19 answers

Virus/Coughing In Pregnancy

I am going on the 15th week of my first pregnancy and I have been sick with a cold/respiratory type virus now for a week. I went to the doctor yesterday, and of course there is nothing they can give me for this. My question is in regards to the coughing that goes along with this. I have coughed until my stomach, back, and what feels like my bladder is all sore. Has anyone had this type of thing while being pregnant? I think my biggest fear is hurting my baby or my pregnancy in some way. I just don't see how coughing as hard as I am isn't messing something up. The doctor tried to assure me that the baby is safe inside of me, but I guess I just need a little more reassurance that my baby should be ok through this.

What can I do next?

So What Happened?™

Thanks all for your comments/suggestions!! I called my OB/GYN after the primary doctor didn't prescribe me anything to take. They had given me a card with medicines to take in the 2nd trimester, so I called to make sure that I was far enough along. I have taken a couple of Tylenol cold, but mostly Robitussin DM b/c I wasn't sure that Sudafed type meds that were in the Tylenol cold were ok. We tried the humidifier in our bedroom last night, but I think that made the coughing worse. Warm tea seems to work quite nicely for a short period of time. I feel much better about my baby being safe despite the non-stop coughing. Thanks again for your help. Hopefully this will find its way out of my body soon...meanwhile my husband seems to have picked it up. :)

Featured Answers

When i was pregnant I caught a cold and the only medicine my doctor told me i could take was Robitussin.

More Answers

The reason your doctor said that the baby is safe inside you, is that your little baby is swimming in quite a bit of water, and is extremely small at this point. There may be some movement back and forth when you cough, but no different than if you were walking or running somewhere. I know that most doctors will let you take tylenol products while you are pregnant and if they did not tell you to take anything you may want to ask if you can take a cold/sinus medicine that will help alleviate your symptoms and help your cough a little. Plus you can also take Collidal Silver and that will help knock the virus right out. You can get it at your health food store and take 1 tsp 2-3 times a day for about a week and you will probably notice a huge difference and since this is all natural it will not harm the baby in anyway. I remember I had the flu when I was around 5 months pregnant and I thought I was going to throw up my baby, but everything was fine and she is now a healthy 5 year old. Don't focus so much on your sister, there are a number of things that could have caused her to go into early labor, and at 24 months the chances of survival are still really low, so try not to think about that. you will probably have no trouble. Take care.

Hey there,

I am now 20 weeks pregnant with my second. I just recently recovered from a very nasty cold which included a horrible cough. It was bad enough that I called my OB and family doctor. They both assured me that Mucinex (which is over the counter) is safe to take. There are 3 different ones, one made just for coughs. All 3 are safe. I took it only at night and it really did help. But, if you are uncomfortable with taking anything, know that this too shall pass. Your baby will be just fine! It's just hard on you.

I have get like that each fall for 3 weeks. And in 2003 I was pregnaunt with the same symptoms. The coughing won't hurt the baby. You do need to make sure you are hydrated, and have as clear a passage way as possible - Oxygen. I have a health, active and very smart 2 yr old - will be 3 in Dec. I didn't take anything. My Doctor said that if I had problems breathing I could take something I forgot what, but he prefered I didn't.

I agree with the other post that the baby is very well protected. However, You need lots of rest and TLC right now. I would call my Dr. and ask about maybe a caugh drop or even the triminic cough patches for children. They shouldn't hurt the baby and would help you get some rest. (Please ask your dr. before using them though)
Hugs
M.

With every pregnancy (4 of them) I had horrible coughing. I was coughing in labor with #3. You DO NOT want to be coughing after the birth, ouch! It may differ because you're earlier in your term than I was, but I was able to take mytussin and tussinex (these have oxycontin in them). Mostly this was to help me sleep. I also slept a lot sitting up in a recliner or with lots of pillows in bed which seemed to help. I'm fine now and so are all my kids. Good luck, I know it's tough to be sick and pregnant.

There is an old home remedy my mom used to give us when we got really bad coughs. Its honey, a squeeze of orange, and a little bit of whisky. I know that alcohol is a huge NONO when your pregnant but it is just a little bit to fill the bottom of a tea cup. It really does work. Otherwise just hang in there, once your about 20 weeks the Docs should be more willing to give you medicine, it is just that the first trimester is SO important to development they dont want to risk anything. ALSO, like others said, your baby is VERY well protected in there.

I am a Mother of 2 and carrying my third child and I had the flu with my first and I was exremely sick, but the baby was completely fine. I assure you that becauce I gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

I had a respiratory infection during my 19th week of pregnancy and I was hospitalized and sent home with a script of robitussin with codine. Have you asked if they can give you something?

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