cold and flu treatment when pregnant

You know that unpasteurized brie is a no-go during pregnancy, and those double martinis and oysters on the half shell are strictly verboten. But what about cold and flu medications? When you inevitably come down with a hacking cough, myriad aches and pains, and a serious case of the sniffles, what can you take? Here, our guide to navigating cold and flu season with a baby on board.

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Get vaccine
First things first: It’s strongly recommended that pregnant women get the flu shot. Influenza—a severe respiratory illness that causes fever, cough and congestion—is not something to be trifled with. And it’s not to be confused with stomach flu, a distinct and less serious infection. As Laura Magee, Women who are pregnant and have the flu are at an increased risk of serious complications. And that list of potential repercussions includes pneumonia, kidney failure, swelling of the brain, premature labour and even death. An estimated 10 to 20 percent of Canadians becomes infected with influenza each year, causing upwards of 12,000 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths. The good news is the vaccine is safe throughout pregnancy. Be sure, however, to request the injection, which is made from an inactivated virus, and not the nasal-spray vaccine, as that’s made from a live virus and not recommended for use by pregnant women. While it can be impossible to ward off illness especially when, you can take steps to protect yourself. Get plenty of rest and wash your hands often throughout the day. If a lot of your colleagues are still coming in sick, ask if you can work from home.

Know to deal
You’re sneezing, coughing and aching all over. Is it a cold or the flu? A cold is a mild respiratory illness, and the symptoms typically coughing, sore throat and congestion tend to appear gradually. With influenza, the symptoms which include a sore throat, loss of appetite, fever, congestion, cough and aches come on quite suddenly. You could have a high fever for three or four days and extreme tiredness for several weeks. In contrast, fever and extreme exhaustion are less common with a cold. Children who have the flu can experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but these symptoms are rare in adults. If you are enduring a variety of unpleasant gastrointestinal issues, chances are you have the stomach flu, which is caused by other viruses or bacteria, not influenza.

Care provider
While most colds do not pose any risk for an unborn child, the flu should be taken more seriously. Pregnant women should contact their midwife or doctor if they have a fever that lasts longer than two days, can’t keep food down or are coughing excessively. It’s best to double-check with your care provider immediately so you know exactly what you have and how to best proceed. Most people with the flu become only mildly ill and start to feel better in seven to 10 days. But if a case of influenza is confirmed, and it’s early enough in its onset, you may be prescribed an antiviral medicine, such as Tamiflu, which shortens the duration of flu symptoms and has been shown to be safe during pregnancy.

Pick Medication
I find the biggest barrier to treating colds and flus is misinformation. There’s an idea out there that pregnant women shouldn’t use any over-the-counter medication, so a lot of women suffer unnecessarily.