5 Months Pregnant and Sick with a Cold for 3 Weeks...

I was sick with a cold in the beginning and I called my OBGYN I am also due in March by the way.

They gave me meds and within in 3 days I was better

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Your immune system is weakened and being pregnant makes it weaker. Good nutrition and supplements will help you greatly. You can easily do this by adding 1000mg of vitamin C in addition to your prenatal every day until you deliver and begin taking probiotics to help boost your good bacteria in your system to give your immune system a boost too. Florajen 3 is an excellent quality probiotic and can be found in Whole Foods, all probiotics are NOT created equal, this is why I recommend this brand. We should all be taking probiotics like we take our multi everyday...this will help boost your baby's immunity too. Also aim to eat more veggies with vitamin A and beta-carotene, this is about 2 sweet potatoes per week and 10 organic baby carrots per day. Also dairy will increase mucous production making it more difficult to rid the cold, they have the same molecules hence increasing mucous production. There are tons more foods that are better than getting your daily calcium like spinach, kale, organic, free-range eggs (which is higher in Vitamin D anyways...) raw almonds, etc. If you like ice cream, switch to coconut milk ice cream, healthier and higher in fiber.

Let me know if you have more questions.

Happy B-day and best wishes!

J. W. MPH
Wellness Educator/Lifestyle and Wellness Consultant
JJ Wellness Consulting

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Talk to your OB. There are certain meds you can take. You may need an antibiotic.

C. T.

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T.,

I hope you feel better soon. I would recommend rinsing your nasal passages with a saline solution. I've had very good luck with Neil Med's Sinus Rinse system. It's easy to use (and feels less awkward to me than a netti pot). Also, I would make sure to rest as much as possible (can you teach some of the time sitting down), drink lots of clear fluids, and take ColdEeze.

Best of luck!
R.

I had a terrible cold at 4 months pg and actually had to go on antibiotics - it was perfectly safe. I also used Breathe Again Sino Marin nasal spray which is sterilized seawater and that helped me breathe - good luck!

Hi T.,
Happy birthday! :)
So sorry that you are sick for so long, I know how you feel. When I was 20 weeks pregnant I got really sick, and there isn't much you can take to help it. Have you called your OB to see what you can take? My OB allowed salene spray, vapor rub on my chest, plain robotassin (that might help with the chest congestion). Other than that, humidity, plenty of rest. Still give your OB a call, and see what they recommend. Feel better soon!

Maybe you could try those Breathe Right strips? They go on the bridge of your nose and they help lift the skin and underlying tissue a little so you can breathe. The really worked for me. Also try putting a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil in the humidifier to try and decongest you further. My doctor had told me when I was pregnant that I could take Benadryl to help me decongest....Also maybe try sleeping at an angle with lots of pillows. Hope this helps! It's maddening not to be able to breathe. I couldn't breathe for most of my second trimester!

Hi T.,

I keep my approved by my OB/GYN medication list on board above my computer so I wont misplace it. My doc is okay with taking Actifed, Sudafed, or Robitussin DM as well as Tylenol of course. I have had a bad head cold and had luck with Sudafed. I'm currently 5 months pregnant with #3. Good Luck!

I spent a lot of my pregnancy with a terrible cold, & was so frustrated because I couldn't really take anything that helped relief my discomfort. The congestion was interfering with my ability to sleep. Towards the end, I discovered the Neti Pot. It sounds gross & uncomfortable to use one, but once you give it a try and get the hang of it, you will be hooked. I purchased one at Merz Apothecary in Chicago, and they are also sold at Fruitful Yield. I am not sure, but CVS may sell one as well. Basically you make a saline solution (warm water & very fine, pure salt). You insert the Netti pot into one nostril, tilt your head & the water drains out the other nostril. You repeat with the other side. It brought me such incredible relief, I did it twice a day - once in the morning and once at night. You can Google Neti Pot & find out more about them.

I have a seven month old and was do in March and was always sick. Go to the Doctor they can give you a amoxacilan(spelling). I thought I could not take anything either but call you family practice doctor and get medicine.

yuck that is not fun at all and as a former teacher i know it is not easy to stay healthy around all those germy children. i was super crazy about not taking anything otc when preg. if you use a little vicks on your chest or under ur nose it is old school but really seems to help. a steamy shower may help too good luck march will be here before u know it.

Try Breathe Right Strips. They are these little strips you put on your nose. I got a lot of colds during pregnancy, and I would use them at night so I could sleep. They work so well! Feel better soon!

Hi Tammy. I strongly suggest a call or a visit to your OB. If the virus has turned into an infection, your OB will most likely want to treat you. A virus should not last 3 weeks, although it's possible you had one virus and now have another (back-to-back). It's just not fair! Hang in there and try to have a happy birthday!!

You should try taking some sudafed (the original formula not PE) or Tylenol Cold, they are both on the safe list for pregnancy. Plain Robitussin is also okay for a cough.

T.
Happy Birthday! First off, you are feeling so sick with a long recovery time b/c your body is giving you the brunt or majority of the illness to protect the fetus.
I was also super sick when I was 4 months preggo so I totally understand!
I STRONGELY urge you to try a nettie pot - Walgreens/CVS has a brand they sell called SinuCleanse.
I started using years ago and am a big fan and use it a few times a week just to keep everything clean.
Good luck!
M.

I just had my little one in August, so I understand what you are going through. My best advice is to ask your OB what is best for you to take. My OB said it was ok to take sudafed or Mucinex. Good luck and I hope you feel better!

Hi T., I too am due in March however I am glad to say I dont have problems with colds. However, I am a chiropractor that specializes in pregnant women and also children. There are a lot of wonderful techniques I use to help open up the sinuses and help with breathing. There are also very safe adjustments for your neck and back to help increase your immune system and again clear out and open the sinuses, lungs and lymphatic system. best of all it is drug free and 100% safe for you and the baby. If interested in more info just let me know. I am in Villa Park.

Dr. B

First of all, happy birthday. I had my first when I was 30 - what a great year!! I had the same thing, only in my first trimester. I was very limited to what I could take then, but my dr. told me that Tylenol Cold and Robitussin DM were safe for the baby. To this day, it is all that I take (I'm still nursing). Call your dr. to see what they recommend. Otherwise, my sister swears by the nettie pot (sp?). It's just a saline solution that you spray up your nose and everything drains out the other side. Sounds gross, but I've heard it works really well. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!

Sounds like you have some great advice. The only thing I would change is that someone recommended teas. I remember being told to limit, or stay away from mint teas as they can be associated with pre-term labor. I would just check with your OB first. Good luck and congrats and Happy B-day!

I, too, was sick during my last pregnancy. Mine lasted for 6 weeks total! So, you're maybe half way there!! :) I had the same symptoms. Mine actually had a cough that came with it and kept me and my husband up at night. I would cough to the point of gagging. My Dr. told me all I could take was decongestant, cough medicine, throat spray or cough drops, No antihistimine, which is what I felt I needed. ANyway, it did eventually clear up. This is the not so fun part of pregnancy! Good Luck! I do agree with the saline solution/nettie pot and humidifier and nose strips!

Hot steamy showers should help. I can't recommend anything over the counter to help due to pregenancy. I do highly recommend you adding a whole food supplement to your diet even during pregnancy. If you coulf have healthier cells and provide you and your baby more fruits and veggies everyday, wouldn't that be of interest to you? Please visit the website below. This is completely safe for you and your baby. The only whole food concept with gold standard research on the formula. There is even a study in progress on pregnancy. The preliminary reslults are amazing! This could be the begining of better health for you for a lifetime. Due to the fact that you are a teacher, you need the added support of a balanced immune system to help you ward off all illness. I hope you find this information helpful. Best of luck to you and congraltulations on the pregnancy.
N.-Nutrition Naturally
www.jp4ahealthieryou.com

I would suggest going to the health food store and buy Cod Liver Oil and drinking Green Tea with lemons. You need to build your immune system. Try using Vicks rub under your noise and on your chest. That has always helped me. Hope you feel better.

PS: My sister was given baby medicine over the counter when it happened to her. Ask your doctor.

B.

use a vaporizer with the vickes stuff in it. Try nasal saline sprays to unclog the nose. Boil water and stand in front of the steam with your head over to break up the congestions. Hot showers with the steam inside the bathroom help. I know it stinks to be sick and not be able to take things. Also, try some teas such as peppermint or chamomile.

hi, happy birthday and congrats on your first baby to be! i am typing w one hand holding my sleeping 7 mth old..so sorry for gramatical errors. i love the other mom reccomendations and wanted to share something that my doctor told me to take during pregnancy. i order at yourdailyservings. com there is a pregnancy study and it also has immune system studies,dna repair, circulatory, antioxidant several gold standard, hence the ob gyn recomendation. it was the best 1.50 a day i spent for myself and my unborn children ( i have a 3 year old too.) i have taken it for 6 1/2 years now and also have an autoimmune disease and i was told i couldn't concieve naturally. anyway..that is another story to be shared personally. i don't mean to sound so salesy but it really is worth looking at and it is safe and effective and ok during pregnancy.
in health,
C. N. wellness educator, lmt since 1994

Sounds like a sinus infection. Do you feel pressure in your face when you put your face down? I would get awful infection very often and I just got sick of going to the doc all the time not to mention being on the antibiotics so often isn't all that great. I have a neti pot. It looks like a genie bottle thing (like in Alladin). You can purchase it at Whole Foods. It's under $15.00, I would suggest buying the salt that goes along with it. Then you follow the instructions. It cleans out your sinus' and you are able to breathe. It may not prevent a sinus infection, but then a doc friend told me that 90% of the time we get antibiotics and it was unnecessary because the infection was clearing up on it's own already but we attribute it to the antibiotics. Does that make sense? Anyway, after doing it twice daily (usually morning and night), and after 10 days you should be fine. If not then I would recommend going to the doc because it is something that needs antibiotics. Good Luck! Oh a sinus infection makes you feel extremely tired, although being pregnant you already are so you may not have noticed.

Call or visit your ob/gyn and he or she should be able to prescribe something for you that is safe to take while pregnant. I got really sick when I was pregnant and took medicine (forget what it was) that cleared it up.

call your dr... I was allowed to take sudiphed.

My dr. told me I could take benedryl at night and claritin (NOT CLARITIN D) during the day. I tried it, never really helped, but maybe it would help you. For sure check with your dr. first. Otherwise....just eat well, drink LOTS and LOTS of water and juice and get as much rest as you can. Also, a Nette Pot (sold at Walgreens) will help clear stuff out of your nasal passages. It's pretty weird to use at first, but feels great!

Hope you feel better soon!

T., same thing happened to me with second pregnancy. I couldn't believe how long I was congested. I had to sleep mostly upright on the couch for weeks. The main thing that helped was the nettie pot. You don't really need one, just put salt in warm water in a cup and pour a little in your palm to inhale it. Do it a few times. Then I could usually breath enough to sleep.

I saw someone else recommended the nettie pot idea and I just wanted to support that. My last pregnancy I was sick for months straight. Very annoying. I did find that it helped to use the nettie pot a couple of times a day. I just used warm water (about a 1/4 cup) mixed with salt (maybe a teaspoon - I don't measure) and I would tilt my head back and sideways, pour the mix in and let it run through the other side and down my throat. Sounds gross if you have never done it, I was totally against it at first, but it really did help. Best.

Allergies may have a big part of this. Put VICKS in your vaporizer, not humidifier. Humidifiers leave a chilly dampness that keeps the symptoms going.

Hi T.. When I was pregnant with my 2nd, I was so congested!!!! I went through a couple boxes of kleenex a day! It was awful, so I know how you feel. At first, I thought it was a cold, but my ob said that is one of the side effects of being pregnant (our bodies produce more mucus). I like my doc, but was a little upset because I kept telling him how stuffed up I was and he didn't prescribe anything until the last month. I can't remember the name of it, but I think it's a common decongestant for pregos. Ask your doc. I was against taking any sort of medication, but as far as my doc said, it was fine to take when pregnant and I felt a lot better! Good Luck!