People keep asking if I have a cold. Rar.

[Ryuk]

Dear Mumsnet,

I've been coughing and sneezing for over a month. It doesn't feel at all like an actual illness, just... like I keep coughing and sneezing. I'm feeling increasingly angry when people (espsecially those who already asked me last week!) keep asking if I have a cold, or pointing out that they think I do.

A) I've been told that coughing and sneezing without anything actually being wrong is normal in pregnancy, but I've also been told by a random friend that she thinks it could be a chest infection. I'm not actually feeling concerned but am I being too blase? Has anyone else experienced 'pregnancy cold' symptoms?

B) AIBU to think 'you sound like you have a cold' is a really stupid way to try to make small talk? Even if I did think I had a cold, why would I want to talk about it?

Yours,
ExcessivelySneezyAndGrumpyWench

Allergic rhinitis of pregnancy could explain the sneezing, but maybe get the cough checked out, as I've not heard of that being a pg symptom.

and B, YABU - maybe people are trying to be sympathetic. But you have the pregnancy grumpiness get out of jail free card. use it wisely.

I have been sneezing and sniffling a lot - so much so that my husband, who has developed severe manflu this afternoon, accused me of giving him my cold. I said it wasn't a cold, it was pregnancy sniffles (got this from What To Expect When Expecting) and not catching, especially to men!

I don't think you're being unreasonable...I hate it when people say things like that, especially "you look tired". What's that even supposed to mean??

I'm pregnant with number 4, and through the whole of all of my pregnancies, I have had a perma-cold. Which disappears within 24 hrs of giving birth. It's poo, but it can be a normal pregnancy symptom. In fact with me, it's the first symptom I get, that tells me I'm probably pregnant!

Ooh - I had this. Constant sneezing and a bit of something on my chest that caused me to cough at night. But the sneezing was the worst. I would sneeze 20 times in a row and was so paranoid I was going to sneeze out the baby! Turned out it was pregnancy rhinitis and the doctor prescribed me a steroid-based nasal spray which has cleared it up. I am so glad he did as I was going mad with it (to the point where I was having to hide in a dark room all the time to avoid the light irritating my sinuses - basically like a vampire!). I would suggest you go and see the doc if it persists. It affects your quality of life a lot more than people realise, even if it is only for 9 months!