During this precious time of waiting for a lovely baby, it must have been very difficult to suddenly experience a completely blocked nose, a streaming runny nose, and consecutive sneezes. Since you are pregnant, you are cautious about taking cold medications, and worries about when this stuffiness will end probably weigh heavily on your mind. I know that feeling very well.
In Donguibogam, the nose is viewed as a pathway connected to our body's vital lung and as a gate through which qi enters and exits. It states that only when the lung is healthy and the circulation of qi is smooth can the nose remain clear. However, during pregnancy, all the qi and blood of our body are concentrated on growing and protecting the baby. It is just like a large river flowing toward the baby, where other smaller tributaries may temporarily lack water or experience stagnant flow.
In this process where the mother's qi and blood are redistributed for the baby, the flow of qi around the lung and nose may temporarily become imbalanced. In particular, the nasal mucosa is an area where qi stagnation easily occurs or heat easily accumulates, and it can become even more sensitive during pregnancy due to hormonal changes and increased blood volume. Donguibogam understood these symptoms not simply as a cold, but as a sign that the harmony and balance of our entire body had been temporarily disrupted. When the lung qi weakens, or when turbid qi or damp-heat accumulates in the body, it blocks the nasal passages.
Our body is truly wondrous and has an exceptional ability to regulate and adapt itself for the baby, yet in this process, the mother's body can experience minor and major discomforts. Nasal congestion is one of them. Because copious amounts of qi and blood are sent so the baby can grow well, the mother's lung qi temporarily becomes deficient, or because the circulation of qi and blood is not smooth, the qi heading to the nose becomes blocked, leading to feelings of stuffiness. This is precisely why we must warmly understand and care for the changes in our entire body, rather than treating it merely as an isolated nose problem.
