Does being pg make you less susceptible to bugs?

[OnZephyrstDayofXmas]

I hope!!?!

DS was sick on xmas day. Since then both my dp and my Mum have caught it and it has completely wiped them out - it's a really nasty one. Sickness, diahorrea, blinding headache, unable to get out of bed!

So far I've felt a bit queasy, had a couple of stomach pains and diahorrea once but that's it.

DD was up all night last night being sick but I actually feel a bit better.... Is your immune system a lot stronger when you are pg making you more resilient or is it likely to hit me like a ton of bricks at some point??!

Well, I was as healthy as a horse with DS1 and 2.

Me too, I didn't get a cold during PG despite working in a place where colds are rife and I normally have 2 or 3 bad colds during that period!

Oo yes, my asthma and rhinitis improved also. Since DD born though, back to normal and almost permanent cold (well, not really but it feels like it atm)

Thank goodness So there's chance I'll get away with it. I'm starving! I ate some roast dinner yesterday on the theory that if it does make me sick at least the baby will get some nutrients from it first!! Poor dd is sitting next to me groaning with belly ache and armed with a carrier bag!

With regards to colds when you're pregnant, it's an established medical fact that you produce more snot (sorry!) when you're pregnant, a large function of which is to line the nose and trap any foreign bodies or bacteria from entering your body via your nose. Asthma causing allergens are trapped in the mucus, easing the triggers of asthma and rhinitis, and colds are prevented in a similar way. It's not 100% effective (say that to anyone who's ever had a cold when pregnant and can't take a damn thing for it except paracetamol!) but it's just one way that your body increases it's immune system when you're pregnant.

I could be wrong, but I thought that the body's immune system is slightly suppressed during pregnancy. This is because a fetus is ultimately a foreign object (carrying half of father's DNA) and to avoid the body attacking and rejecting it, the mum's immune system is suppressed (not sure the mechanism of how it works though).

But I can see how the mucous thing would help to reduce the risk of nasty germs/bacteria getting in in the first place.

Having said that, I don't remember falling ill during pregnancy. The body is a beautiful thing.

The immune system is suspressed during pregnancy. My consultant told me it is basically shut down. I f you do get ill, it will probably take you longer to recover.

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I didn't get a single cold when pregnant the first two times, but this pregnancy I've had one thing after another, have been constantly ill with colds and stomach virus's since end of August ( coincidentally when the MS eased off ).

I had really bad colds, which lasted weeks both times. Sorry!

I haven't had a cold/been ill in years but have had 2 tummy upsets and 2 colds so far this pregnancy!

I didn't get a thing during my first two pregnancies, but this time I'm on my third cold, and seem to be picking up everything.

I didn't get a thing during my first two pregnancies, but this time I'm on my third cold, and seem to be picking up everything.