38 weeks - pregnancy rhinitis - struggling to breathe

[Cherry85]

So I have had pregnancy rhinitis the whole way through so nothing new, and also had a phase of breathlessness due to low ferritin(?) levels but iron tablets rectified this for a while.

So wheezy today and breathless tonight I'm struggling to get a breath. If I sit on the sofa and focus on my breathing I am ok but still have to take deep breaths. Nose is even more blocked than usual today but olbas oil not touching it.

Should I just sit and focus on breathing and maybe do some inhalation or would you call triage? I am ok and getting by but worried oxygen levels for baby would/could be affected but not sure that's even a thing?

Suddenly so

You could try saline nasal spray and an antihistamine like loratidine or cetirizine

As above 👆 sea salt nasal spray will be your best friend

It’s up to you and your assessment of the risk but I made sparing use of a decongestant nasal spray (Otrivine) when my pregnancy rhinitis made it impossible to breathe through my nose in the final weeks of pregnancy. Obviously not approved for use in pregnancy and you may have to send DH to buy one in case they won’t sell to you.

My sister used sudafed spray in her pregnancies with no issues. Maybe 1 dose before sleep would not hurt at this late stage of pregnancy

Have you not been given a steroid nasal spray as they can be prescribed in pregnancy

I’ve been prescribed a steroid nasal spray for rhinitis this pregnancy but it’s the same over the counter spray I buy for heyfever - Beconase. It’s a real life saver, especially at night! I also use a salt spray to try clear my nose first, then the steroid spray.

Try not to worry about baby - I’ve had no end of asthma issues this pregnancy (yey, more steroids) and had nights where I was seriously struggling to breath. When I’ve expressed concern over baby, they’ve always just said ‘baby will be fine’ .. and to be fair, seemingly!

Is baby still moving normally? If so, they are most like a’ok. But any concerns, do speak to your pregnancy unit!

I've been using Sudafed all the way through. I've had enough to contend with to add not being able to sleep because of a blocked nose.

I did some research - there's no evidence to say it causes any issues. The reason these are not marked "safe" for pregnancy is because they've never really been fully tested on pregnant woman. I weighed everything up, seemed the risks were low enough for me not to be worried.

My doctor recommended otravine steroid nasal spray. I take it just before bed and it helps. Breatheright strips also help but can be fairly expensive. After many sleepless nights I can say it's worth it though!

Sterimar sea salt spray best thing ever found it with me second 6 years ago and tbh I have. Never gone back to vicks I also give my kids the spray it clears it straight away I sleep well enough and so do the kids

I tried the sea salt spray - after reading reviews - but it just stung my nose and made my eyes water!