No, it is not a new disco beat. Actually, I just had a Neti encounter and I am on a high. well, the sort of high you get when you can breathe air. Thank you to my firstborn offspring for the lovely cold, and aren’t we all in agreement that colds are ever so much more FUN when pregnant!
Luckily thanks to all my sort-of-“out-there” friends, I have discovered Neti. If you are already involved in a Neti relationship, you know how happy I am right now. But I am going to speak to the uninitiated today.
What is Neti?
It is a simple pot, traditionally made of clay or ceramic and now found at Walgreens in plastic for $14.99. If you purchase it like I did, it may come with the saline packets necessary to use it. These are a mixture of equal parts baking soda and salt.
This is the one I have
To use your Neti pot, you simply fill the pot with warm tap water and the saline packet and mix them to make a salty water. You then cleanse your clogged sinuses with this mixture using the pot. I cannot attempt to descibe how this is done, so here is a video.
The boon of this product must, I repeat, MUST reach the ears of all pregnant women everywhere! I discovered this last winter in my previous pregnancy and I felt like someone was handing me the keys to heaven. The lovely charm of it is that it can be used as often as necessary with no side effects. There is no longer a need for medications, and it can be used safely while breastfeeding as well! Another benefit of its use is that it not only allows me to breathe, but erases the pressure felt behind the eyes during the sinus cold/infection.
Now I have tried this out on the children. They do not enjoy it at all. But even they concede to feeling better afterwards. I have tried to convert people to the Neti, but it is slow going. I think people are afraid of what it will feel like. It doesn’t hurt at all, but it is “different”. But so worthwhile! Also, let me make mention that once you run out of your saline packets, you can make more. I keep a small jar in the bathroom with the pot that is 1/4 C of baking soda mixed with 1/4 C of salt, and use a medium sized pinch of it in the pot. My philosophy for doing this is the same as the one I use when making my own laundry soap. You know I am going to need it at the precise hour that I cannot get to the store to get more and have run out.
So, I implore you to give Neti a try, and while doing so, make a promise to yourself to tell at least one pregnant lady you know about Neti. She will love for it almost as much as she loves the baby!
Walking Our Way 