constant colds in pregnancy

[rockylaroch]

I'm 14 weeks pregnant and from about 8 weeks onwards, I have had constant colds and viruses. As one clears up I can feel another one start. I take paracetamol if I feel really bad and do all the sensible things (eat, sleep, supplements etc). I know the doctors can't do anything to help a virus so I went to get some accupuncture and chinese herbs which I have just started. Anyway, my point is that I just feel disheartened that after the first trimester of nausea and fatigue, and being promised I would start to feel better, I still feel so ill (achey, sore throat, tired, no appetite) And I try not to worry but can't help myself as this is so not what I expected! I feel guilty too as this is something I have wanted for so long and yet I can't find the energy to enjoy it. I know every pregnancy is different and this is my first but I just wonder if anyone else has experienced or is experiencing this.

Me too.I'm 21 weeks and there's been smelly olbas oil in our room every night since before xmas. Every time I think my cold is gone I get another.Same happened when i had dd. I had a cough for 3 months.

Yep, I had back to back colds for the first part of my 2nd trimester. I think it is down to your immune system being a bit rubbish. I don't normally get colds.

I suffered with really sore throats along with the colds and at first tried to be really good and not take anything. In the end i made the pharmacist tell me why I couldn't take Strepsils. He told me it was down to the alcohol content. I was scoffing them after that no worries.

I'm due in less than a week and haven't had a cold since about 28 weeks.

Good luck with the next few months!

Hello rockylaroch, I'm 20 weeks with my 3rd dc, and have had constant colds from the beginning, I was the same with my first. My MW told me that your immune system is suppressed when you are pregnant, which is why pg women can pick up illnesses easily.

I take paracetemol, honey and lemon,use calpol nasal spay (saline suitable for babies) and a calpol plugin, otherwise, just try to rest when you can and drink loads. I have definitely felt better since about 17 weeks, so hopefully you will pick up in the middle. Good luck

thank you all for the reassurance it really helps.

My room too stinks of vicks and olbas oil, and I can't believe that's why you 'can't have' strepsils. I did start to worry about the chinese medicine but of course it has been around longer than antibiotics, swine flu vaccines and so on. And it's good to feel like I am doing something to boost my immune system - as opposed to sniffing, sniveling and watching loose women!

I am 32 weeks and have had solid colds and viruses, interspersed with norovirus. Has totally got me down so I really hope it is a pregnancy immune thing...

can i just say it may not be colds u have but rhinintis which is a common pregnancy complaint, i have it all the time and it feels like a cold but it isnt, its the blood vessels in nose swelling thinking the body has a cold!!
soo frustratring!

It could be that too - but I usually feel very hot, then get a tickling in my throat and within an hour or so start to get a head ache and body ache and so on, then wake up feeling dreadful.

I had constant colds etc up to twelve weeks just the same as you but then my sister showed me a newspaper article about vitamin D supplementation and since I have taken this I have felt great and have not had 1 bug. Worth a try anyway. You need to take quite high doses (about 25mg a day). It is also supposed to stop your baby from getting bugs when they are born and prevent MS in the future for your baby too if you take it during pregnancy.

33 weeks and on my 4th lot of antibiotics this pregnancy for sinusitus. Had lots of colds, sickness and norovirus too. I'm hoping it's an immune thing too as I'm not usually like this.

Oh, so very fed up with being ill and whingey on top of usual late pregnancy misery! Nearly 37 weeks and have my umpteenth cold. I've already had seasonal flu, swine flu and two chest infections so far in this pregnancy. Hadn't realised how healthy I was when not pregnant.

Putting it down to rubbish immune system, and the fact that my toddler and her nursery pals are all little disease vectors. And they've just announced they've got noro-virus at her nursery, too. Yey!

Hi, I dont know why no one has continued this thread for so long!!!!! I thought having a rubbish immune system in pregnancy is so common! I am so miserable and unwell since I found out I am pregnant. funny thing is I never felt nauseous or pregnant etc, I just feel terribly run down all the time. The minute I finish with the worst case of cold, I start with the worst case of cough and I am just starting to recover from a horrid case of flu which made me lose half my weight. I didnt have a flu since age 7! Is there any solution to strengthen the immune system? does vitamin D really prove to work??

Try Vicks first defence. Pharmacist said it's ok in pregnancy but just check.....it's been great for me as I was feeling like you.

k thanks I will do first thing tomorrow morning. Willing to try anything to get stronger and better

I have been feeling the exact same I am 13+6 weeks . And have been ill for around half of it . Noro virus at around 5 weeks then since tht its been blocked nose blocked sinuses chesty cough tickly cough literally for weeks on end . And working nightshift doesnt help with the lack of sleep . Is there anything I can try that is safe to use ? Any info would be greatly appreciated

Yep! Just getting over a cold last week and then DSD came to us on Friday with a stinking cold and I’ve got it back 24 weeks today and it’s really not great when every time you cough or sneeze you leak a bit

I'm 21 weeks & on my 4th cold. The last 1 I had was horrendous & lasted 3 weeks with severe cough & sickness. Hope this 1 isn't going to be the same :/

I am only 4 months and I have gotten a cold every single month (3x now). I don’t feel like eating but then get these stomach pains like I need to eat, it’s horrible!

I’m so glad I found this thread!
I’m 18 weeks with my 2nd! My first pregnancy was a dream (post the first trimester when I had MS)
This pregnancy has been horrible. I had horrendous MS from 5 weeks, only now I am not vomiting as much.
But since week 10 I have had cold after cold. I got over one just a few days ago to only get hit with another one today ☹️ But since I live in Victoria and we have been in lockdown my whole pregnancy I don’t even know where I’m picking up these bugs. But after reading this thread, I’m a little less stressed that something is wrong and that this is more common than I thought.

I came down with the worst cold of my life at 32 weeks pregnant. I’m 37 weeks now ( nearly 38 weeks ) and it’s still not gone . I’ve seen my GP twice , had my throat swapped for anything more serious, I tested for Covid and I was even admitted into the hospital for a day because I felt so ill I was blacking out from headaches. All anyone could tell me was that I have a nasty head cold that my pregnant body can’t fight off no matter what I do . Luckily I can feel myself slowly getting better now but it’s no joke that your immune system suffers in pregnancy. I rarely get sick normally so this is unusual for me .

I’m glad to hear it’s slowly going away @MichelleOR84! It sounds nasty.
Each cold I have had has felt way worse than how I usually feel when I’m not pregnant.