Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

When thinking about cold during pregnancy, you should know that there is a difference between colds and the flu.

Colds are caused by rhinoviruses while the flu is caused by influenza viruses. There are about 200 cold viruses and an infinite number of flu viruses.

Information about pregnancy colds

During pregnancy, your immune system is weakened to make sure that your body won’t fight the baby that is considered to be a foreign object in your body. On the downside, the immune system can’t fight the flu and colds as it usually does so women become extremely vulnerable.

If you are affected by pregnancy colds, you don’t really have to worry because they are only uncomfortable and not dangerous.

Flu on the other hand causes body aches, chills and fever and it could turn out to be dangerous. This is why pregnant women should be vaccinated before the flu season starts.

What to do about cold during pregnancy

At the moment it is said that pregnant women shouldn’t be using decongestants especially during the first trimester when the organs of the baby develop at the fastest rate.

Instead you should opt for the natural and healthy options for healing.

When being affected by pregnancy colds, women have to make sure that they have plenty of rest and also plenty of water so that they won’t get dehydrated.

Besides water, it is also good to have decaffeinated and clear fluids like broths and tea. Juices are packed with vitamin C, so have them as well.

The prenatal vitamins are also very important in case of cold during pregnancy because they come with vitamin C that boosts the immune system and also with zinc that fights off germs. These vitamins and minerals can also be got naturally from the foods rich in such nutrients.

Pregnancy colds can be fought off by vitamin C that comes in citrus, melon, strawberry, kiwi, papaya, mango, broccoli, tomatoes, red cabbage, spinach, bell peppers and many other tasty foods. Zinc can be found in beef, turkey, pork, yogurt, cooked oysters, oatmeal, wheat germ and also eggs.

Fresh garlic could help with cold during pregnancy too. For a long time garlic has been known for its virus fighting properties. There are some other anti-viral spices that you could have like cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. You should add these to the foods that you are cooking.

It is also helpful to keep the air around you moist in case of pregnancy colds with the help of a humidifier. To make sore throat or the throat pain better you should consider salt-water gargles. Nasal congestion could be made better by steam inhalation that also helps with sinus headaches.

It is a good idea to moisten the nasal passages when being faced with cold during pregnancy with the help of saline sprays. However in this case you have to make sure that you don’t get medicated sprays since, as it has been mentioned before, these could do more harm than good.