pregnancy-friendly remedies for hacking cough - please help a desperate woman

[LiegeAndLief]

I've had a chesty-ish cough for about a week now, it was just a bit annoying but has just got worse and kept me awake all last night (and long-suffering dh!). I have 2yo ds to look after all day and desperately need some sleep! Obviously will go to docs if it doesn't get better but what can I do in the meantime? Chesty cough medicine we already have is not suitable for pg women, have been downing gallons of honey which has helped a little but not enough. Would be pathetically grateful for any tip which helps me sleep!

The pharmacist told me u can take honey and lemon glycerin cough medicine, boots do their own and it's quite cheap.
I think it's more help for a tickley cough but as far as I know it's the only one we can have so worth a try. Plus it tastes gorgeous

Hi,

Do not quote me on this as i dont know about pregnancy, only breastfeeding but i thought i'd mention it so you could ask the pharmacist. Meltus - tastes foul but i know u can have it when bf'ing - i struggled seriously with a cough before xmas and this is what i took.

Huge sympathies - been there, done that! How many weeks are you? I developed an awful chesty cough at around 38 weeks, and put up with it for about a week, assuming there was nothing that could be done. I finally gave in on my due date and saw a lovely doctor who gave me an inhaler, which is perfectly safe in pregnancy. Turned out that my chest was completely clear, and it was just DD squashing my insides so badly that was causing the cough. Thankfully she arrived 3 days later, and lo, my cough disappeared within a couple of days .

have you tried sticking your head over a bowl of steaming water (I added junior olbas oil to it) to try and loosen/clear your chest? Steamy bathroom might do similiar... Also make real hot lemon - boiling water with lemon slices and honey to taste and have a couple of paracetamol at bedtime.

Thanks so much everyone. Sorry you have suffered too Tatty, am only 17 weeks so hopefully it is not the baby squashing me yet! Couldn't make it to pharmacist today but will try the honey and lemon/olbas oil inhalation thing tonight and try to get some suitable cough medicine tomorrow. It's good to know there is something available!