Seasonal Allergies? What's a pregnant mother to do?

April Showers!! I never realized people were actually talking about pollen! Ha! If you live in a city blessed by beautiful shady oak trees you may be experiencing a daily downpour of pollen. Yuck!! Not only does it cover everything with an icky hue of yellow but it often leaves people sniffing, sneezing, coughing and worst of all headache ridden. The solution is easy for the general public, pop some allergy medicine and move on. But what about us pregnant mamas? Is it safe for baby? Maybe the doctor gave you a thumbs up but you still don't want to take the risk. Well Mama, you are not alone. Thankfully their are many natural remedies with fewer side effects, if any. Listed below you'll find 7 wonderful, all natural ways to survive this years allergy season while pregnant!

1. Stay inside

It should go without saying, but yes, the more you expose yourself to outdoor pollen the greater your allergy symptoms will increase. Take advantage of dewy mornings or wet afternoons to do your errands or to take walks.

2. Eat well (Psst . . . No Sugar)

Believe it or not you still need a healthy immune system to fight allergies just as you would a cold or flu. Consume Fruits, Veggies, Nuts, Seeds, Lean Meats, Broths etc. And let's not forget sugar!! Sugar weakens the immune system making it difficult to fight infection. So limiting your sugar intake is a must.

3. Pay Attention

Sometimes us moms just don't pay attention to our body's symptoms until they have compiled into a huge problem. Take a minute to listen to your body and be proactive in preventing certain avoidable symptoms such as sinus headaches and sinus infections.

4. Vitamin C

I'm going to try to keep this one simple. Keyword. "TRY". Vitamin C is needed for a fully functioning immune system. The catch is that unlike most mammals we humans do not make our own vitamin C. We have to intake it through our food or through supplements. Here's another problem. Vitamin C is water soluble. Meaning we can not "Horde It and Store It". So cramming down 5 whole grams of it will still leave you depleted in 2-3 hours. This being said it is not a hopeless cause. Just a heads up that you need to take less more often. Dose size can be different for everyone. You may just want to take 2-3 grams when your symptoms hit or be proactive and give your body vitamin C regularly every 2-3 hours to avoid the onset of symptoms. Either way, remember to drink plenty of water to make sure this valuable "water soluble" vitamin gets dispersed generously throughout the body. One more thing, remember the ominous sugar I briefly mentioned above? Well it actually competes with vitamin C for space in your white blood cells. So the more sugar you have in your system the less vitamin C you'll be able to absorb. So no more sugar.

5. Quercetin

Quercetin is a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory. Histamines are the responsible party for making our body react to allergens in negative ways such as coughs, watery eyes, runny noses, etc. Quercetin helps stabilize the release of histamines from certain immune cells, reducing and possibly blocking your symptoms. According to some studies they have equal success as prescription meds but with little to no side effects.

4. Water

Now that you've learned the role of histamine you'll better appreciate this next tip! Dehydration triggers histamine the same way allergens do!! What? Yes. So as you sniff and sneeze your body becomes more dehydrated therefore increasing the release of histamines and prolonging your allergy symptoms. So keep your water bottles handy and drink up!

6. Local Raw Honey

Build up your immunity to local pollen by eating a little local honey each day. Over time you should be less sensitive to the pollen. Also, a spoonful of honey is wonderful for soothing a cough or itchy throat and its a great way to satisfy a sugar craving!

7. Essential Oils

Peppermint, Basil, Eucalyptus, and Tea Tree oils all have anti-infalmmatory properties. Use singularly or all together. How to use: 1. Mix a few drops with coconut oil and rub on chest. 2. Add 5-10 drop to your diffuser. 3. Bring a pot of 2 cups distilled water to a boil, remove from heat, add 5 drops essential oils and breathe in deeply with a towel tented over your head. 4. Place 2-4 drops onto a volcanic rock necklace diffuser.

Hey, Mama! Have any further suggestions on fighting seasonal allergies during pregnancy? Please leave a comment below!!

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