Nov 18 2008
Rhinitis of Pregnancy
So here’s an odd addition to pregnancy symptoms. The other day I thought I was getting a cold. I woke up with a stuffy nose and congested head and I was thoroughly annoyed that I seemed to be getting sick again (I had a cold about 5 weeks ago). I had to do my glucose screening which involved sitting in a lab for an hour so I figured I picked it up there.
For the last four days however I have not gotten better or worse. It’s not enough to stop me from doing anything but it does make mornings kind of gross until I get going and things clear up a little. I’d read a little about “pregnancy stuffy nose” but never having had it during my first pregnancy it never occurred to me that it would develop now. Unfortunately, that appears to be exactly what I have.
Rhinitis of Pregnancy is what “they” call it. Apparently it is due to increased estrogen, increased blood flow, and the swelling of membranes that often leads to congestion. How weird this is! Suggestions for relief are to run a humidifier, sleep with my head elevated, sit in the shower and steam for a few minutes, and all the general cold stuff that your mom always told you to do that doesn’t seem to help much.
I can’t really complain too much - everything else with the pregnancy is going well - but there is a chance it might not clear up until after the baby is born! In the mean time I’m a big huge version of a whiny kid with a runny nose.
