"Hypoallergenic" orchids?

[gringa_54]

Hey guys,
So as some of you know from a previous post I have a little baby on the way, , and we are struggling to find a place to keep the orchids, I have 5 decent sized orchids.
So the fiance is reluctant to keeping to plants in the baby's room because he is worried about allergies, he has pretty bad allergies, and I'm just allergic to cats (which i have ), so he wants me to find out if the orchids have any pollen, if any, and how much. (the fiance always has problems with his allergies and we don't know if orchids have any part in it). I thought they didn't but I am not sure.
So...in short are orchids allergy friendly?

[katsrevenge]

I can't speak for all of them. I have phals. I also have a guy who is allergic to everything that is living just about. They don't bother him.

[Stelios]

orchids to my understanding are not spreading pollen as they pack it in pollinia and wait for a pollinator to pick them up and transfer them to another flower. Fragrant orchids are also not a very common thing. I would say that if you do not touch them it is safe but the better thing would be to seek medical advice.
Although an orchid could do no harm, potting medium and fertilizers is a totally different thing.

[tansyflower]

I would also worry more about the ferts and potting mediums, especially when the baby becomes mobile.

Plus babies have a tendency to upend pots and break spikes and such (I have a two year old and he has absolutely no respect for orchids at all!!)

[kmarch]

As Stelios said above, orchids do not expel their pollen into the air like other flowers, the pollen is kept in a little "carry bag" that is transported form one flower to another by an insect. So an orchid is unlikely to produce a pollen allergy.

If you don't fertilize your orchids, any sensitivity to fertilzer is reduced. I would avoid the use of pesticides in the house.

Some people who have allergies to molds are sensitive to orchids, not because of the plant itself but because of molds that are sometimes present in the potting mix.

Also occasionally someone is sensitive to the perfume orchids produce, but I've only known a couple people who werelike this. I think it is not common but don't really know for sure.

I've never had a child so others will be better able to give advice on keeping an orchid out of reach.

[gringa_54]

Well, I am really happy that you guys have gotten back to me. I definitely think I am not going to have a problem keeping my orchids now.
I am a little worried about when the baby is mobile, but I am hoping that we will be in different home by that time and I will have more room for my hobby...(maybe a couple additions to my orchid family )

[lmartiny]

It will work out. Find a place for your orchids. Watch baby and he/she will be fine. Welcome to parenthood. Its the teens you have to watch our for. Plan now. Set guidelines. Stick with it.

[flowerchild]

Teach the youngen right from the start not to touch!!!!! My boys are 9 and 13 now they know you don't fool with mom's orchids!!!!! That is a recipe for disaster!!!!!!!! Congratulations on your forth coming little one, when are you due??????

[rcb]

congratulations on the baby to come! And don't worry, I remember one of my beginner orchid books saying that orchids are a good choice for those who have severe allergies, because as mentioned above, they don't disperse their pollen as other flowering plants do.

Also, remember that the baby may or may not have allergies.

As kmarch mentioned don't spray pesticides inside, when I was growing in my house, my children were smaller then, and I went through a lot of rubbing alcohol if the plants needed it instead of using pesticides. (They are 17, 13 and 9 now)

And again, congratulations!

[trinigirl]

Congratulations on the baby, and the orchids!

I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old. They love playing with my orchids. I don't keep any in the house, period. The orchids are too tempting to my kids.

I keep all plants outside- I still have casualties. I take it as a given now. If an orchid is within reach, buds get pulled off, spikes get broken, pots get shaken until all the bark falls off- they have fun watching bark falling on the ground.

When my kids get older and go to school, things will be better with the orchids. Until then, I watch them like a hawk since I don't like scolding them, and with my 2, they want to do exactly what I tell them not to do. I think they are too young to get it through their heads that orchid spikes come around only so often.

With the number or orchids you have, you should be able to put them on a windowsill or up out of reach for a few years. You can even get more orchids!

[brookn]

Hi, my kids are 11 and 12. I honestly didn't worry too much about allergens, the studies that I have read about it suggest the more allergens you remove from the babies environment, the more likely they are to have reactions to these things. Kids that live with pets have fewer allergies than those that don't also. The only rule that I followed about allergens was with food, they didn't get certain foods until they were the age recommended because it is different from allergic reactions to pollen, dander, mold, etc. When my son came, (they are 14 months apart) I gave up on superclean everything, and just went with clean. My son ate dirt, bugs, dog food, cat food, you name it went in his mouth. Basically if you could smear it, roll in it, eat it, throw it, or chase it he did. Both kids also thought it was really funny to stuff things in their nose or ears. Basically, this is just a part of learning and discovering that all kids do. I would worry more about the longevity of the orchids the baby can get hold of lol.