Having a cold during pregnancy

Knottie1473594088

Hello everyone! 
This is my first pregnancy im 10 weeks and 3 days pregnant and i caught a cold will this harm the baby? And how to get rid of it fast?

k2k2tog

Nope, it won't harm the baby. As for how to get rid of it fast... unfortunately, there's very little you can do in terms of taking meds. Get lots of rest, drink tea with honey, all the other typical home remedies.

ETA to add: Tylenol is safe during pregnancy, so if you need painkillers, it's an option.

Stormiewinter

Cold should be fine, but monitor your temperature. I believe high fevers can be dangerous so make sure you contact your OB if you have a fever. I highly recommend warm lemonade with honey to help with cough symptoms. It is my go to when I’m sick. 

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knottie508

Ugh just got sick this weekend. I am sticking with tea and rest but I wish I felt better sooner. 

notsoblissylissy

Unfortunately, colds are super common during pregnancy. Rest, fluids, and patience. 

minnemiska

The info my doc gave me says robitussin and mucinex are safe to take during pregnancy. 

DuchessOfCambridge

Has anyone tried elderberry syrup for colds during pregnancy? I was very skeptical but there are legit studies that show it can help with viral infections. 

mcewen3

@DuchessOfCambridge I haven't for myself yet, but the natural cough and cold med that I give to my kids is elderberry-based.  My oldest has a touch of asthma that always gets exacerbated by a cold, so when she gets sick she really gets sick.  I was all out of it one time (and I have to order it online) so because she is only 5 (not the recommended 6 that is on the labels of most kids cough medicine) our pharmacist gave us an adjusted dosage so we could use the real stuff for it.  Well, the real cough medicine doesn't work as well as the natural elderberry stuff that I order online for them so this winter I've stocked up on several bottles so that we are sure not to run out.  Not only does it really help the cough, I'm quite sure it also helps treat the cold because they always seem to get better quicker with that stuff compared to anything else

wishiwaspreggo

I have crazy bronchitis right now. Like the worst case I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve been bed-ridden for 3 days and literally every 20 minutes I cough up 2-3 huge snot balls. I can’t do anything or go anywhere and it’s not showing any signs of improvement yet... I would pay so, so much money for a permanent vaccine against bronchitis. There is literally nothing worse than this throat-burning cough and congestion so thick I’m drowning in green slime. I get this once a year and there is no medicine effective at treating the symptoms. It’s a virus so antibiotics don’t help. Just pray it ends soon. I miss feeling human.

missy052819

Hope you feel better soon @wishiwaspreggo ! That sounds awful! 

mcewen3

@wishiwaspreggo noooooo!!!  @DuchessOfCambridge and I were discussing using elderberry syrup for coughs and immunity boosting.  Is that something you can try?  The two main ingredients in the herbal cold syrup I give my kids are organic marshmallows and elderberry.  It works amazing for them.

fatmonica

I'm sorry @wishiwaspreggo.  Bronchitis sucks.   I get it really easily and can never get rid of it without a steroid inhaler and prednisone.  

wishiwaspreggo

@mcewen3 I admit, I’m a bit wary of herbal remedies but I’ll do some research! My former boss would squirt echinacea in my water bottle if I had so much as a sniffle at work and it didn’t do anything to stop the inevitable. The only thing that has worked for me is zinc lozenges but even those irritate my tongue and throat lol... seems like I just can’t win! I’ve tried every prescription for cough suppressants and syrups. Only one that works is the stuff with codeine but 1) not good for the babies growing inside me and 2) I always get nasty looks from the doctor when I ask for it 😂 

megsb615

@wishiwaspreggo Ugh sorry you’re sick! DS has/had a touch of bronchitis, and now I’ve got a stuffy/runny nose and sneezing. This time of year sucks for sickness. Hope you feel better! 

mcewen3

@wishiwaspreggo truthfully, there doesn't appear to be a lot of information about elderberry syrup and pregnancy.  But there is quite a bit of information on it as a natural remedy.  I find it works so much better for my daughter (who's asthma is always exacerbated by colds and flu) than the medicated cough suppressants.  Marshmallow is also said to be good for sore throat relief and I believe coughs as well.  Probably not the healthiest snack, but if eating a few gives some temporary relief I know I'd probably jump all over that lol

DuchessOfCambridge

@wishiwaspreggo I am super skeptical of herbal remedies too! I haven’t seen one for pregnancy and elderberry but I have seen actual studies for elderberry in general and it has been scientifically shown to help against viral infections. Honestly cold syrups don’t do much either, they are there to suppress symptoms but they do not fight the virus and do not boost immunity. I’m really wary of natural remedies but I do just have honey instead of cough syrup because cs is so ineffective anyway. But yes, definitely do research, there are many studies out there about elderberry!

wishiwaspreggo

@DuchessOfCambridge - I did a little Google search and Elderberry syrup actually sounds legit I missed the boat on this bout of illness (you should start it within 48 hours of onset) but I'll buy some for my next cold. My immune system gets crappier with every passing week. But alas, I needed antibiotics according to the doctor so I'm on a Z-Pack now. I'm about 30% better today which is huge because I spent the last 3 nights coughing up what feels like gallons of phlegm. I only had 2 major coughing episodes last night and the proper sleep did wonders for me. That said, my throat is still mega-raw, I'm still achy and tired, and the congestion is real. But you know, you're right about conventional cough syrups. They cover the symptoms but only barely and I get really spaced out on cough medicine. Plus - while coughing up phlegm is pure misery - it does have the major benefit of ridding your body of the infection. I find I'm sick for much shorter periods of time if I allow my body to suffer the symptoms because they're working to get rid of the bugs.

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@wishiwaspreggo so sorry you're suffering! Bronchitis is awful! In case you already don't know, here are a few tips i always use.....
- drink plenty of water or tea. This helps thin out the mucus.
-use a humidifier in your bedroom.  This also helps thin out the mucus.
- before bed,  drink a warm glass of milk with a pinch of turmeric in it.  Don't eat or drink anything afterwards so as to let the milk coat your throat.  As you may know,  turmeric is an antinflammatory. A pinch is safe for pregnancy.  We Indians use it in all of our cooking. But if you're not comfortable going on an internet stranger's word,  certainly do the research on that.  
I hope you feel better super fast!

DuchessOfCambridge

@wishiwaspreggo glad you got something that helped! I wonder if elderberry is at all helpful against bacterial illness, everything I saw was for viral. Regardless, really happy to hear you're on the mend.