It’s the season for colds and flu, but it’s no fun getting sick, especially during pregnancy. Pregnant women are more susceptible to colds and other infections, related to the effects of hormonal changes throughout the body. If you and baby are otherwise healthy, there is no cause for alarm and you will heal with good rest, hydration, and nourishment. And there are plenty of natural remedies that will help you feel much better, and heal sooner.
Rest assured, these suggestions help whether you are pregnant or not. I am so thankful that these remedies work - I have studied about them extensively, effectively used them on myself, my family and the thousands I have guided over the many years I have been practicing as a midwife.
I know, mommies and midwives can not get sick! But we do.
An infection is your body’s way of letting you know that your resistance is low, that you over-stressed, run down, and need to slow down. It’s an opportunity to take a look at what is in your daily life that creates conditions for illness to occur.
Do not ignore your symptoms and carry on as usual, even more so when pregnant. Neglected mild infections can turn into more serious and complicated ones.
If You Experience Cold and Flu During Pregnancy
Allow Yourself Some Rest
Take some time off to go to bed and get plenty of rest to allow your body to heal, especially if you have been overdoing it. Get extra sleep by going to bed early, sleeping later and taking naps.
Reassess your lifestyle and think about ways to cut back and let go of unnecessary expenditures of energy, limit nonessential activities and reduce unneeded stress. And please accept help from others.
Try Some Natural Remedies
Drink lots of fluids. Drink at least 64 ounces per day of water, herbal tea, juice, miso or chicken soup broth. Sip frequently. Try these recipes:
GINGER INFUSION
Add 1 heaping tsp fresh grated ginger to 1 c boiling water.
Steep covered for 15 - 20 minutes.
Add manuka honey and/or fresh lemon juice to taste.
Drink 1 cup every few hours.
GINGER PLUS TEA
Boil ½ tbsp or 1 inch of shredded ginger, ½ tbsp cinnamon and ½ teaspoon cayenne powder in 2 cups of water for 5-6 minutes.
Add 2 sauteed cloves chopped garlic, a dash of sea salt, the juice of one lemon, and ¼ cup manuka honey. Steep covered 5-10 minutes. Adding 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar relieves stuffed noses.
Drink throughout the day.
HEALING BROTH
A fresh miso soup or bone broth with lightly cooked scallions, onions, and garlic is also very therapeutic.
Add 5-6 cloves chopped raw garlic in 1 qt boiling water, soak covered for ½ hour.
Saute a few chopped scallions, shallots or 1 onion in olive oil that lightly covers bottom of pan.
Dissolve 1 Tbsp miso or a few organic all-natural bouillon cubes according to package directions, then add the garlic and onions. You can also use chicken, veggie or bone broth as a base.
Drink warm, up to 1 c every few hours.
KUDZU SOUP
Kudzu makes a wonderfully soothing and nourishing soup that lowers fever, reduces inflammation, relieves sore throat and even stomach discomfort. When added to garlic and ginger, it can also help you heal. It is available in most health food stores.
Dissolve a few tsp kudzu starch into ½ cup cold water. Set aside.
Sauté 2 shallots or a small onion, 6 cloves chopped garlic, ½ inch chopped ginger in 1 Tbsp olive for a few minutes.
Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add 1 Tbsp miso paste and the kudzu mixture. Stir for 2 minutes.
Drink warm throughout the day.
Alternately, you can dissolve 2 tsps Kudzu in ½ cup cold water, add to 2 cups boiling apple juice, then stir for a few minutes with 1/8 tsp cinnamon or a cinnamon stick, and drink as often as needed.
Eat nourishing organic foods. Good examples are fresh or lightly cooked fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, nut butters, seeds, organic tofu or tempeh, whole organic eggs, turkey or chicken, beef, lamb, wild Alaskan salmon, and fresh whole organic sheep or goat dairy.
Avoid heavily processed refined flour and sugar foods, partially hydrogenated fat, refined vegetable oils and deep fried foods as they strain the immune system.
Cow dairy and wheat products increase mucus production, so you may want to limit your intake of these foods if you are congested.
Take your daily supplements, to make sure you are getting all the nourishment you need that is not supplied by diet alone.
Take Gaia’s alcohol-free Echinacea Supreme. This is my favorite brand of echinacea, which is a remarkable and safe herb that kills all sorts of unwanted germs without disrupting the body’s normal flora and strengthens the immune system’s ability to fight infection. It’s good to keep this herbal tincture in the house, as it works best the earlier you start to take it.
At the first sign of infection, take 1-2 dropperfuls in juice or water every few hours and then slowly reduce the dose and frequency as you recover. Continue to take it 1-2 times daily for a week after your symptoms resolve. Don’t worry if your tongue feels a little numb and tingly momentarily, as this is a welcome sign that the echinacea is potent and effective.
As a preventative tonic during the cold and flu season, after exposure to someone sick, or if you just feel run down, take a dropperful 1-2 times daily for 2-3 weeks of each month.
For additional protection, you can also add a dropperful of Astragalus, alcohol free if pregnant. If you cannot tolerate the liquid form, you can try capsules of supercritical or freeze dried herbal extracts made by Gaia or Eclectic Institute, as directed.
Enjoy some garlic. As soon as you feel you are “coming down with something” eat a bulb of fresh garlic daily. You can make it delicious by roasting or sautéing the whole cloves in olive oil, salt, pepper and a dash of parsley.
If you prefer raw garlic, eat 2-4 cloves (not full bulbs!) twice daily crushed into your salad or cut and swallow as a pill. Continue until a week after symptoms have gone.
Another option is to take New Chapter’s Garlicforce (a capsule of supercritical fresh organic garlic) several times per day.
Breathe easy. Use these suggestions to liquify thick mucus to flow more easily out of your system, keeping bacteria growth at bay and helping you breathe more comfortably.
For a cough, stuffy nose, and a hoarse scratchy or sore throat, use a humidifier or vaporizer in the bedroom so that you can inhale the steam. Cool mist is preferable if there are young children around, to prevent burns. You can add a few drops of essential oils to the water, purchased separately or in a collection. Try a combination of 2-3 of the following:
Thieves by Young Living
Tea Tree
Peppermint
Eucalyptus
Sage
Oregano
Ginger
Thyme
Lavender
Chamomile
Rosemary
Take advantage of inhaling steam as often as you can when not sleeping. At least several times daily, bring a pot of water to boil, then turn off the flame. Stand over it, cover your head and the pot with a towel, while breathing in through your nose slowly and deeply for relief of nasal and sinus congestion. You can breathe through your mouth with pursed lips as if sucking through a straw, if your nose is too stuffed. But be extremely careful not to burn yourself and watch that the towel is not near the hot burner!
Alternately, you can sit in a closed bathroom with the hot steamy shower running.
Two to 3 saline nose drops put into your nose will loosen thick sticky mucus for easier removal. You can make your own by adding 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt to a quart of purified, distilled water. Tap water can also be used, but only after boiling to sterilize it.
Another method is nasal douching using a Neti Pot to rinse and clear the nasal passages. Tilt your head back and inhale or pour slowly the saline solution through one nostril while closing the other with your index finger, and spit the fluid out of your mouth, then repeat with the other nostril. Do each nostril several times, 3-4 times daily. Integrative physician Dr. Andrew Weil especially recommends this practice for sinus infections. His instructions are easy to follow: “You can pour some of the salt water into your cupped hand and inhale it into one nostril at a time while closing the other nostril with an index finger. Or you can get a neti pot, a ceramic container shaped like a miniature Aladdin’s lamp that allows you to pour water directly into the nose. Use enough solution to fill your nasal cavity and spill into your mouth. Spit it out and then gently blow your nose. At first, this process may seem uncomfortable and messy, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll like what it does for your nose and sinuses.”
Gargle. For a sore throat or ear congestion, gargle for a few minutes 4 5 times per day with a solution of:
¼ teaspoon sea salt dissolved in 1 cup very warm water,
1-2 drops each of tea tree, eucalyptus, and peppermint oil in 1 cup very warm water, or
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide in 1/2 cup very warm water
You can add ½ teaspoon goldenseal powder, or the entire contents of one capsule, to the saline solution. Remember not to swallow! Spit everything out after your gargle.
Additional Remedies for Cold and Flu During Pregnancy
Sweat for 10-20 minutes per day in a steam room or dry sauna where you will perspire freely. Intense sweating helps the body eliminate infectious toxins. Remember to drink lots of water before, during and afterwards. Avoid immersion in hot tubs/jacuzzis in pregnancy, because they make your body temperature too high for the baby and do not allow you to sweat to cool yourself and baby down.
Manuka Honey has been used for centuries to help heal infection and has been supported by research. Take 1 tsp UMF-rated organic Manuka Honey from New Zealand up to 4x/day. This can be added to tea or taken straight. They also come in tasty soothing lozenges.
Asian mushrooms. Host Defense makes a wonderful combination of organically grown Asian mushrooms, used extensively in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine for centuries to enhance immunity.
Other Herbs. Elderberry syrup, is especially studied effective for the flu, but also reduces length and severity of the common cold. It also tastes yummy! You can take 2 teaspoons up to 4 times daily. If you are NOT pregnant, after exposure or during the cold and flu season, you can preventatively take ViraCom (by Vital Nutrients) that has a wonderful combination of immune supporting remedies. At the earliest sign of feeling sick, you can take Andrographis Paniculata, easily available as the brand name Kan Jang. Take 1 tablet every 6 hours. It is reputed to be very effective at boosting immunity during the cold and flu season, and to hasten healing, as is Gaia’s encapsulated oil of oregano, a wonderful brand, and you can take it as directed on bottle. Additional well researched, natural immune-boosting, anti-infective remedies include Colloidal Silver, Goldenseal, Cumin, Rosemary, Cinnamon, and Elecampane to support healing of your respiratory tract and kill certain common disease causing bacteria. Dr Kelly Brogan in her book Own Yourself: The Suprising Path Beyond Depression, Anxiety, and Fatigue to Reclaiming Your Authenticity, Vitality, and Freedom also advises Thymus Glandular, and N-acetyl cysteine (especially to loosen mucus in a hacking productive cough) to support your immune system when sick with common infections, in a radical attempt to help people find effective modalities that are safer than toxic prescriptive and over the counter medications.
Essential oil blend. Thieves by Young Living, can be added to your tea (just a drop or two) a few times daily. You can also make them into a warm moist compress or dilute 3-4 drops of Thieves, or any of the above mentioned essential oils in almond oil and massage onto your aching body, rub onto your chest, throat, sinuses, head, or under your nose. Place them in the bath as you soak, for their anti-infectious, decongestant, and immune stimulating effects. Put 3-4 drops on the light bulb near your bed and in your diffuser and humidifier.
The essential oil of Tea Tree may be combined with Clove, Cinnamon or a few of the others above and diluted in a spray bottle of water to spray around the room to naturally disinfect and refresh the air. You can take doTerra’s On Guard essential oil pellets orally as directed. I am amazed how effective they are!
Vitamin C with bioflavonoids can be taken in 500–1000 mg doses 3 to 5 times per day to assist your immune response. But do not take more than 2000 mg per day in the first trimester, or 500 mg daily past the 36th week of pregnancy.
Vitamin D3 - make sure you take 1000-5000 IU daily to keep your blood levels 70 or above, which supports your general well-being and immune response.
Zinc - Take in the form of lozenges (up to 10-30 mg daily) with a meal to reduce severity of an upper respiratory infection. Liquid drops are also fine.
Lozenges like Slippery Elm, Manuka Honey lozenges, and also Ricola Cough Drops can also provide some relief.
Homeopathic remedies are very safe in pregnancy, and when you get the correct remedy to your particular symptoms, they can help your body to heal quickly and naturally on its own. An excellent reference is Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicine by Dr. Stephen Cummings MD and Dana Ullman MPH. If you need more personalized guidance, consult your professional classical homeopath. If you are within the first 24 hours of the onset of your symptoms, 30c of Belladonna or Aconite taken every few hours is usually the remedy of choice. Oscillococcinum is an excellent remedy for classic flu like symptoms.
Cough medicines are occasionally warranted in certain situations. Hacking dry coughs that do not produce phlegm are exhausting, debilitating, and without much purpose, especially at night if they interfere with needed sleep. Start naturally with alcohol-free tincture of Mullein (one teaspoon in a little warm water every four hours). Eat fresh horseradish to help liquefy secretions.
If you need a cough suppressant medication, you can get dextromethorphan over the counter at the drug store and take 15 mg every 6 hours. If this does not work, ask your provider for a prescription narcotic cough medicine (Codeine or Hycodan) and use for 7-10 days. It is safe and well worth it for short-term use.
For productive coughs in which you are bringing up phlegm, use a nonprescription expectorant medication like guaifenesin immediate release tablets or in syrup form (10-20 cc every 4 hours). Or, extended release Mucinex 600-1200 mg every 12 hours instead of a cough suppressant.
Follow These Precautions
Avoid overexposure to extremes in temperature, especially cold, to conserve your energy for healing from cold and flu during pregnancy. Allow good fresh air to circulate in the room by opening the windows occasionally. However, do minimize drafts if they are causing you to feel chilled.
Be cautious about taking antibiotics, especially if you only have a viral and not a bacterial infection. Antibiotics are useless against viruses, can be quite harmful and will only stress your system more. While in some infrequent situations, antibiotics are essential and indeed lifesaving, more often colds, flus and other mild upper respiratory infections can safely be treated naturally without them.
Symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, cough and fever are your body’s way of fighting the infection and ultimately lead to self recovery. Therefore try to avoid common over-the-counter medications that offer temporary relief by suppressing these symptoms. These drugs actually interfere with the body’s remarkable capacity to heal itself, have side effects, and may be unsafe to take during pregnancy. Furthermore, they do not treat the underlying cause.
Blow your stuffed nose and cough the phlegm out of your chest regularly as needed, rather than keeping it in your system. Then wash your hands with soap and do not share your used towels.
Fever is usually beneficial as it is part of your body’s first line of defense against the infection, and does not need to be brought down unless:
Temperature is approaching 101 if you are pregnant (102 if you are otherwise healthy, and are not pregnant)
You are really uncomfortable and cannot sleep
TO BRING DOWN A HIGH FEVER
First, try sponge bathing in a waste deep tub of lukewarm water with a little cold water running steadily to gradually lower the water temperature. You can add any of the above mentioned essential oils to the water. Use a wet sponge or washcloth to bathe all exposed skin areas for 20 minutes, then allow the skin to air dry in a room free from drafts.
If you are not up to sitting in the bath, your partner, other family member or good friend can sponge down your body with tepid water at the bedside. Expose and sponge one limb at a time until it feels cool to the touch, drying, then replacing it under the covers before going on to the next limb.
Drink plenty of fluids as needed to help cool and hydrate. Good options are:
A cup of hot water with the juice of a squeezed lemon and a dash of manuka honey
Peppermint or spearmint tea with manuka honey
Coconut water
Lots of spring or filtered water
Pure fruit juice, fruit smoothies and frozen fruit juice bars or popsicles
Soup broth
If the above measures are not successful to reduce high fever, or you are too uncomfortable to sleep, Tylenol (acetaminophen) is reportedly safe in pregnancy and can be taken in very limited amounts as needed and directed on the container. However, avoid aspirin and Motrin or Advil (ibuprofen) during pregnancy, especially in the last trimester.
FOR FREQUENT OR CHRONIC ILLNESS
If you are susceptible to frequent or severe colds, you may want to consider consultation with an osteopath, acupuncturist, or homeopath.
Read “Natural Health, Natural Medicine” by Dr. Andrew Weil MD and follow his suggestions about enhancing your immunity and limiting exposure to physical and emotional stresses that weaken your immune system and increase your risk of illness. His suggestions are well researched and are basic to holistic integrative medicine, in sync with many similar experts in the field who have greatly influenced my practice as a professional, and my own life.
Nourish yourself well, by eating a variety of organically grown whole foods (lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans and seeds)
Drink lots of filtered or bottled pure spring water from a reliable source
Avoid highly refined processed foods
Avoid personal care products with harmful chemicals and toxins
Minimize milk products and foods of animal origin not naturally raised
Use natural plant-based cosmetics and toiletries from the health food store
Avoid smoking, drugs and excess alcohol
Avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics and steroids
Take natural remedies whenever safely possible
Unplug from the computer and smartphone as much as possible, reconnect with yourself and others in person. For guidance, a must read is How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30 Day Plan to Take Back Your Life by Catherine Price.
Slow down, take breaks, limit external stressors and non-essentials on your ‘to do’ list
Get plenty of rest, fresh air and regular moderate exercise
Learn how to relax yourself and do things that maintain your emotional well-being, inner calm and joy
Cultivate a positive mindset and do what you love as much as possible
Live in community
Master your breath, release inner stress, anger, grief and trauma with a daily breathwork practice
Take a good multivitamin, herbs and supplements like Asian mushrooms, Astragalus, Echinacea and Garlic, as discussed above, to enhance your nutrition and immunity.
For those with any sort of chronic frequent infections in which serious causes have been ruled out and none of the natural and allopathic remedies help, consider going for a deeper, powerfully effective healing with Clarity Breathwork! Read the book “The Mindbody Prescription” By Dr John Sarno, MD. He is an amazing pioneering physician whose brilliant approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people without drugs, physical measure or surgery. Even though he started out curing chronic pain with his approach, people were ridding themselves of many chronic ailments, and it illustrates how intimately the mind and body are connected. Also check out Brandon Bays’ book “The Journey,” thejourney.com and intensive workshops for extremely effective mindbody cutting edge methods that have also lead to transformational healing for thousands of people around the world.
When Your Symptoms Are Not Due to Cold or Flu
Sinus Congestion
Nasal or sinus stuffiness throughout pregnancy, without any other symptoms, is not typically due to an infection. Rather, it’s related to the hormones that cause increased mucus production, blood flow and swelling to the mucous membranes in these areas.
In this situation, simply drink 8-10 glasses per day of filtered spring or well water or herbal tea. Drink between meals - at least 20-30 minutes before eating or 2 hours after. Use plain nasal saline spray, sleep with a humidifier or vaporizer to ease breathing at night (with or without above mentioned essential oils like eucalyptus and peppermint), and avoid over-the-counter medications such as decongestants and antihistamines.
Allergies
Seasonal or diet-related symptoms like stuffy nose, watery nasal discharge, sneezing, wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath (asthma) are not due to an infectious process. Rather, they are more likely caused by allergies. Consult your health care provider for these symptoms, and certainly before taking any medications or natural supplements in pregnancy. Alternative therapies such as mind/body work like hypnotherapy, herbs, homeopathy, breathwork, acupuncture and osteopathic care have all been reported to be very effective in treating allergies, as well as basic lifestyle modifications. For example, a minimum two-week trial of eliminating cow dairy and gluten products to see if symptoms lessen or resolve, then introducing one gluten type grain or dairy product at a time to see if symptoms recur (wait a few days before introducing the others, one at a time). Other possible allergenic foods to experiment eliminating and then reintroducing include soy, corn, eggs, certain nuts and fruit.
It may also help to eat a low protein diet, reduce stress, avoid possible triggers, and install a HEPA home air filter. Nasal douching regularly helps with hay fever, as does the stinging nettle herb in capsules or infusion. You can make your own by steeping 1 large handful of dried nettle leaf in a quart of boiling water for at least 4 hours.
Add a splash of lemon or lime juice, fresh mint, or a dash of honey to taste and drink throughout the day. A few weeks before your allergy season, eat foods high in quercetin like berries, citrus fruits, apples, grapes, green leafy veggies, broccoli, buckwheat, green and black tea. If you are not pregnant, you can take quercetin in supplement form 400-500 mg twice a day.
Many of the best quality, professional grade remedies I recommend are available in my customized online holistic apothecary. Find the best supplements that have gone through my thorough screening process there. Look in the category for cold and flu or search them individually. My online dispensary is a convenient way for you to purchase my hand-picked, whole food supplements and other natural health products. Ordering is simple, and the products will be shipped directly to your home or work within a few days.
Need more personalized guidance? Schedule a consultation with me.
Always call your health care provider if you have a question and certainly if these suggestions do not help and you feel worse or do not notice improvement within 48 hours of an acute infection. Use common sense. A lingering or rising fever after the first 2-3 days of illness, severe pain, difficulty breathing, extreme weakness, faintness, marked irritability, mental confusion, seizures, neck stiffness, prolonged vomiting or diarrhea or any other unusual symptoms, regular uterine cramping or pelvic pressure, bleeding or fluid leaking from your vagina warrants immediate consultation.
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