Is DH overreacting about my cold?

[salviapages]

I'm 19 weeks pregnant and I've had a cough for a month (multiple negative LFTs). In the last week it has gotten worse, before it was an annoying mucus cough but now I have a bit of a swollen throat and it's become a bit more painful. The last week and a half I've been having daily headaches, not too bad as headaches go but bad enough that I'm taking paracetamol and sometimes the headache remains after.

I'm a primary teacher so I'm used to catching colds, coughs especially take ages to shake as talking to my class all day I never get a chance to rest my throat and heal.

I think it's fine, DH is worried and thinks I should speak to doctor/midwife. Am I right in thinking that a cold during pregnancy is still just a cold? Pregnancy has been fine so far, very few symptoms and no sickness. Haven't felt baby move yet, my first pregnancy. Any advice appreciated!

A cough lasting more than a month is not a cold, and it would make me worry that I might have a chest infection or something more sinister going on. I think it would cross most people's minds to get that checked by a doctor.

Coughs really linger on DH too. It's not unusual for him to have a cough for several weeks after a cold. Whereas I don't tend to get coughs at all.

I did have about three months solid of colds during my first trimester though thanks to DD bringing home every single bug from nursery (including Norovirus)! It was miserable for me but the baby is totally fine.

If the lingering cough is unusual for you I would get it checked, but it's possible you've been unlucky and just chained colds and haven't got a break. It's also getting into hayfever season which might exacerbate things.

You can always mention it to midwife at your next appointment.

I thought the advice was to go to the GP if a cough lasted more than 3 weeks, pregnant or not. I know some people take a while to shift coughs but I thought that was the cutoff to rule out chest infections.

If you’ve had it for a month and the cough is getting worse and you’re now having a headache daily, you probably need some help shifting it whether that be antibiotics if it is a chest infection or whether that is being signed off for a week to rest.

I've called 111 and they said to speak to GP within 3 days. They never have appointments that soon but I'll ring in the morning and see

Sounds like bronchitis. See a doctor.

Could it be hayfever at this time of year?

While waiting for your GP appointment you could try a nasal washout like Neil-Med, that might relieve the headaches and mucus.

I would see your midwife or GP about the sore throat. It could be a result of all the coughing but they might be able to give you something to ease it. I swear by Jakemans black lozenges.
I didn't feel my first move until almost 21 weeks but then with my second realised that some of the light bubbling sensations I had thought were wind had actually been small flutterings first time around

I've got pregnancy rhinitis. My consultant advised me to take cetirizine. I've taken one a night for about a week and am so so much less sniffly and haven't been sick since!
Google the symptoms, could it be that?

How are you feeling @salviapages ?

@RebeccaCloud9 thanks for checking! I'm pretty ill at the moment, but I did end up having a phone appointment with GP and he asked me to go in for some tests. Checked for preeclampsia just in case because of the headaches and checked blood pressure, listened to breathing etc to be on the safe side as I'm pregnant but nothing came up.

He think it's likely just that I'm an exhausted pregnant teacher and since my immune system is lower during pregnancy I probably just have been catching one cough/cold after another from the children (this is likely as a couple of them always have a cold in any given week!)