So I got up this morning, stretched and headed out for my usual walk. As I entered my house I suddenly had the sensation that my nose was running. It was, only it wasn’t mucus coming out of there–it was blood. This will be the second time since I hit my second trimester (T2) that I’ve gotten a nosebleed.
The first time it happened I got two in one day. I had just entered T2 and was still a little shaky on conditions of pregnancy other than morning sickness, which I didn’t get. And here I thought I’d be able to coast through my pregnancy symptom-free. Hah! So, yes, I got a nosebleed, and having never had one before in my life, managed to bleed all over myself, the floor and a nice handbag of mine before I was able to get it to stop. Once I got to work I sneezed and set off another one.
Naturally I freaked and called the nurse hotline at my OBGYN’s. I’m beginning to realize they have such a hotline specifically due to all the phonecalls made to them by pregnant women in a state of panic over something that did or didn’t happen. And thank goodness for that! The nurse informed me that nosebleeds are common during pregnancy, especially during T2. Well, lucky me! I felt comforted in the fact that this most likely meant my pregnancy was going along just as it should (in some odd way, but that’s how my mind works, folks) and was therefore a part of life but it was…gross.
I decided to do a little research on the web to determine just how frequent they are in pregnant women, especially those who’ve escaped them their entire lives. I wanted to know specifically how often to expect them, how to stop them, and most importantly how to prevent them, if possible. The most useful advise I turned up was to keep hydrated, which it seems is the cardinal rule in pregnancy besides eating healthfully, and to lubricate the inside of the nose. The nurse with whom I spoke also suggested this–she said to try vaseline, which I did and which miraculously “cured” me of the nosebleeds until this morning.
Other suggestions include to not keep your mouth closed when sneezing and, my favorite, to avoid dry air. Since I’m a New Yorker who commutes mainly by subway and foot, even in the coldest of weather, I don’t think it will be possible for me to completely avoid dry air. That said, I suppose I could always invest in a humidifier. For now, though, I’ll stick with the vaseline. Not only has it assisted in stopping my nosebleeds, but it’s kept my nose from getting flaky with the change of season!
Have you experienced a nosebleed during your pregnancy? If so, what did you do to stop it? Did you have nosebleeds throughout your entire pregnancy or were they limited to your T2? I’d love to know!
Know what else I turned up on the web? There are a LOT of pictures of people’s nosebleeds on flickr.com.
Author by Jennifer Jordan
