Tips on shifting a cold when heavily preggo!

[BubbaM14]

Hello!

Anyone got any tips on shifting a nasty cold when your 8 months pregnant and can't take anything to help? Had a vicious cold and cough for around a week and it doesn't seem to be improving at all. Not sleeping due to coughing all night and needing a wee every 23 seconds!

Oh god, this is the worst. The pharmacist told me that lots of pregnant women cry when he tells them they can't take anything! Here are some things that worked for me:

Turn the shower on as hot as it will go, then sit in the steamy bathroom for a bit

Airwaves chewing gum

Hot water with lemon and honey

You can also get saline drops or non medical otrivine if your nose is blocked (check the latter with the pharmacist just to be sure, but from memory it's got no decongestant)

Urgh for you

Can we not take anything when pregnant? Paracetamol?

Paracetamol is fine. I think the pharmacist was probably talking about not being able to take any cold/cough/sore throat/flu remedies as they all contain decongestants which are not allowed when pregnant.

My midwife said I could have a Lemsip, was she wrong?

Paracetamol is DEFINITELY ok. For gods sake take some!

LEMSIP is a no it seems. Most of them contain decongestants which are a nono

Paracetamol is about it

Whoops!

Only thing that worked for me was boiling the kettle, keeping my finger on the button to keep it boiling and standing over it, steam helped me breath.

Only other thing was a hard boiled sweet to help with the cough, I did have a couple of halls soothers, think they are mostly sugar so wasn't too concerned taking the odd one.

Bloody miserable isn't it

Apparently Boots own brand lemsip doesn't have a decongestants so maybe check with a Boots pharmascist.

I agree steam is the way to go. Lots of rest and chocolate always helps

I find colds floor me at the moment so feel your pain.

Ginger tea is always good. Grate ginger boil about 5 mins. Let steep. Then strain and drink. Beware this does not go well with heartburn.

Honey, lemon & garlic makes a good cough syrup.

Paracetamol

Oh and lemon tea with honey. Homemade lemsip . Fresh lemon ... hot water and honey.

Thanks everyone! I was today one of those people that went to the pharmacist and cried ha! Said no lemsip etc and after only getting 30 mins sleep last night, I went a little bit hysterical!

Going to try all the above and make my husband sleep in the spare room tonight. This has to be in the top 3 of crap things about being pregnant!

Thanks!

In both pregnancies I've had the cold that never goes, and swear by using one of those saline nose cleansers now. It really works! Clears your head immediately and helps shorten the life of the cold as well as breathe better at night. You can buy at Boots. Takes getting used to but worth it
m.boots.com/h5/cat_hub?unCountry=uk&path=%2Fen%2FNeilMed-Sinus-Rinse-Kit_121768%2F&

The saline drops/ sprays never worked for me

Good luck!