Seasonal Allergies & Pregnancy
What's Safe to Take?
The sneezing, the stuffy, runny nose, the itchy and watery eyes – ugh! As if pregnancy wasn’t uncomfortable enough on its own, enjoying the outdoors comes at a price for many people during pregnancy. To make matters worse, nasal congestion and difficulty breathing are already common in pregnancy due to increased blood volume and decreased lung capacity, among other changes.
So where can you turn for some relief? It’s important to know that we always recommend non-drug, home remedies as a first line of defense before trying medications, especially in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy when the fetus is forming all of their major organs, brain and spinal cord.
These comfort measures include:
Avoiding your allergy triggers
Drying clothes in a clothes dryer instead of hanging outside on a line
Using saline nasal spray for stuffy nose
Applying adhesive nasal strips at night to facilitate breathing
Gargling with warm salt water or drinking decaf black tea with honey or lemon for sore throat
Using phenol throat spray or plain, non-herbal throat lozenges in moderation for sore throat
Applying petroleum jelly, coconut oil or organic nipple ointment (Yes! Like the kind used for breastfeeding!) around your nostrils for chafing
If comfort measures are not enough, here is a helpful list of medications generally considered safe for use in pregnancy:
Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine)
Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
Tavist (clemastine)
Zyrtec (cetirizine)
Claritin (loratadine)
The above medications are generally considered safe in pregnancy because the testing data available shows that they are not associated with any adverse effects to the fetus when used according to package directions. However, the choice to take medication is ultimately up to you, after weighing the benefits and potential risks.
If you would like to research any of these medications on your own, mothertobaby.org is a good place to start. We hope these tips help you to enjoy this beautiful time of year!
