Did you develop/change allergies after pregnancy?

[Teenytoona]

To my knowledge, I never had allergies before (unless you count that gum makes my nose itch). Lately I'm starting to suspect that I have/am developing allergies. I can't seem to consume dairy without a major commitment to the toilet the next day, and I think cats are starting to bother me. I've never noticed these things before, and the dairy hit me out of the blue, really.

When I was a kid, my mom told me that she developed allergies after she had kids. Not sure if that was after #1 or somewhere else down the line (there are 8 of us).

So, what about you? Did you develop allergies (or did they somehow change) after pregnancy?

[changingseasons]

I chose "existing allergies changed" although I had no idea that I had food allergies before having DD. My symptoms were more subtle, and I was so used to them that I didn't there anything of it. When DD started having symptoms and I started into all my research, I found that I had food issues too.

So I really don't know for sure if I had them before pregnancy, or if pregnancy started them, or kicked them into high gear, or what.

[AlbertaJes]

I don't know for certain.

The reason I don't know, is that I've dealt with "chronic hives" (diagnosed) since I was 12. I had skin prick testing, blood tests, thyroid checks, elimination diets, everything. And I was found to have no allergies.

Fast forward to last May (about 14 years post-diagnosis). DD was almost 2, and I had been dealing with not only the hives, but heartburn so bad that I couldn't move, for months. On a whim, I eliminated dairy from my diet. About a month later, I slip and have some cream cheese on a pita. That night, I had heartburn worse than it'd ever been. And the hives. I still think there is something I'm missing, because I still get heartburn occasionally even when I'm careful, but I'm quite certain that I've got a dairy allergy.

[Wugmama]

I never had eczema until after I gave birth the first time. I didn't even know what it was - I thought I had ring worm! It has gotten worse with each pg. It now seems to be a food allergy, as evidenced by it getting better when I stopped what and dairy (dairy being the big offender I think). I think it is related to gut issues though - being depleted due to nursing and/or pg for 7 years solid, antibiotics a number of times.

~Tracy

[chantald]

Yup.. I cannot tolerate milk/dairy well.. unless I take a digestive enzyme with probiotics in it (not lactaid.. that doesn't work). My seasonal allergies are worse.. but while I was breastfeeding my asthma went away..

[kjbrown92]

I had mold allergies and 5 years of allergy shots (before, during, and after 1st pregnancy). After second child (milk/soy intolerant from birth) I went off dairy and when he weaned I celebrated with dinner out and cream/cheese everything, and left the restaurant feeling ill. Then suddenly got chronic back pain and chronic UTIs. Had third child. She had lots of food intolerances, and my back pain/UTIs got better during pregnancy and then came back 2 months after I had DD. Now, 3 years later, I went off gluten/dairy to see if it would help my back. It did, so much that I went off my pain meds. Today my back whigged out. I'm wondering if it's corn (which is one of DD's intolerances). I'm annoyed that I have these issues and my kids have these issues. I don't know which came first, the chicken or the egg?!??!

[tooticky]

I never had any sensitivities or allergies until I was pregnant with my second child. At that point I became allergic to dust mites and cats (skin prick test confirmed what I already suspected).

I'm quite annoyed by this!

[katiemoon]

I got sever dandruff with my first pregnancy, and my Midwife said it would probably go away, and that was 7 years ago, and I still use the Head and Shoulders(for ex. I also use medicated shampoo) Now that I'm back on Zyrtec, I don't have to wash my hair twice a day, but its still pretty bad. If I go more than one day without thoroughly washing my head, I'll wake up with a bloody scalp from scratching it in my sleep.

[LianneM]

OMG I've never heard anything about this before, but I know it happened to me and I thought I was crazy!

Mine is a skin thing - skin sensitivity to certain things, like chopping tomatoes or pineapple (acidic things). Also, the weirdest, is some kind of contact reaction but I don't know what it is. It's happened several times when I pushed a metal shopping cart, and once when I pushed open a metal door. It's horrible, my hand swells and itches and it's just awful.

The craziest part was the last time, the metal door, I was about to lose my mind with the itching when dd needed to nurse. As soon as she latched on, it completely went away. WTH is that about? Something about the hormonal shift?

[crunchy_mama]

I didn';t know I had any food issues beofer hand. Now I am wondering if I hadn't always had celiac disease and pregnancy just cause it to flare back up-

[allgirls]

My seasonal allergies completely disappeared and have stayed gone during my second pregnancy 15 years ago. It's a mystery to me why but I'll take it: