Alison Green
Moderator

Hi, I'm Alison and I moderate the Allergy, Eczema and Lactose Intolerance forum.

It's a subject close to my heart because I've had asthma, eczema and allergies since I was a baby, and my little girl has eczema and is allergic to cows' milk. I hope that by sharing my experiences on the forum, I can offer support to others coping with an allergic or food-intolerant child.

I'm 38, married to Andy, and we have two children - Juliette born in May 2001, and Matthias born in February 2003. I work as a consultant for a company in London but split my time between the UK and France, where we bought a house in 1997. Our plan is for both children to grow up and attend school in France; we live in a small village which has its own primary school, and Juliette will be joining the kindergarten class in September 2003. She currently attends a French-speaking crèche twice a week and is bilingual. Her French pronunciation is already better than mine!

Both my children were born in France and it has been interesting to compare and contrast my experiences with those of mothers in the UK. Living abroad, I've found my babyworld antenatal clubs a very important form of support, especially during my first pregnancy when I had several episodes of threatened pre-term labour (fortunately for us, Juliette was eventually born at term, weighing 6lb 10oz, after a straightforward labour). Naturally when I found out I was pregnant with Matthias, I immediately signed up for my new Babyworld club! My pregnancy with Matthias went much more smoothly, though he kept us waiting - he was born 10 days overdue weighing in at a healthy 8lb 11oz. I'm now moderating the February 2003 postnatal club.

I'm definitely an outdoor girl - my hobbies are rock-climbing, cycling and gardening. Unfortunately I don't get much time these days for the first two, but we do have a large, organic vegetable garden which keeps us supplied with fruit and veg for most of the year. Matthias will be starting on solids quite soon and it's good to know that the vegetables he'll be eating will be as fresh as they possibly can be! I like to make my own baby food because I can exclude ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction.

If you have any concerns about eczema, allergies or lactose intolerance, do come and join us on the forum. There is sure to be someone who has had a similar experience, and it's always good to hear from other parents who are coping with the same difficulties.

I look forward to meeting you all!

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