I've never had allergies in the Fall, until this year.  What is going on out there?  It hit me like a cold. Stuffy nose, sore throat, runny eyes, sneezing ... miserable.  It was bad for about 4 days.  Now it's lingering for about 20.  You know what I mean?  When that phlegm is still just sitting there in your sinuses or your throat.  Yuck!

Normally I would take my Flonase, my Sudafed ... anything so I could breathe well and sleep at night.  But when you're pregnant, all bets are off. There is a long list of do's and don't your OB gives you when you first become pregnant.  I'm one of those disorganized people who loses that list before I leave the doctor's office.  So at first I suffered through the congestion misery for a few days.  I am really one of those people who don't like to take anything.  I believe the less medicine, the better.  So I have to be really sick to take something.

And I was really sick.  So I asked Dr. John Williams at Ferrell-Duncan Obstetrics Gynecology about allergies.  Here's what he said was safe for pregnancy:

Environmental Allergies in Pregnancy:

            Environmental allergies are very common and most prevalent in the Spring and Fall of each year.  Standard over the counter allergy medications containing antihistamines and decongestants, when taken as directed, are generally safe for both mother and fetus.  Our office generally recommends Benadryl, Claritan and all Tylenol products. Formal studies for the majority of such medicines are lacking but, as a group, they have been used for a long period of time without significant or dangerous side effects.  As a result they are felt to have benefits that are greater than the risks.  Everyone using these medications should be careful as they frequently cause drowsiness and it is best to check with your specific doctor for their recommendations as a wide variety of products exist and different physicians may have different preferences.  Products containing aspirin and ibuprofen should be avoided unless specifically directed by a physician.

In the end Flonase was also safe, according to my OB, so I took that for two days and could breathe again....yeah! It's a weighing of benefits as Dr. Williams said.  I try not to take anything at all, but if I can't sleep for days at a time, I think that's probably more harmful to my body and the baby's than taking something the doctors deem safe.  I think you just have to try your best, be as healthy as you can, stay away from the obvious (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes) and get as much rest as you can.

If you have a question about pregnancy or gynecological health, let me know and I'll ask the OB!  cdaues@kspr.com