When you’re pregnant, you might have noticed that your nose is as stuffed up as if you had a cold or allergy symptoms. Your nasal congestion and nosebleeds typically start around week 16 of your pregnancy. Some women have found that they get worse towards the end of their pregnancies.

So, what’s the reason behind your stuffy nose and nosebleeds? The hormones estrogen and progesterone rise to a higher level during pregnancy. This results in your mucous membranes swelling, which leads to a stuffy nose. And if you blow your nose often, it may lead to nosebleed.

Here’s how you can handle these symptoms:

• Check with your doctor about which medications you might safely take. Antihistamines and decongestant nasal sprays are probably not safe, so make sure to ask them if they have any other suggestions. For example, you might try using saline sprays or nasal strips.
• Make sure that you’re blowing your nose correctly. Close one nostril with your thumb, and blow gently out the other side. Repeat on the other side until you feel like you can breathe again.
• Put a humidifier in your room: it will create nose-soothing moisture. Just make sure that you don’t run it continuously. And, use a warm-mist humidifier, not a cold-mist one.
• Apply a little petroleum jelly inside your nose to add moisture.
• Make sure to get lots of Vitamin C. Ask your doctor if it’s fine to take an extra 250 mg of vitamin C. Extra vitamin C can make your capillaries stronger and lessen the chances you’ll get a nosebleed.
• If you do get a nosebleed, lean forward. Also, try pinching your nose closed for five minutes. Repeat this if your nose is still bleeding. Ask your doctor if you feel like you’re getting lots of nosebleeds during your pregnancy.

Written by Heidi Keefer

Heidi Keefer is a Content Creator for Lifetime Adoption and has 15 years of experience in the field of adoption. An author of thousands of blog posts over the years, Heidi enjoys finding new ways to educate and captivate Lifetime’s ever-growing list of subscribers.

Heidi has a keen eye for misplaced apostrophes, comma splices, and well-turned sentences, which she has put to good use as a contributor to Lifetime’s award-winning blogs. She has written and published hundreds of adoption articles which explore the various facets of domestic infant adoption today.