Allergy medications and pregnancy: What's safe?

Allergy medications are sometimes recommended during pregnancy. Before you take any medication during pregnancy, however, it's important to weigh the severity of your symptoms against the possible risks to your baby.

Loratadine (Claritin, others) is considered a category B drug — which means that animal studies haven't shown any risks to unborn babies whose mothers take the drug. Still, category B drugs haven't been adequately tested during human pregnancy to offer any guarantees.

Rather than depending on allergy medications, you might consider other ways to manage your allergy symptoms. For example:

• Avoid triggers. Limit your exposure to anything that triggers your allergy symptoms.
• Try saline nasal spray. Over-the-counter saline nasal spray can help ease nasal dryness, bleeding and congestion. Use the spray as often as needed.
• Rinse your nasal cavity with a neti pot. Neti pots are available in most pharmacies. Once or twice a day, fill the neti pot with warm salt water or an over-the-counter saline nasal solution. Then tilt your head over the sink, place the spout of the neti pot in your upper nostril and gently pour in the water. As you pour, the salt water will flow through your nasal cavity and out your lower nostril. Repeat on the other side.
• Include physical activity in your daily routine. Exercise helps reduce nasal inflammation.
• Use nasal strips at night. These adhesive strips (Breathe Right, others) can help keep your nasal passages open while you're sleeping.

If these tips don't seem to help, remember that allergy medications aren't necessarily off-limits during pregnancy. If you want to use allergy medications, work with your health care provider to choose the safest drugs for you and your baby.