Pregnancy And Baby Care Home Remedies During Pregnancy Cold Remedies During Pregnancy

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You are, however, advised against taking any over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen or aspirin as remedies for cold during pregnancy. There are other natural home remedies for cold that you can choose from to get some relief.

Cold Remedies During Pregnancy

While it is good to go for natural and herbal remedies to treat a cold during pregnancy, you still need to consult your doctor because not all herbal ingredients are beneficial for a pregnant woman. Therefore, using natural cold remedies during pregnancy also needs to be done with discretion and with the advice of a doctor.

Home Remedies For Cold During Pregnancy

There are several cold remedies you can try to treat your cold. These include:

• Steam inhalation is good for easing nasal congestions. This can be done with plain hot water or by adding eucalyptus or peppermint oil to the water.
• Warm baths can soothe nasal as well as chest congestions.
• Drink hot water with lemon and honey to soothe a stuffy nose as well as a sore throat.
• Drink plenty of fluids rich in vitamin C.
• Consuming garlic and onion can shorten the duration of the cold.
  
  
• Saltwater gargling helps relieve a sore throat.
• Another remedy for a sore throat is warm milk with a pinch of turmeric powder, ground pepper, and a teaspoon of honey.
• In case you experience shortness of breath, use a humidifier in your room to increase the moisture and ease your breathing.
• Hot bag compresses are useful to ease chest and nasal congestions.

In addition to these home remedies, there are over-the-counter salt water nasal sprays (these are used for children too, when they have a blocked nose), which can help relieve nasal congestion and cause no side effects. The emphasis is on ensuring that natural remedies for colds during pregnancy do not cause any adverse effects on the mother or the baby.

While it is hard to avoid a common cold, simple measures like washing hands frequently, drinking plenty of fluids, eating fruits and vegetables, exercising, taking prenatal vitamins and zinc supplements, and most importantly, getting plenty of rest can boost your immune system and make you less susceptible to colds during pregnancy. If you are a smoker, it is in the best interests of your baby's health that you quit when you're pregnant.

There is no cause for distress if you come down with a cold during pregnancy; however, you will need to contact your doctor immediately if your cold worsens with each passing day and/or there is no improvement in your condition despite trying pregnancy cold remedies for a week. In such cases, the infection could be of a secondary nature and the doctor will need to rule out conditions like allergies, bronchial infections, or sinusitis.