I was walking to class the other day, and noticed that there were some pollen clumps in the water puddles I was walking past, reminding me that it's beginning to be springtime. Usually I would be happy about this since it's a nice change from being cooped up all winter, but I'm not because when the pine trees release pollen around here, that means that the winds are picking up bringing other types of pollen in the area. I am allergic to mother nature... to sum it up quickly... and although my allergy tests show that I am not allergic to pollen, I am allergic to the wind-carried pollen that come into the area. Last year, I went to complete hell the entire spring... and to be honest, the effects still have not been taken care of because I never go to get the allergy shots due to be becoming pregnant. During the fall and winter, my face *which was the most effected by the spring* has had it's bad moments, but overall got better.

With the spring coming around again, I am wondering what I am going to do about my body's reaction to the excess pollen coming in, and being pregnant and breastfeeding. The baby is due in April, so that's right in the middle of the time period where I have a beet red face that is itchy, buring, and severely flakey. I also have the typical hay fever symptoms along with that... making it much more difficult. It's bad enough to have all these physical things happening along with the emotional stress it puts on a person since it is on my face, but add the hormone crazed pregnancy factor... I can tell it's not going to be easy.

My question is... is it possible for me to deal with this stuff and not endanger my baby? Can I even take the allergy shots and breastfeed at the same time? I am scared that throughout this pregnancy, and even through breastfeeding, my immune system is going crazy trying to fight off these allergens and reactions somehow effecting him. How can I give my son a strong enough immune system if mine is too busy fighting off reactions? I would love to breastfeed for all the obvious reasons, as well as to not make my chest anymore bigger than it is... but I also dont want to have to go through the hell I went through last year with my reactions. Throughout the pregnancy, I have tried to eat healthy and eat more of certain vitamins and minerals to help decrease my allergic reactions, but up to now, it isn't working so much anymore. It's almost like my immune system has been fighting for so long that it is over sensitive... anything triggers it. It's to the point where things that I know i'm not allergic to are seeming to cause reactions... and I can't figure out what is the main problem. I do know that with spring comming, the cause for all this in the beginning will be coming back... and I can't live like this anymore.