The journey of becoming pregnant is one of excitement and anticipation. Expectant women may experience several difficulties in addition to the joy, one of which is managing common illnesses like the common cold symptoms, sore throat, runny nose, chest pain and cough. Even though colds are frequent and usually safe during pregnancy, they can sometimes cause discomfort and annoyance.
You might have used an over-the-counter (OTC) decongestant if you had a cold or the flu before becoming pregnant. Given your pregnancy, you may be wondering if it’s safe. Some medications may cause harm to a growing baby, even while they help alleviate your symptoms. We’ll look at the best natural remedies for colds during pregnancy in this article.
Table of Contents (Remedies for Cold During Pregnancy)
Medications to treat cold in Pregnancy:
It’s recommended that pregnant women stay away from any medication throughout the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (Trusted Source). That is a crucial period in a fetus’s development of its vital organs.
If you are taking medication now or are thinking about taking medication and you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor.
Once a pregnancy has reached 12 weeks, several drugs are deemed safe. Among them are:
- topical menthol
- nasal strips
- cough drops or lozenges
- acetaminophen (Tylenol) for aches, pains, and fevers
- cough suppressant at night
- expectorant during the day
- calcium-carbonate (Mylanta, Tums) or similar medications for heartburn, nausea, or upset stomach
- plain cough syrup
- dextromethorphan (Robitussin) and dextromethorphan-guaifenesin (Robitussin DM) cough syrups
Avoid all-in-one medication that contains substances to treat a variety of illnesses. Select individual drugs based on the symptoms you are experiencing instead.
The following drugs are also not advised to be taken while pregnant unless your doctor advises you to. They make issues more likely to occur:
- aspirin (Bayer)
- ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil)
- naproxen codeine (Aleve, Naprosyn)
- An antibiotic called Bactrim
Home remedies for pregnancy-related cold symptoms:
Drinking plenty of water
It’s important to make sure you drink enough water when pregnant, especially if you have a cold. Drinking lots of water thins mucus and makes it easier for the respiratory tract to expel it. Drink plenty of water, vitamin-rich juices, and soothing warm beverages like herbal teas to stay hydrated and help alleviate the symptoms of a cold.
Immune-Boosting Micronutrients
By including foods high in immune-stimulating micronutrients in your diet, you can strengthen your body’s defenses against infection. The immune system can be strengthened by taking important minerals like zinc and vitamins like C and D. To maximize the benefits of these essential nutrients, give priority to foods like citrus fruits, leafy greens, nuts, and fortified dairy products.
Chicken Soup
it’s one of the best herbal remedies that can treat body aches, stuffy nose, and
sinus infections. In addition to offering soothing warmth, a hot bowl of chicken soup has anti-inflammatory qualities that help reduce the symptoms of a cold. Pregnant women can benefit from the soothing effects of chicken soup, which is high in nutrients and easily digestible. It can also help relieve congestion and sore throats.
Ginger
Ginger, which has strong anti-inflammatory qualities, is a popular natural cure for cold-related discomforts. Ginger can be taken as a calming tea or added as a spice to food to relieve sore throats and coughs, all without endangering the health of expectant mothers.
Turmeric Milk:
Using turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties, a warm cup of turmeric milk becomes a reassuring remedy for pregnancy’s cold symptoms. Turmeric powder, warm milk, and a dash of honey combined for a calming tea that can relieve sore throats, lessen coughing, and encourage sound sleep—all of which contribute to overall well-being.
Gargle with Warm Salt Water
Using warm salt water to gargle is a quick and easy way to relieve coughing and soothe sore throats. A saline solution made by combining half a teaspoon of salt with a cup of warm water can aid in easing discomfort, promoting throat health, and reducing inflammation. Including this technique in your everyday routine will help you get a much-needed respite from the symptoms of a cold.
Some more Natural Remedies:
Have a Nice Bath
Even though it seems so simple, if you are already a mother of a toddler, you are more likely to put it off. I mean, I’m the type of person who regularly considers taking a bath, but never gets around to it because I’m too stressed out or busy. Let me tell you, taking a bath always helps, particularly when you first start to feel congested in your nose and everything is just sore and achy. A bath has several benefits.
Remember, a bath during pregnancy shouldn’t be too hot. I’ll try to stick to 38 degrees max. Get a good book or just close your eyes and try to get at least maybe 15-20 minutes out of it and just sit in there. The warm water and the humidity do help with the congested nose. It kind of unblocks everything ligament pain, the pain that you have from colds.
I highly recommend two of my favourite essential oils that I use in the bath as well as with my little diffuser. Number one is my tea tree oil. I’ll just add maybe one max two drops to the bath just because it’s very intense and it’s a hundred per cent pure essential oil. It helps to get rid of that congested nose. It kind of opens everything up like a vapour. It smells a bit like a vaporub and it’s very, very soothing. Another oil that I use very generously is lavender oil.
It is quite beneficial for clearing up nasal congestion. It’s like a vapour, opening things up. It has a vapour-like scent and is incredibly calming. Lavender oil is another oil that I use liberally. This one was purchased from a little natural drugstore. You have two options: put it in the bathtub or use a little diffuser like this one. All you have to do is add a drop or two, and apply it in the evening before bed, and it helps relieve some of the inflammation in your nasal passages. As a result, it truly opens things up and is kind rather than severe. My favourite essential oils to use in the bathtub are Epsom salt and lavender.
Saline Gel Spray
A saline spray is the standard one that chemists always advise when you visit their establishment. That is the one that was suggested to me while I was on vacation, and I have continued to use it. The product is known as Neal Madness, or Gel Soothing and Moisturising Saline Gel Spray with Aloe Vera and Sodium Hyaluronate. Therefore, it is safe to take during pregnancy and contains nothing harmful. For the simple reason that it doesn’t sting, I like that nose spray better than any other. Because it’s merely a gel, you have a pleasant cooling sensation and it simply hydrates your nose from the inside out, which is very helpful if you sneeze frequently and your nose is dry and inflamed.
You can use one to two sprays in each nostril once every three to four hours, and you’ll be good to go for the remainder of the day.
Tea
Tea is a fairly frequent and normal beverage. It depends on the blend you use to make your tea. When I have a sore throat, I always add these two items to my tea. Either lemon or honey. There’s nothing better than lemon tea. It tastes very fresh, and the honey is incredibly comforting. However, another excellent method is to mix some salt water with some warm water. You can genuinely gargle with salt water every day. There’s no end to the benefits of gargling with salt water, especially if you’re experiencing more of a sore throat than a chesty cough. At first, it does hurt a little bit, but again, it helps.
It’s safe to do during pregnancy and rather natural. There are no negative aspects to it. A small amount of salt is all that is needed. I would recommend using between a quarter and a half of a teaspoon and gargling as deeply as you can to get the mixture to kind of move through the areas of your throat that are extremely uncomfortable. Because I generally have a painful throat for the first two or three days and then it kind of progresses to a cough, I usually repeat it in the evening before I go to bed. In the beginning, when you’re feeling a little uncomfortable, this helps.
Vaporub
Since vaperub is thought to be safe to use throughout pregnancy, you can put it wherever you believe it works best—on your chest or on your temples. I usually wear it over my chest, but to be honest, there are times when I just wear socks and put it on my feet, especially at night. However, I think applying Vaporub to the chest or even the back is the ideal method to use it. I hardly use any—maybe a pea-sized quantity. It truly helps for a good night’s sleep; all I have to do is rub it in before bed.
Painkillers
The type of pregnancy you are having and where you reside affect the painkillers you use. Therefore, I would advise you to either speak with a chemist and receive some guidance there or contact your doctor again about what is safe to take.
Thankfully, this time around I didn’t have a fever, but when I did, I was informed that taking paracetamol while pregnant is safe. I’ve been warned that taking aspirin, ibuprofen, or neurofen during pregnancy is quite dangerous. These are the three common painkillers. They seem to be bad, and they might hurt the unborn child or pass it on.
However, before taking paracetamol, make sure to consult your doctor to see whether there’s a better option for you given your pregnancy and any underlying medical issues.
Drink Loads of Fluids
It’s also extremely standard advice to drink a lot of fluids because your body requires them, and during pregnancy in particular, you tend to need more than usual. Additionally, try to get enough vitamin C from your diet. Whether it’s orange juice, a supplement, or a powder you may add to a drink, try to get enough vitamin C throughout your cold and keep doing so. I think vitamin C helps me since I usually take it with my multivitamins daily, which kind of builds up resistance.
so that I won’t become ill as quickly as I usually do. Therefore, half the time I get to battle off those terrible little toddler colds that Sam brings home from the nursery. Yes, I believe that vitamin C is the cause of that, and it does assist.
Elevate Your Pillow
With a pillow elevation, you can prop your head up wherever it is, which will assist ease a cough, particularly if it is coming on frequently. Avoid lying on your stomach, which can be difficult during pregnancy anyhow. I am presently 23 weeks pregnant and I can’t even lay on my stomach. To avoid being noticed, I either add more pillows or cover my mattress with an extra thick pillow. This helps to ease the discomfort of coughing during the night and reduces the amount of time you wake up.
Inhaling steam
take a pot, fill it with hot water, cover your head with a towel, lean forward, and attempt to inhale the steam. As disgusting as it sounds, it clears your nasal passages and allows everything to sort of come out. Although a little disorganized, you will feel so much better afterwards. For the past four days, I have been doing that at least once a day. Sincerely, I too enjoy the feeling of steam on my skin. It also opens up the pores, which is kind of pleasant, in my opinion. So when I get a cold during pregnancy, I normally take care of it.
Last words: home remedies for cold during pregnancy
I didn’t discuss the flu because it requires more medical attention and is somewhat more difficult to treat. We are discussing a body that has a high temperature and an illness that does not go away in a week. You should discuss it with your doctor. Without a doubt, they can recommend a medication that is safe for you to take while pregnant. However, most of the time, they will advise you to wait it out, take it slow, and get as much rest as you can since, quite obviously, your body is shutting down everything, including your immune system, to keep the pregnancy going and protect the baby in your womb.
That’s about all I have to say regarding pregnancy and colds, natural supplements; in some ways, it’s worth it to wait it out. I understand that it can be challenging, particularly if you have a toddler. Having a child requires you to be on your feet all the time, making it difficult to get any sleep. However, if someone is nearby who could assist with your child, let them take over. Take the necessary rest, without a doubt. The toy stacks and any laundry you need to do can wait. Instead, take some time to relax and pay attention to your health.
If you want more totkay, visit our site and get natural solutions to your problems.
