Pregnancy Health

Allergies During Pregnancy

Sneezing, sniffling, wheezing, and worse…

woman with a cold
What's behind them: Dust, fungus, pollen, cat dander — environmental allergens are all around you. If your body is particularly sensitive to any one (or more) of them, you could end up with the sneezing, sniffling, eye-watering allergic reaction that results.
What you need to know: Allergies are very common in pregnancy; about a quarter of all expectant mothers experience them. Not all are long-term allergy sufferers — many women with no known prior allergies complain of their symptoms just during pregnancy. Some of the stuffy symptoms are not allergies at all, but are the result of hormone-induced swelling in the nasal passages (which can also make actual allergy attacks a lot more uncomfortable). Others, however, will turn out to be indicators of newly discovered allergies.
What you can do: Even if you had already been taking regular medications to treat allergies (whether prescription or over the counter or homeopathic), check with your practitioner about their safety during pregnancy, and don't continue to use them until you get the go-ahead. In fact, your practitioner should be the final word on any medications you might want to use. Still, there are some general dos and don'ts regarding the treatment of allergies in pregnancy: Over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamines are generally considered safe in pregnancy, though they do have some side effects, including making you sleepy (and if you're already tired from plain old pregnancy fatigue, do you really want to take something that will add to that exhaustion?). But before taking any medications, even over-the-counter ones, check with your practitioner first to make sure they're safe for your pregnancy.
  • Allergy shots are considered safe for pregnant women, but only if you'd been on the receiving end of them for a while before you conceived. Most allergists say it's not a good idea to start allergy shots during pregnancy, because they trigger changes in your already-fluctuating immune system and may cause unexpected reactions.
  • Regular decongestants containing the ingredient pseudoephedrine are probably not a good idea for pregnant women; avoid them during your first trimester in particular, when the theoretical risks to the baby are highest.

The best allergy defense, of course, is a good offense. Avoid your allergy triggers, whether they are cat dander or pollen or mold. Stay away from people who smoke (and not only because of allergies, but also because secondhand smoke is bad for you and especially bad for your baby), and try to avoid household chemicals (such as paint thinner), which can provoke allergic reactions.


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