Does medication that makes you drowsy affect bub too?

[{sarah}]

I've been told to take an antihistamine for a really bad rash / itching that I have (possibly PUPPPS) and it's making me quite drowsy. Even now four hours after taking the medication (Polaramine) I'm feeling quite tired & slow. So I'm wondering if bub will be affected by it as well? I'm guessing she probably would be...

Seeing as I'm so close to being due I also wonder if this making her drowsy will affect her ability to do whatever it is that babies do to get labour started IYKWIM? At this point there is no way I can function properly without the medication so I'm in a tough position. I'm only taking two a day, one in the morning (when the itching is at it's worst) and one about an hour before bed so I can sleep at least a bit where the recommendation is every 6 hours.

ETA: Bub is still moving about so no worries there. She has slowed down a bit, but I've been told it's to be expected now that she's engaged & getting ready for labour.

[Enchanted]

You poor thing Sarah. I hope it goes away quickly.

Not sure if I am of any help but when I was pg with DS I was taking Avil which is an antihistamine. I was always drowsy with it and I took 1 a day. I was told it would affect the unborn bub to some extent, I was never told it would affect me going into labour. DS was 1 week early and seemed to do a fine job of getting things moving on his own iykwim?! So I don't think that the meds would affect bubs that much otherwise they wouldn't give them to you. JMO.

[anney]

Hi Sarah,
How excitng you are so close. Perhaps ring your pharmacist about it? I know when I was in early labour and at home the nurses said to take one of the panadeines, can't remember which that you could get over the counter. and I have areally lovely pharmacist who told me that it could depress respiratory function in the baby. Anyway, I took it, and DD did have some respiratory probs. post birth that they could never actually pinpoint why and they resolved after about 48 hours. so drugs do have effects on bubs and not necessarily the same effects tehy have on us.

[Alan]

Hi Sarah
I am not sure but I would expect that it could make baby a little drowsy. However it will not have any effect on the birth. The only thing I can think of is that baby, when born, may be a little sleepy and therefore have some problem with feeding. Perhaps when you go into labour you should stop taking the Polaramine and then your baby will have excreted the drug form its system by the time he/she is born

[Rouge]

Polaromine is a category A drug, and has been tested and proven to have no effect on baby. Ironically the non drowsy antihistamines are considered category C due to the fact they have not been properly tested.

[Mother Goose]

Hi Sarah,

Hi had to take this med quiet regularly for a few months during my PG and was told it would have no effect on bubs at all. And it certainly didn't slow her down in any way, shape, or form! She was kicking up such a storm that the footballer I was looking after at the time told me his team should recruit my baby then and there!!!