As a kid, I laughed during the Zyrtec commercials (‘just stay inside if you’re so fragile!’). As an adult, I’m allergic to the world. But seriously. My initial allergy tests showed that I was allergic to all but 3 plants they tested for, as well as cats and dogs (duh), horses, mold, and severely allergic to rodents. And pregnancy (plus living with two cats) does not help one bit!
When I was pregnant the first time, I had read that women get less allergic, so that their body goes easier on the baby. However, when I brought this up to my allergist, he said that’s true for about 1/3 of women. Another third have no changes, and the other third, you guessed it, have their allergies get worse. I definitely can’t personally speak for any experience except the latter, and I’ve only ever seen other pregnant mamas crying out for help in regards to an increase in allergies, too. So, I want to share my allergy knowledge with you, because I know how badly allergies suck, especially while growing another human.
Obviously, I’m not a doctor. If you can, seek out your own allergist, and get advice and help from them. I will, however, be sharing the over-the-counter medical line-up (I do have prescription eye drops, and a prescription nasal spray) recommended to me—a person with allergies so severe they can’t believe I’m not asthmatic—with you.
Baby saline spray – this is just salt water, but the baby variety is more gentle. Because it’s not a drug, you may use it as often as needed. Use at least twice daily.
Rhinocort – this is very safe for pregnant women—I think perhaps the only one of its kind. Use twice daily.
Cetirizine – this is the active ingredient in Zyrtec, but I use off-brand. One pill a day. Do not use Zytrec-D! That is not safe.
Ayr nasal gel – this is basically just nose lotion. Everything in your nose will operate better if it’s not too dry, which is easy when you’re over-producing mucus. Take a tiny squeeze and apply just inside each nostril—on the outside part—two to three times daily. It also comes in a spray, and I used that during my first pregnancy.
There you have it; that’s my line-up. I know allergies during pregnancy can be so pesky, so I hope that knowing what my doctor has me take helps give other pregnant moms out there some much-needed relief, too!
Good luck!
