6 ways to overcome a cold during pregnancy 

Pregnancy is a magical time, but colds can still crop up occasionally – be kind to yourself and stay resilient with our tips 

It can be a bit tiresome being pregnant with a cold since it can make your symptoms seem a whole lot worse. There are so many things to think about when preparing for a baby’s arrival, and dealing with a cold and pregnancy is something you really could do without! 

Some common Google searches are ‘home remedies for cough during pregnancy’ or ‘home remedies for flu during pregnancy’, however, there’s no need to panic, as we’ve got you covered. With our top tips and cold remedies for pregnant women, having a cold while pregnant doesn’t have to be stressful.  

How to avoid catching a cold during pregnancy 

While having a cold while pregnant isn’t a massive deal, it would certainly be preferable to avoid getting a cold while pregnant. With a cold, day to day life is just that little bit more difficult – and carrying a baby, even more so! Here are some steps you can take to lower your risk of catching a cold during pregnancy: 

• Get plenty of rest. Ensuring that you top up on plenty of sleep – if you can – will give your immune system a bit of a boost¹, which in turn will help to protect you against cold-causing germs. 

• Be vigilant about hand washing. Making sure you clean your hands regularly is key to protecting yourself. Washing your hands can protect you against 1 in 5 respiratory infections such as cold and flu viruses as well as 1 in 3 diarrheal illnesses too.² 
• Take care not to touch your face with unwashed hands. Whether you feel the need to brush a loose strand of hair away from your face or have an itch, germs will easily spread to your face this way. Consider carrying a small pack of antibacterial wipes or a bottle of hand sanitiser when you’re out and about. 
• Avoid people who are sick where possible. As much as socialising is important for your mental health³, protect your physical health by limiting time spent with anyone who could pass on a bug. If you’re meeting a group, why not meet outdoors in the fresh air? 
• Reduce stress. Stress can cause a number of unwanted side effects when you’re pregnant, including increasing your chances of getting a cold while pregnant.⁴ From asking for help whenever you can, to removing stressful triggers, do what you can to take a step back from stress. 
• Eat healthily. A well-balanced diet is something you should aim for even when you’re not pregnant⁵. Eating healthily will ensure you have the right vitamins and minerals to boost your immune system and help your body prevent you catching a cold.⁶ 

• Stay active and exercise safely. Ensuring you keep up a regular exercise routine is important to leading a healthy lifestyle. Whilst some things may be off limits during pregnancy there are plenty of safe options for you to ensure you get your daily exercise.⁷ 

Not only will these steps help prevent you catching a cold during pregnancy, they will also help you stop the spread of germs to others – and get better quickly. 

Home remedies for cold during pregnancy 

It’s always useful to know how to protect yourself, but sometimes the inevitable happens anyway. If you’ve caught a cold, don’t worry, there are plenty of cold remedies for pregnant women. 

Don’t forget, you should always consult your doctor before taking anything new and seek advice if there’s anything you’re unsure of. Here are four of the best home remedies for cold during pregnancy: 

1. Get plenty of rest. Being pregnant is a good enough reason to rest, but catching a cold makes it even more important. That way your body has the best chance of dealing with a cold to help you feel better sooner.¹ 

2. Stay hydrated. Again, like rest, this is vital at any time, but even more so when you’re dealing with a cold and pregnancy. Keeping your fluids up will not only help your immune system work effectively, but it can also ease symptoms like congestion and headaches too.⁸  

3. Make sure you’re getting plenty of vitamin C and zinc. In order to overcome the common cold, you need to give your body as much support as possible, and zinc and vitamin C play a key role in that. Try eggs, yoghurt and oats for zinc, and oranges, berries, and broccoli for vitamin C.⁹ Then, of course, there are supplements – just make sure you check with your doctor when taking anything new during pregnancy.   

4. Try honey and lemon. Honey is a great source of antioxidants, as well as offering antibacterial and antifungal properties.¹⁰ Lemon is not only a great source of vitamin C, but it has also de-toxifying properties too.¹¹ In addition to containing plenty of health benefits, the combination of honey and lemon with hot water will help soothe a sore throat. 

5. Gargle some salt water. Sometimes old wives’ tales really work. Salt water is a great way to soothe sore throats⁸ and can also be used to help clear a blocked nose too. Clearing nasal congestion will help you to breathe better and feel better in no time. 

6. Consider investing in a humidifier. Not only is this a completely safe and natural way to treat a cold during early pregnancy, but it’s also good for your home air too. Adding moisture to dry air can help to clear blocked passageways, soothe sore throats and more.¹² 

Now you have everything you need to be ready to prevent – or treat – a cold during early pregnancy. Thanks to these tips and tricks you know what to do to feel better with a cold and have a handful of natural cold remedies for pregnancy, you should be able to handle one with ease when it comes along. 

Sources 

¹How to boost your immune system, Harvard Health,  

² Handwashing, CDC, 

³ The correlation of social support with mental health, National Library of Medicine,  

⁴ Psychological stress and susceptibility to the common cold, PubMed,  

⁵ Have a healthy diet in pregnancy, NHS,  

⁶ Can Nutrition Help Prevent Common Cold & Flu Viruses? Centre for Nutrition Studies,  

⁷ Exercise in pregnancy, NHS,  

⁸ Common cold, NHS,   

⁹ Vitamin C in prevention and treatment of the common cold, National Library of Medicine,  

¹⁰ 5 health benefits of honey, Richmond GP Out of Hours Service,  

¹¹ Flavanones: Citrus phytochemical with health-promoting properties, National Library of Medicine, 

¹² Effectiveness of humidification, National Library of Medicine,