what we were seeing was “baby acne,” not eczema and that we shouldn’t worry. We were also flooded with articles from friends and family regarding the rarity of allergens passing through my breastmilk. After several scary flareups and allergy attached my husband and I decided to take her to a pediatric allergist for testing.
Following a skin prick test (SPT) we learned that Emory was allergic to the Top 8 most common allergens, pollen, and pets. This turned our lives completely upside down. I knew that I didn’t want to end our breastfeeding journey so soon and committed to removing all allergens from my diet. We gave our pet cat away and clean our home from top to bottom. Little did we know that this was only a part of the solution.
We’ve spent the last 4 years creating a safe space for Emory to grow and thrive. We’ve read every manual, chatted with every expert, and read every food label with the hopes of learning just a bit more about ways to keep our daughter safe. She teaches us so much. Every day she appears to master a new task, and we love to watch her grow. As an infant, we were always on edge about everything, little things like her first cold or her diet. We’ve begun to relax a bit, and it feels so good. She’s becoming a little person now, with her feelings, emotions, and sense of humor. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t have us bent over in laughter at something she’s (knowingly or unknowingly) said or done.
As her mom, I have a great responsibility to ensure that she grows up confident, healthy, and, most importantly, loved. Our journey together will sometimes be painful, but I am approaching all with an open heart and mind today.
The more we realize how
much, as moms, we have in common, the stronger we can all be for one another.
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