When Should I Get The Flu Vaccine If Im Pregnant
A new flu vaccine is released each year in September. When you become pregnant you should speak to your GP about receiving your free flu jab, as soon as its available.
It doesnt matter when you receive the flu vaccine, as it is safe for women and their babies at all stages of pregnancy. However, you should aim to receive it in October or November before the flu season starts.
Is It Safe To Take Medications
Most government health organizations recommend Tylenol to reduce a fever, and Tamiflu or Relenza to treat influenza in pregnant women. A new study, however, shows that pregnant moms who consume Tylenol while pregnant are more likely to have children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Furthermore, Tamiflu and Relenza are Pregnancy Category C medications, meaning that we have no evidence that they are harmful, but no evidence that they are safe either.
In keeping with the code of the father of Natural Medicine, Hippocrates, we want to first do no harm, and instead fight the flu with substances that arent harmful or risky for baby or mama.
How Long Does The Flu Last
The length of time youre stuck suffering from the flu varies from person to person, but an uncomplicated course of the flu usually lasts anywhere from three to seven days, Watkins says, though a cough and general feeling of being sick can last two weeks or more. Pregnant women may have symptoms for longer, he says. In some cases, pregnant women can develop pneumonia as a complication of the flu, which extends the length of the illness.
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Dry Cough During Pregnancy
A cough can be dry or wet when is expectorated there`s a fluid with a high density eliminated from the airways, named sputum. Dry cough is also often caused by allergens, irritants or drugs. There`s a myth that yellow or greenish sputum is in fact related to a bacterial bronchitis, so it`s required a treatment with antibiotics. It`s true that viral infections can also produce sputum with a similar aspect, but only the doctor can recommend antibiotics. Coughing up blood requires your immediate presence to the doctor.
Can You Take Cough Drops While Pregnant
Cough drops are known to come into 2 different forms: mentholated or non-mentholated. The mentholated ones are known to numb any throat pain, but they most of the time contain oral anesthetic and cough suppressants. Non-mentholated ones have a soothing substance that coats the throat, and they don`t numb throat pain or suppress coughs.
Generally speaking, it may be best to abandon the idea of using cough drops during pregnancy because they mainly contain synthetic ingredients. However, some experts claim that particular brands of cough drops are acceptable but again, not without speaking to a doctor first.
According to Women`s Care, some brands of cough drops are safe during pregnancy:
- Halls Menthol-Cough Suppressant / Oral Anesthetic Plus Medicine
- Ricola Cough Suppressant Throat Drops
- Vicks Menthol Cough Suppressant / Oral Anesthetic Drops
On the other hand, BabyCenter.com claims that they aren`t safer than any other non-natural brands. If you still choose to use them, you shouldn`t eat them as candies no matter if you are pregnant or not. Some drops contain herbs which aren`t safe during pregnancy, so it`s best to avoid them.
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Benefits Of Exercise During Pregnancy
All women who are pregnant withoutcomplications should be encouraged to participate in aerobic andstrength-conditioning exercises as part of a healthy lifestyle during theirpregnancy. A reasonable goal should be to maintain a good fitness levelthroughout pregnancy without trying to reach peak fitness.
It is important to stay well hydrated, wearcomfortable and non-restrictive clothing and where possible, avoid excessive over-heating.
Exercise during pregnancy offers manyphysical and emotional benefits. Physical activity may also help manage somesymptoms of pregnancy and make you feel better, knowing youre doing somethinggood for yourself and your baby.
Dealing With A Cold While Pregnant
A cold is a very common mild viral infection of the nose, throat, sinuses and upper airways. It can cause a blocked nose followed by a runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat and a cough. The cold will usually last for about a week as the body fights off the infection.
There is no cure for a cold, although you can usually relieve the symptoms of a cold at home by taking over-the-counter medication, such as paracetamol, and drinking plenty of fluids.
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Can Having The Flu When Pregnant Harm The Baby
Unfortunately, yes as your body struggles to fight infections while youre pregnant. Flu during pregnancy can lead to premature birth or low birth-weight, also new-born babies can catch flu from their mothers. In more extreme cases, it can cause stillbirth or death in the first week after birth. This is why its important to contact your GP as soon as you suspect that you have the flu.
What Can I Do If I Catch A Stomach Bug While I’m Pregnant
Whether your stomach is churning from pregnancy hormones, a virus or undercooked meat, the treatment is the same: Get the rest your body’s aching for. And focus on fluids, especially if you’re losing them through vomiting or diarrhea, as they’re much more important in the short term than solids. A few tips:
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Remedies For Flu During Pregnancy
There isnt much doctors can do to treat the flu itself because its a viral illness, it cant be combated with antibiotics. But heres the good news: If you see your doctor within the first 48 hours of developing symptoms, she may prescribe Tamiflu, a pregnancy-safe antiviral medication that can shorten the length of the flu by a day and potentially help lower your risk of developing complications, Watkins says.
Since a flu-related fever in early pregnancy can be dangerous for baby, its important to get a spiking temperature under control. Tylenol is considered safe for treating a fever during pregnancy.
What Are Signs And Symptoms Of The Flu
Signs of a condition are things someone else can see or know about you, like you have a rash or youre coughing. Symptoms are things you feel yourself that others cant see, like having a sore throat or feeling dizzy. Common signs and symptoms of the flu include:
- Being very tired or sleepy
- Cough
- Fever , chills or body shakes. Not everyone who has the flu has a fever.
- Sore throat
- Vomiting or diarrhea
The flu often comes on quickly. Fever and most other symptoms can last a week or longer. But some people can be sick from the flu for a long time, including children, people older than 65, pregnant women and women who have recently had a baby.
- Feeling your baby move less or not at all
- High fever that doesnt go down after taking acetaminophen . Dont take any medicine without checking with your provider first.
- Pain or pressure in the chest or belly
- Sudden dizziness or confusion
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
- Vomiting thats severe or doesnt stop
- Flu signs or symptoms that get better but then come back with fever and a worse cough
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Home Remedies To Treat Cold And Flu In Pregnancy
When you fall ill while pregnant, your first steps should be to:
- Get a good amount of rest.
- Drink plenty of water and healthy fluids to keep your body hydrated all the time.
- Gargle with lukewarm saltwater. This will help in treating a sore throat.
If the problem is not getting solved with the above home remedies, and if the symptoms are becoming severe, then you should try:
- Saline nasal sprays and drops loosen mucus in the nasal cavity and soothe your swollen nasal tissue
- Inhale steam to loosen congestion. You can use a facial steamer, a hot shower, or a hot-mist vaporizer to open your blocked nasal passages
- Sipping warm soup will also help you relieve inflammation and congestion
- Drinking ginger tea, with honey will also help in reducing soreness in the throat
- Use hot packs to lessen pain due to sinus
Are Flu Vaccinations Safe During Pregnancy
Flu vaccination shots are proven safe for the pregnant mother and unborn baby. However, the flu nasal spray vaccine is not recommended for women who are pregnant, or who are trying to conceive, as it contains a live strain of the virus .
Pregnant women can get vaccinated for the flu at any time during their pregnancy, although it is recommended to be vaccinated early on during flu season . In addition to the benefit of preventing the mother from catching the flu while pregnant, the flu vaccine also has positive benefits for the unborn baby.When a mother gets vaccinated while she is pregnant, antibodies are transmitted from the vaccinated mother to the unborn baby across the placenta. The vaccination can protect the infant for up to 6 months after birth. Studies have also found that prevention of the flu in pregnant women by immunization can positively affect the growth of the unborn baby.
The flu shot is also proven to be safe for mothers who are breastfeeding, as the antibodies pass through the breast milk harmlessly to your baby. The only side effects include soreness, tenderness, and redness where the shot was given.
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When To Seek Medical Advice
You should start to feel better within a couple of weeks, however, the NHS advises to seek medical attention if you experience the following:
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your symptoms do not improve after 3 weeks
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your symptoms get suddenly worse
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your temperature is very high or you feel hot and shivery
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you’re feeling short of breath or develop chest pain
Cold And Flu Season Has Arrived
While catching a cold is a hindrance at the best of times, becoming unwell during pregnancy is especially complicated. After all, everything that happens to you during pregnancy affects not just your body but that of your baby. Given this, you want to be careful with the medications you use to alleviate symptoms.
Although cold and flu are both highly common illnesses, pregnant people are at increased risk since the immune system is suppressed to protect the baby from the bodys defences. As such, pregnant people are more likely to experience worse cold symptoms, take longer to recover and are more vulnerable to cold complications, such as bronchitis, sinus infections and pneumonia.
If you are pregnant and suffering from a cold, here is our guide to managing your symptoms.
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Dealing With The Flu While Pregnant
Flu is an infectious viral illness spread by coughs and sneezes. It’s not the same as a cold. Flu is caused by a different group of viruses. Symptoms tend to be more severe and last longer.
You can catch flu short for influenza all year round, but it is especially common in winter.
If you are pregnant and think you have the flu, see your doctor as soon as possible. It is recommended that pregnant women who have the flu are treated with antiviral medicines because they are at much higher risk of complications. Antiviral medicines work best when started within 48 hours of symptoms starting.
Antivirals will not cure flu, but they will help to:
- reduce the length of time you are ill by around one day
- relieve some of the symptoms
- reduce the potential for serious complications
If this is the case, you should also:
- rest
- drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration
You can take paracetamol to help lower your high temperature and relieve aches.
Why You Might Be Getting Sick More Often And What Treatments Are Safe
Monique Rainford, MD, is board-certified in obstetrics-gynecology, and currently serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale Medicine. She is the former chief of obstetrics-gynecology at Yale Health.
Pregnancy temporarily changes some aspects of your immune system function. These changes don’t protect you from certain infections, including the common cold. Getting sick when you’re pregnant is tough, and the effects of being sick can make it a challenge to eat well and get enough sleep. When you’re pregnant, you also have to avoid some of the medical treatments that are normally used to treat illnesses. Learn how to manage the common cold while you are pregnant.
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Fenugreek To Get Rid Of The Flunaturally
Fenugreek is used as a natural home cure for flu and cold. Because it has strong antiviral properties and various other remedial properties. Add one tablespoon of fenugreek seeds to 1/4th of water. Boil it and steep it for 10 mins. Strain the solution, and then add one teaspoon of fresh ginger juice and one tablespoon of honey. Drink this 1-2 times a day to get rid of the flu fast.
A Flu Vaccine Is The Best Protection Against Flu
Getting an influenza vaccine is the first and most important step in protecting against flu. Pregnant people should get a flu shot and not the nasal spray flu vaccine. Flu shots given during pregnancy help protect both the pregnant parent and the baby from flu. Vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of flu-associated acute respiratory infection in pregnant people by up to one-half. A 2018 studyexternal icon showed that getting a flu shot reduced a pregnant persons risk of being hospitalized with flu by an average of 40 percent. Pregnant people who get a flu vaccine also are helping to protect their babies from flu illness for the first several months after their birth, when they are too young to get vaccinated. A list of recent studies on the benefits of flu vaccination for pregnant people is available.
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Is It Dangerous To Catch The Flu During Pregnancy
Though pregnant women are not more likely to catch the flu virus, they are more likely to have complications from having the flu.
When youre pregnant, your immune system works at a slightly lower level, therefore you are less equipped to fight the virus. However, recently one study found the flu virus to be an exception. It found that a pregnant womans immune cells may actually overreact to the flu virus , which can still lead to complications from the flu.
Having the flu during pregnancy may also simply make you feel worse. Its hard to cough productively when your lungs are pushed up by a growing baby! As a result, you may be more prone to pneumonia and dehydration.
How Can I Tell If I Have Flu
Flu symptoms can come on suddenly. Youll know if you have flu rather than just a bad cold if you experience some of the following:
- A high temperature of 38C or more, which can come on quickly.
- Feeling feverish or having chills.
- Aches and pains in your joints and muscles.
- Extreme tiredness, although you might have trouble sleeping.
- Headache, chesty cough and/or sore throat.
- You might not feel hungry, or you might feel and be sick.
- Stomach pain or an upset stomach.
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What Are The Symptoms Of A Stomach Bug While I’m Pregnant
Gastrointestinal bugs can be hard to differentiate from the symptoms of morning sickness, especially in the early weeks of a pregnancy. If your nausea and vomiting are accompanied by cramps, fever or diarrhea, you may be dealing with a stomach bug. The other possibility is that you’re suffering from food poisoning, the symptoms of which are the same as those of a stomach bug.
How Does The Flu Spread
The flu spreads easily from person to person. When someone with the flu coughs, sneezes or speaks, the virus spreads through the air. You can get infected with the flu if you breathe it in or if you touch something that has the flu virus on it and then touch your nose, eyes or mouth.
People with the flu may be able to infect others from 1 day before they get sick up to 5 to 7 days after. People who are very sick with the flu or young children may be able to spread the flu longer, especially if they still have symptoms.
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Does My Cough Or Cold Affect My Baby
Having a normal head cold, whilst making you feel miserable, should not affect your baby.
“As long as you’ve got the normal symptoms of a cold and you’re not feeling out of breath or light-headed, or you’ve not got a headache or blurry vision and are able to eat and drink its fine,” says Dr Ellie.
“It’s only when you’re having a very high temperature or you’re feeling unwell, unable to get out of bed, or your breathing is distressed and you cant keep food or fluid down, that you should see your doctor or midwife.”
The NHS says you should start to feel better within one to two weeks.
Peppermint To Get Rid Of The Flu
Peppermint is one more herb commonly used to combat cold and flu symptoms. It is packed with nutrients that help the body fight off viruses. It contains menthol that acts as an expectorant, helping the body cough up mucus and thus ease congestion, relaxing a sore throat and calming cough symptoms. Add one tablespoon of chopped peppermint leaves or peppermint oil to one cup of hot warm water. Let it steep for 10-12 minutes, strain the water and then add some honey to sweeten it and for the additional benefits of soothing your throat. Drink this tea 2-3 times a day.
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