Talking Allergies

We are from Alberta and planning a trip to Paradise Island, Bahamas with our 18 month old daughter who is severely allergic to eggs and dairy. We are not staying at Atlantis but a less expensive hotel near by. Does anybody have any tips about travelling to the Bahamas?

We are planning to go grocery shopping when we get there as we will have a fridge in the room. We also plan to bring some items like rice milk and bread etc. If we go to a restaurant, we plan to order her plain things like a grilled chicken breast (even though she can be picky and may not eat it).

Any other ideas for travelling with a toddler with allergies would be greatly appreciated. This is our first trip overseas with our little one!

Lauren's Mom,
We travelled last year to the Bahama's but with a cruise so I think our expereince was likely different from yours. What did work was have individual tetra packs of milk that could go in our suitcases, pack of oatmeal and cereal were also good. You can also try packing Mr. Freezies adn perhaps your hotel could put them in their freezer for you. One other tip we used was making our own ice milk. We put soy chocolate milke in a ziplock, then put this bag into another zip lock with ice and salt, keep shaking the bag and the chocolate turns into a slushy ice cream.
Stephanie
Good luck to you

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myself -Shell Fish, asthma, environmental allergies
Husband - Environmental allergies
7 year old- peanut, environmental
5 year old- eggs, nuts, fish, peas, environmental, and asthma.

Get a Dr's note advising you to bring certain foods. I know there are regulations regarding what you can bring onto the airplane but I also know of parents who brought much more and were able to because they had Dr's letters.
Bring extra auto injectors and carry them on the plane.
Advise the hotel staff and ask for housekeeping to be extra thorough at vacuuming.
If you are eating at restaurants call ahead during quiet times and ask many questions regarding how foods are prepared and what else is cooked on the same grill etc. Discuss it again when you go. Tip well and say thank you to all who go out of thier way to keep your little one safe.
I hope you have a great trip!

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Susan and Stephanie,

Thanks so much for those tips! You both gave us great ideas that we had not thought of!

We are planning to go to the Doctor this month so we will ask for a note.

Those "ice cream" treats sound like a great idea...

Thanks again

Lauren's Mom - Allergic Living's next issue (out mid-December) will have an extensive feature on travelling south with allergic children. If you haven't subscribed, there's a couple more days to the list cutoff. Otherwise, you can look for it in Chapter's in the health section.

Definitely lots of good ideas in it. Gwen

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Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

Gwen,

Thanks for the heads up! I've been meaning to subscribe for awhile; now I have a really good excuse to go ahead!

Its probably too late, but if you can get a room with a kitchen, it will allow you to cook meals in the room and make your life much easier. We always try to stay somewhere with a kitchen. If you can't get a full kitchen, ask if they hotel can provide a microwave or toaster. Also, I noticed on other posts that people bring their own grills to cook food, just check the voltage to make sure its compatible.

Take all the special food you need for the trip in a checked suitcase (bread, pasta, cookies, cereal, etc). Include a freezer bag if you need special margarine, etc. Do not count on getting special allergy free foods in the Bahamas (like egg replacer). If you are taking liquids, be sure to pack them in your checked suitcase. A Doctor's note will not get you through security with more than 100 ml of liquid (unless its a prescription maybe). Check the import laws for the Bahamas (and USA if you are flying through the USA). Most countries allow you to bring in dried goods, but have restrictions on meat and fresh fruit. Take a simple meal for your first night if you are getting in late to avoid having to shop right away.

We avoid eating out as much as possible and cook our own meals, but if you eat out, stick to plain foods (like grilled chicken) with no sauces. Try to go to small restaurants and speak directly to the cook to avoid miscommunication. Stress that it is life-threatening.

Take 4 EpiPens/Twinjects with you and a letter from your doctor (do not check them). Don't eat any food on the plane, bring your own. Find out where the nearest hospital and doctor are to where you are staying before you go.

As Gwen says, you may want to check out my article in Allergic Living about travelling with allergies.

I find I can relax more when I am there if I have done lots of prep work.

Scott

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9 yr old daughter - no allergies
7 yr old daughter - allergic to peanuts, nuts, sesame, kiwi, soy

I find that the internet is a great resource for investigating what is available at your destination.
I have used parenting forums to target FA families and ask what they feel is safe in their area. Of course, you still need to make the phone calls to verify for yourself that it is indeed safe but it's a great starting point. It can save time and agravation when you get there.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Lauren's mom,

How did your trip to the Bahamas go? We are thinking of booking a trip there for April - 10 snowstorms in one winter is just too many! We will be renting a condo with a kitchen. Did you find any decent grocery stores? How about restaurants? My son has severe allergies to peanuts, treenuts, egg, dairy, fish and soy - and minor allergies to nightshades. I would love to hear about your experience.

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Son 7 yrs: Anaphylactic to eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, tree nuts and allergic to soy, animals & environmental + Asthma.
Daughter 9 yrs: No allergies!
Me: Allergic to animals & environmental.
Hubby: Allergic to deer, horse flies & bees.