"It feels like I’m on a plane all the time and the ear pressure is crazy with every small sound being magnified."
Pregnancy changes your physical body, and having plugged ears is unfortunately one of the effects. You may also experience nasal congestion.
I feel my ears popping all the time
Ears popping is when you keep hear crackling sounds inside the ear. It is a pressure-related inner ear discomfort, aka ear baro-trauma. This can be caused by excessive ear wax or inner ear dysfunction. Frequent ear popping can damage to the inner ear, so best to seek medical attention
Why ear popping occurs in pregnancy?
Ear popping is not common in pregnancy. If you are pregnant and had excessive ear wax or airway infection, you may experience a popping sound inside your ears. Some causes are:
Air travel with higher altitudes
Ear or sinus infection. Cold, allergies and other respiratory infections can also cause ear popping sounds.
Eustachian tube dysfunction
It is perfectly normal to have blocked ears during pregnancy. And it will not affect the baby. This is due to oedema of the nasal lining, and the eustachian tube (inner ear) is blocked. Try decongestant or saline nasal spray.