Is Peanut Butter Safe to Eat During Pregnancy?

rubbyland012 · February 2013

Hello All~ I was wondering if Peanut Butter is safe to eat a lot during pregnancy. I've been eating peanut butter on my toast almost everyday, since it helps with my appetite and nausea. But I heard that it can cause your baby to have an allergic reaction to peanut/peanut butter and also cause Eczema. I asked my OB/GYn and she said it's safe to eat peanut butter, but I am still concerned about the amount that I should be eating, or if I should just avoid it all together to be safe. Your feedback will help a lot. Thank You!

RedCherry1109 · February 2013

If your OB says it's okay then you will be fine! I don't drink milk and both of my boys are allergic to milk, so you never know!!

Runaway22 · February 2013

If your OB says it's fine, it's probably fine. Ask a nutritionist if you're really concerned. I'm not sure if it's different in utero, but exposure tends to decrease the likelihood of an allergy. That's all allergy shots are... small doses of allergen to build tolerance/immunity.

BlueJewelM · February 2013

I was a scared, overly crazing FTM and avoided PB with DS.

He has a peanut allergy, no worries, extremely mild reaction, just a little red and a hive or two.

Anyway, eat your PB! I am! It's a good source of protein and I can't stop eating apples dipped in PB with pregnancy. Interested to see if this baby develops a PB allergy like his brother...but I'm 99.9 percent sure it's not caused by eating PB during pregnancy.

PrimRoseMama · February 2013

Yes.

RussianMommy · February 2013

YES

skio · February 2013

It's fine. Listen to your doctor.

Angela183 · February 2013

I eat it all the time. It's one of my very favorite foods, pregnant or not.

MrsAery-to-be · February 2013

I ate peanut butter almost daily while pregnant with DS and yes he has a moderate peanut allergy. Do I think the 2 are related, no. This time I am not eating peanut butter as much but that is because I don't crave it, not because I'm worried it will cause an allergy. I am fully prepared for this LO to have a peanut allergy as well.

magdalina.h · February 2013

Trust your OB over the internet.

TheyCalledHerKate · February 2013

Um, I hope so! I just ate toast with PB! I've never heard not to eat it.

ScarletOflaherty · February 2013

Between 2008-2010 there was speculation that that was true, but newer research says no, the very opposite in fact.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9503860/Eating-nuts-in-pregnancy-reduces-chance-of-childhood-allergy.html

dlBinger61713 · February 2013

baby Gs mommy:
if she says its fine, it should be fine. peanut better is actually a good source of protein. I could honestly eat it once a year and be fine but since being pg, I crave it with celery and on my toast every week.

This. The whole celery and pb thing. And I never ate it much before the pregnancy. There are worse things we could be eating, that's for sure!

caramia582 · February 2013

I ate peanut butter almost every day when I was pregnant with DS and he has absolutely no food allergies or eczema (which I actually have, so I'm surprised he doesn't). Personally I prefer organic peanut butter because peanuts have high levels of pesticides, but other than that it is perfectly safe.

Schell2013 · February 2013

Mine said it was safe too. I eat it all the time, its an all time favorite for me.

vintageutopia · February 2013

I ate PB like it was my job during my two previous allergies and neither one of my children have a peanut allergy. I do buy a good quality PB though, mainly because I am PB snob.

According to a few articles (think holistic-tree hugging-grass roots type publication), the thought behind why we are seeing an increase in peanut allergies has to do with the rotation of crops. Apparently, peanuts should only be grown in peanut soil, however many peanut producers rotate their crops between peanuts and cotton. Hence, the cross-contamination is what has caused an increase in allergens. I can't speak to the truth of it, but it did make sense.

duffmaker · February 2013

Um that just sounds stupid to me, I swear the things "they" tell women to avoid during pregnancy just keep adding up... pretty soon you're going to see every single pregnant women in a personal bubble.

Yes, you can eat PB during pregnancy. You can try straight peanuts too, like the ones in the shells. They helped me a TON with my nausea.

Cangel24 · February 2013

JNL$LSM:
magdalina.h:
Trust your OB over the internet.
This, I am not trying to my snarky but come on now, you asked your OB she/he said it was fine, so your going to ask the internet. I am assuming non of us are OBs.

Pretty much my thoughts, exactly. Peanut butter, really?

KikiCohen · February 2013

My OB said it's fine unless you have a strong family history of peanut allergies. Eat up!

Courtimilk · February 2013

ScarletOflaherty:
Between 2008-2010 there was speculation that that was true, but newer research says no, the very opposite in fact.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9503860/Eating-nuts-in-pregnancy-reduces-chance-of-childhood-allergy.html

This (in the UK). It's how ''they'' found out that Duchess Kate was ''pregnant'' a couple years back.

Courtimilk · February 2013

Courtimilk:
ScarletOflaherty:
Between 2008-2010 there was speculation that that was true, but newer research says no, the very opposite in fact.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9503860/Eating-nuts-in-pregnancy-reduces-chance-of-childhood-allergy.html
This (in the UK). It's how ''they'' found out that Duchess Kate was ''pregnant'' a couple years back.

EDIT!! Kate was avoiding peanut butter when the UK doctors believed that it could cause miscarriages towards babies who were allergic to peanuts. The press added two and two together and announced that she was expecting.