It’s cold and flu season again but this time you’re pregnant. You’ve heard of all the thing not to do but are not sure the things you can do. Here are a few tips to get you through the season as best we can.
1: Boost your immunity. Pregnancy naturally lowers your immunity so it make us more susceptible to the illnesses going around. In addition to your daily multivitamin, take vitamin C and D, Echinacea and ginger. You may still get sick but hopefully your body will be able to fight it faster.
2: Stay hydrated. A cold has a bad habit of drying out our bodies. Make sure you are drinking a lot of fluids! This can be water, teas anything at all really. Teas can be especially soothing for a sore throat and cough. Try putting some crushed ginger with lemon juice in boiling water. A humidifier can be extremely helpful to make you more comfortable to sleep. Put the humidifier on 30 minutes before going to bed.
3: Use eucalyptus. Eucalyptus helps clear the airways to help you breathe. You can use a name brand rub such as Vicks or buy the essential oil from a health food store and mix it with a bit of Vaseline. Rub it on your chest, throat and back. Keep it on your night stand to reapply after your middle of the night bathroom break.
4: Use a saline nose spray or drops. One of the hardest things to get rid of is a stuffy nose. Saline nose sprays are safe and can be really effective to help you breathe again. If you don’t like the sprays you can try the drops instead.
5: Call MotherRisk. So you tried all the natural options and it hasn’t worked. You have been sick for awhile and just need a good nights sleep. Your favorite cold medication may or may not be safe in pregnancy. I was surprised when my midwife told me I could take something for my cold. 416-813-6780 Motherisk Helpline. www.motherrisk.org.
The most important tip is to get rest! Easier said than done but really important to do. Most colds will have a life span of 3-5 days. This can drag on however if we push ourselves to do too much. As for help from your partner and take a sick day if needed. You will get better and just think, you have now helped build antibodies for your baby so it won’t get that particular cold you had. Its just too bad there are so many different colds going around ☹.
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