Natural Remedies for Treating a Cold

knottief935d12aa0d0131d

Any mamas have any natural remedies that have helped treat a common cold during pregnancy? Before pregnancy I’d drink plenty of herbal teas and oil of oregano but from my research there’s a lot of mixed reviews on herbal teas and almost everything says not to use oil of oregano. Thanks in advance!!

meggyme

Ask your doctor for safe medications to take. Just because it’s “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe.

fertile-turtle

As far as anything “natural,” I’m a fan of a Neti pot or saline spray for nasal congestion, but beyond that, be careful with natural remedies and check with your doctor or a pharmacist before using anything. They can be dangerous in pregnancy, and beside that, they really aren’t regulated so it’s hard to be confident you’ve got a “pure” natural product.

00kim00

Hot tea or water with honey (there are lots of safer options), humidifier, rest/naps, lots of fluids (water, can do juice or Gatorade with reasonable limits), a warm or cool cloth on your face/forehead, I'd suck on hard candies or have popsicles for sore throat. I'd avoid oils and herbs unless your doctor specifically okays the ingredients- treat that stuff like medications, only with more caution because they're less regulated.

knottiec1bd6c5399b4642a

Hot water with lemon and honey works well for me. 

lisamright

For the congestion and sore throat you can do what my mom used to do for us- take a raw onion and a raw potato, cut them up into smallish cubes (peeled potato 1/2" cubes, onion chopped) and put them into a pot. Cover with water and salt to taste. Add a lot of black pepper. Boil until the onions and potatoes basically dissolve. It'll be like a very thick broth. Eat it while it's still temperature hot-as hot as you can stand without burning your mouth. It'll soothe a sore throat and you won't be congested for a good while and it tastes pretty good too you can make a large batch and reheat when needed but I would start with a small batch to make sure it's something palatable for you. 

flowerchild2022

I'm wrapping up my second cold since August, and I haven't been sick in a few years - even through the pandemic. So the lower immunity is definitely real for me! 😅

While I've been sick I've been trying to get some extra Vitamin C in by eating extra fruit or having some OJ in the morning. Hot water with lemon and honey for a warm beverage. I also cooked up some homemade chicken broth and made a really hearty veggie soup, which I found very comforting for dinner when I was very congested still. I didn't have so much of a sore throat this time around, but I imagine gargling with salt water would also be safe to do. 

Really, the biggest thing for me was just riding it out and trying to get some extra rest whenever I could. I really believe sleep is the best medicine for a cold!