Allergy to go bag

When you have a child with food allergies you need to be a little more prepared than the average mom. Your diaper bag tends to weigh a bit more. And we're not talking extra diapers.

The good news: your bag eventually gets lighter, because you get rid of those diapers. The bad news: that's about all you get rid of.

So, what's a mom to pack to get her allergic kiddo out the door and safely around town? Here's a quick peek at what I carry (aside from the obvious baby accessories like diapers!)

• Baby wipes- I still carry them, and my allergic baby is now 8. They come in handy for wiping off restaurant tables, picnic areas, random kids at storytime sporting pb&j fingers and faces, and of course wiping off those annoying mystery rashes caused by unknown contact with allergens.
• A safe snack- because stopping for a snack while out is often not an option. When you have multiple allergies, making a quick stop for food at the corner store or local burger joint is just not a reality. Prevent meltdowns by being prepared. Yes, I have a box of safe crackers and a box of safe fruit snacks in my trunk, just in case.
• Inhaler. With spacer. Asthma and allergies often go hand in hand. (Although, in a pinch, the epi will stop an asthma attack as well.)
• Epi-Pen. Remember to ALWAYS take a two pack. I have one in my purse even though my daughter now wears one, just in case. Because an allergy mom is a lot like a girl scout: always prepared.
• Benadryl. For those random reactions that aren't quite serious enough to warrant the epi, but a bit to serious to ignore.
• A change of clothes. Yep, even now I have one in the trunk for all of my kids. First because they are kids, and you never know when gravity will overcome their ability to remain upright near a mud puddle. Secondly because allergies sometimes require a change of wardrobe. Maybe because someone decided that going down the slide with their milk chug was almost as funny as the part where it spilled all over the milk allergic kid standing at the bottom. Maybe because the last allergic reaction caused vomiting and diarrhea. You just never know.
• Band-aids. For the cracked open and oozing skin that comes from eczema, also a lovely companion of allergies.

There you have a run-down of my bare minimum. Granted, since my baby is 8 the snacks and the change of clothes can stay in the car now. What do you carry? What did I forget? I'd love to hear about it!