By: Megan Jones, RN
This document was created to help you manage your cold symptoms while pregnant:
We recommend anyone with cold symptoms to get tested for Covid- 19 at onset of symptoms.
Natural Remedies
Hydration– Increasing your baseline water intake will help flush the cold out of your system.
You can also drink hydration drinks with electrolytes in them. But these are supplemental and should not be your only source of hydration. They contain a high amount of sugar so be aware especially if you have Gestational Diabetes.
Showers– The warm water vapor will help with respiratory symptoms. Be aware of your temperature though. If you have an elevated temperature please do not take a hot shower, more of a warm shower is best to help reduce your fever. You can also just sit in your steamy bathroom.
A vaporizer/humidifier– Not only for your kids. This works great if you are having respiratory symptoms. Make sure that you clean it out daily so nothing starts growing in your humidifier.
A saline nasal wash/ spray– This will help loosen secretions and decrease sinus pressure.
Chicken soup/nutrient dense foods– has been proven to help increase your immune response to colds.
Common safe Medications:
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- Phenylephrine (Over the Counter Sudafed)
- Loratadine (Claritin) or Cetirizine (Zyrtec)
- Chloraseptic spray (but a salt water gargle is just as effective)
- Vicks Vapor Rub
- Flonase nasal spray
- Robitussin
Medications to avoid:
- Ibuprofen (such as Advil, Motrin)
- Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed behind the pharmacy counter)
- products that contain multiple ingredients or tackle a combination of symptoms, such as Nyquil, Robitussin DM, and Claritin-D.
Please note that all of these are to manage symptoms, not treat the cold. If your symptoms worsen or don’t get better after 5 days please call your primary care doctor to rule out a source of infection.