12 Effective Home Remedies for Cough and Cold During Pregnancy

Catching a cold or dealing with a cough is never a pleasant experience. Having a cough and cold during pregnancy can be pretty tricky, especially if you cannot safely take over-the-counter drugs to assist in alleviating your discomfort. This leaves you with little choice but to endure the duration of the cold while employing home remedies for cold and cough during pregnancy.

Common cold is basically an upper respiratory tract illness caused by a virus that has an adverse effect on your health. In addition to coughing and sneezing, common cold can include nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, and sneezing. In contrast to bacterial diseases, which may be treated with antibiotics, there is no recognized antidote for the common cold.

Fortunately, there are several home remedies that expecting mothers can resort to for relieving their symptoms. In this article, we will discuss 12 such home remedies that are easy to try and effective.

Does Cold and Cough During Pregnancy Affect the Baby?

No, colds and coughs during pregnancy typically do not affect the baby. They are generally mild illnesses that pregnant women can treat with rest, fluids, and other remedies. However, it is important to take precautions and consult a doctor if symptoms worsen or persist for more than a few days. Pregnant women should avoid over-the-counter medications and instead focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, staying hydrated, and consuming a diet rich in vitamin C and zinc to alleviate symptoms.

Home Remedies For Cold and Cough During Pregnancy 

Here are some effective home remedies you can try to relieve cough and cold in pregnancy:

1. Garlic

Pregnant women can benefit from garlic's potent combination of antibacterial, antiseptic, and antiviral qualities, making it effective against viruses and bacteria that cause the common cold. According to some scientific research, garlic may also help lower blood pressure levels, improve circulation, and keep cholesterol levels stable during pregnancy.

Garlic might not have the best taste but will surely help in decongestion of your chest. To reduce the raw taste, you can chop the garlic, add some honey, and have it. It is recommended to consume this at least two to three times a day.

2. Honey and Lemon

Honey's anti-flu and immunity-boosting characteristics make it one of the most effective Indian home remedies for cough and cold in pregnancy. Consuming honey in various forms (such as tea or lukewarm water) can help pregnant women avoid the flu.

The recipe to consume lemon and honey is simple. Just mix a glass of warm water with one teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of lemon juice to make a perfect safe cough syrup in pregnancy. This mixture should be consumed three to four times a day.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar

Pregnant women can use apple cider vinegar as a safe and effective therapy for a cold during pregnancy. Viruses cannot thrive in the alkaline environment created by apple cider vinegar. Pregnant women should begin drinking apple cider vinegar as soon as they see the first signs of a cold.

Mixing two spoons of apple cider vinegar in tea or water and sipping three times a day is a harmless medication. Ideally speaking, if you want to achieve maximum benefits from apple cider vinegar, you should gargle it raw, mix it with warm water and then gulp it entirely. This could be a challenging task as apple cider vinegar can be bitter or can even taste weird!

4. Turmeric

Turmeric, like ginger, has been used for ages as a herbal treatment to cure a variety of diseases, including cold, cough, and nasal inflammation. Curcumin, a key element in turmeric, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and potent antioxidant which supports the immune system.

The combination of turmeric and ginger can help reduce inflammation and improve your immune system's performance. You can also add turmeric powder and black pepper to warm milk for health benefits. Try sipping this twice a day if you're feeling under the weather.

You may also like: Turmeric Milk During Pregnancy: Benefits & Effects

5. Saltwater gargling

By gargling with warm water, about 40% of respiratory infections can be reduced. Saline solutions extract excess fluids and remove bacteria, allergens, and fungus from the throat. Saltwater gargling is one of the best and safest home remedies for cough during pregnancy.

You need to mix half a teaspoon of salt into a glass of lukewarm water and gargle using the same. Repeat twice a day. You can even try putting a few drops of this solution in your nose to treat your blocked nose.

6. Water 

Keep in mind that staying hydrated is particularly crucial if you would like to get rid of a cold as quickly as possible. A cold or cough causes the body to lose more water than it would otherwise. In order to avoid dehydration and to decongest the body, it is recommended to drink lots of warm water throughout the day. It is also useful to have clear broth or warm lemon water.

7. Coconut oil

Coconut oil is well-known for fighting off fungal, bacterial, and viral infections. Due to the presence of high concentrations of lauric acid in coconut oil, this oil is highly effective in dissolving the lipid coating around viruses and shattering the virus envelop, slowing virus maturation, and blocking viral proteins from adhering to the host cell membrane.

Coconut oil is relatively safe to use during pregnancy, and it can be applied topically as well as orally. Add a spoon of edible coconut oil to a hot beverage to free you from cold. The lauric acid in coconut oil kills the viruses causing infection.

8. Ginger

From our ancestors to our elders, ginger has always been a permanent resident of our kitchens for centuries now. The reason for this is its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and antioxidant properties. Thankfully for pregnant women, ginger can effectively cure cough and cold during pregnancy as there is no proven risk that it can impose either on the mother-to-be or on the child.

To consume ginger, you can add a piece of crushed or grated ginger to boiling water. To this, add honey and lemon, and sip it. This incredible spice also boosts blood circulation. You can also sprinkle sea salt on a tiny piece of ginger and chew it for a while. Repeat this twice or thrice in a day.

9. Humidifier

Colds are more common in the fall and winter, especially if you're pregnant and unable to take your typical over-the-counter medications. When it's chilly outside, the lack of humidity and the dry heat from heaters might cause you to feel suffocated and irritated. As a result, you'll want to get a humidifier.

Humidifiers aid in moistening the nose, throat, and lung passageways by increasing the amount of moisture in the air. As a result, breathing becomes more comfortable, and congestion in the nose and other nasal passages is alleviated. Essential oils, such as peppermint, menthol, or tea tree oil, can be added to some humidifiers to improve the (humidifier) calming benefits.

10. Chest rub 

Congestion in the chest can be relieved by using commercially available chest rubs. On the other hand, pregnant women may be intolerant to solid odors and despise the cooling effect that a chest rub produces. However, there is a different approach to making good use of these. Put on stockings and apply chest massage on the soles of your feet at night. A cough and cold in pregnancy can be alleviated by taking this supplement.

11. Vitamin C

Consuming vitamin C-rich foods is highly recommended as it can help boost your immunity and keep your body strong and healthy. Therefore, you need to include all those foods rich in Vitamin C such as oranges, tangerines, kiwis, strawberries, and grapes and green vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes, green leafy vegetables, etc.

12. Onions

Consumption of onions to get rid of cough and cold during pregnancy third trimester and even, in general, is a real option and is even easy to consume. Rich in quercetin and sulphuric compounds, onion kills several viruses and bacteria capable of causing infections. Eating raw onions is one of the most effective indian home remedies for cough during pregnancy.

You can consume onions either in their natural form by just slicing them in a bowl and eating them or even using them as toppings on your homemade fresh vegetable burgers/pizzas/sabzis. If you are not a raw onion fan, just slice one onion in a bowl and then mix about 2 cups of drinking water. This mixture of onion juice should be regularly consumed three to four times.

Conclusion

There are plenty of home remedies for cold and cough during pregnancy. These home remedies may have varying degrees of effectiveness on different women, so experiment with them to find the ones that work best for you. It is recommended, however, that you consult your doctor before trying these home remedies during pregnancy.

References

1. Erebara A, Bozzo P, Einarson A, Koren G. (2008). Treating the common cold during pregnancy. Can Fam Physician.

2. John LJ, Shantakumari N. (2015). Herbal Medicines Use During Pregnancy: A Review from the Middle East. Oman Med J.