In my last blog, Dealing with Seasonal Allergies, I talked about reducing your exposure to outdoor allergens. Since it’s best to avoid medication in pregnancy, limiting your exposure to allergens is the best way to handle allergies, both to indoor and outdoor allergens.
Pollen and mold spores can enter your house through open doors and windows. It’s great to air out the house on a pretty spring day, but it’s terrible for your allergies! You’ll have to keep the windows closed and turn on the air conditioner.
This is fine for outdoor allergens, but many people are allergic to things in their homes as well. Common indoor allergies are pets and dust mites. It would seem obvious to say, “Get rid of the pets”, but it doesn’t always work that way. My husband is allergic to animals, but we’ve had pets for most of our 15 year marriage. That’s just the way he is, and many other people are the same.
If you are an animal lover with allergies, there is research that suggests that you may adjust to your pet’s dander over time. This is true for my husband. His allergies aren’t too bad with our cat, but he can’t be around other cats. In the meantime, there are things you can do to reduce the dander in your home. This works for dust mites as well.
The first step is to keep the pets out of your sleeping areas. You can do this with a baby gate or by keeping the bedroom doors closed. You may want to start training your pets to stay out of the sleeping areas before the baby arrives, so this is a good time to start.
A hepa air filter in the bedroom and one in the living area will help remove dander and dust from the air. Also, ceramic tile and hardwood flooring throughout the house is good for reducing indoor allergens. Dust and pet dander get caught in the carpet and are stirred up when you vacuum.
Reducing allergens from your environment is the safest way to deal with allergies during pregnancy. When you have finished, you will breathe easier. The changes you make now will have an added benefit of giving your baby cleaner air after you bring him home.
Related Articles:
Dealing with Seasonal Allergies
Creating a Greener Home for Your Baby
Managing Asthma During Pregnancy