Pregnant with a cold/flu...give me your tips!

[abbierhodes]

I'm 23 weeks pg and have a nasty cold. I'm waiting for a call from my doctor to discuss the swine flu angle!

In the mean time, though, I'd love any 'tips' from you wise people. I would normally take some kind of cold remedy like lemsip tablets, and find them very effective, but obviously I can't and I feel like a great big pile of poo.

I'm currently taking paracetamol and have had some berocca. What else can I do to make these symptoms go away?

Nothing!

I've been suffering since NYE, but I've had the swine flu jab...

For temp cool/hot baths/hot water bottles dressing more or less depending on which way you need to raise/lower temperature.

Headaches 4head...

Hot lemon (I've been using PLJ) and honey as homemade lemsips....

Hot steam water in a bowl head over I've been added orbis oil!

Orbis oil on a muslin cloth on a radiator to make breathing easier!

Good luck normally I dose up on beachams and night nurse and it goes its so hard not being able to take anything!

I'm on anti-biotics now as its gone to an infection but it might be cos I'm asthmatic as well...

Hope you feel better soon....

Thank you! I'll try the face steaming before bed I think.

I feel like such a wimp moaning about a cold, but it's horrid when you can't take anything!

Oh, me too! Me too! I usually take Night Nurse and sleep through the miserable snotty nights, now I'm waking up 2-3 times just because I can't breathe properly and I'm so tired as well as feeling sorry for myself.
I second hot lemon and honey, I also added some fresh ginger because it makes me feel better. And steam is v. helpful - I'm using Karvol/Olbas oil, and I took a paracetamol on the first day when my head was pounding. Other than that, I'm just resting a lot and feeling sorry for myself. DH has the same cold which makes him just... blow his nose a bit!
SO UNFAIR! Hence he's doing most of the housework.
Hot soup is also helping, but I can't do most of these things when I wake at 2am with a completely blocked up face - and that's when I can't think what to do.

I'm currently smothered in a albas oil in petroleum jelly which I smear under my nose so I can breathe until you sneeze then reapply...covonia for my cough, not good and sooo depressing, but better than nothing.

You could try some saline drops if your nose is blocked.

Sterimar nasal spray is great for a blocked nose. Olbas oil on hankies or in a steam bowl is a lifesaver. Vicks vaporub is also good.

Am now on my third consecutive head cold since before Christmas and am well sick of it! Still, makes me glad I had the swine flu jab!

i go in the steam room at the gym (probably not supposed to, but not for long enough to raise my body temperature).

lavender oil works as a decongestant - not as powerful as eucalyptus but without the medicinal smell.