Week 22 – I hate allergy season!
June 4, 2006
So last week I mentioned that my allergies had been irritating me lately. This week, I’m ready to cut off my nose. I can’t sleep at night, and I’m keeping Zach awake as well. I sneeze throughout the morning, have a few hours of relief, usually mid-day, and then go right back to being horribly stuffy and miserable in the evening. Finally, Zach talked me into going to see my regular physician. I was going to try to tough it out until our next baby doctor appointment on June 5th, but I’m glad he convinced me to go earlier. The nurse practitioner I saw told me that the pollen count is up 85% this year, so I picked a good year to be unable to take regular allergy medication. On top of that, from what I’ve read, the pregnancy hormones usually cause women to produce more fluids in general. I think it was babycenter who told me to relax, that in 9 months I’d be back to normal. I’m certainly glad I don’t have to wait until September for relief, because I think I’d have a nervous breakdown before then! What I did find out was that in the last 2-3 years researchers have conducted tests on medications such as over-the-counter Claritin, and it is now accepted to be safe for pregnant women. So, I have been instructed to take Claritin, and I can supplement with Benedryl at night if needed, and Sudafed during the day, if needed. The Claritin has worked wonders (I’ve been using the generic brand) and having some peace from allergies has been such a relief. That being said, I want to make it clear that I consulted with my primary care physician before taking any medicine. No pregnant woman should take any medication without first speaking with a physician. I would highly encouage any pregnant woman suffering from allergies to see a doctor as soon as possible, since I can attest to how miserable it can make you.
In my last post I whined a bit about how uncomfortable I had been feeling. I had been trying to 
Everything I’ve read and heard says that the second trimester is by far the most comfortable. If this is going to be the most comfortable I’m going to feel until late September, I’m in big trouble. My round ligaments are incredibly sore this week. On top of that, my lower back and my hips are hurting as well. I’ve been using pillows between my legs to try to ease the pain while I sleep, and that helps some, but I’m still pretty uncomfortable most days. Also, the chair that I usually sit in is falling apart, making it pretty uncomfortable to sit in at night when I get home. Zach did eventually repair as much as he could, which helped quite a bit. I think we are going to start looking for some new furniture though, as the stuff we have is old, not very comfortable, and it won’t last forever. 
http://beingsara.com/feed/">Entries (RSS)
and