Cough, as a defense reaction of the body, of course, does not harm the fetus. However, there are a number of nuances that pose a danger to a pregnant woman. For example, with a dry cough, phlegm does not pass out of the body properly. Remaining inside, it is absorbed into the bloodstream and gradually enters the child.
Therefore, as soon as a slight coughing begins, you should immediately consult a doctor. He will make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor to pay attention to traditional medicine in the appointment. They are the most sparing for women in position. The main thing is to take them correctly and not exceed the permissible dosages.
In the first trimester
Sometimes it happens that there is no way to visit a doctor. Then you need to find out what folk remedies for coughs (but for pregnant women!) Can be used. Choosing the right prescription or treatment is very important in this case. Consider what natural medicines are acceptable for each trimester and how you can generally treat a cough in women who are expecting a baby.
If you already know that you are pregnant and you have a cough, you need to treat it with extreme caution. Indeed, in the first trimester, the main organs are laid in the child. When coughing, vitamins and nutrients may be too slow or delayed for the fetus. If you do not start treating cough as soon as possible, there is a risk of incorrect or incomplete formation of some organs in the unborn baby. The same threat remains with inadequate choice of drugs - for example, taking antibiotics. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the safest cough remedies during pregnancy at this time. Let's list them:
- Inhalation - effective for both dry and wet coughs.
- Compresses:
- With honey (apply natural liquid honey to the chest area, cover with cling film or a disposable bag and wrap your chest with a woolen scarf or scarf).
- With potatoes. Boil 2 medium potatoes, keep them in mind. Wrap the crumpled potatoes in plastic, wrapping a piece of cloth over the top, and attach to the chest for 10 minutes.
With cabbage. Take the largest kale leaf and dip it in boiling water to warm it up. Spread it with liquid honey and sprinkle with a pinch of table salt. Place a cabbage compress on your chest, cover it with a piece of plastic and a woolen blanket or scarf. You can keep it until the morning.
With cabbage. Take the largest kale leaf and dip it in boiling water to warm it up. Spread it with liquid honey and sprinkle with a pinch of table salt. Place a cabbage compress on your chest, cover it with a piece of plastic and a woolen blanket or scarf. You can keep it until the morning.- Gargling is very effective if the cough is dry, unproductive. For rinsing, you can safely use collections, decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs. Plantain is very suitable for this (brew 10 grams of dry leaves in a glass of boiling water).
In the II trimester
Most medications are prohibited for use in the first trimester of pregnancy. However, from the second trimester, a number of drugs can already be used. Of course, there are remedies that are still dangerous at this stage of the formation of the child's body. This applies to both pharmacy and folk remedies. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the range of antitussive medicines is expanding. Only a doctor can prescribe them. Self-medication is strictly prohibited.
Often, women during this period are allowed to take only those medications that are usually prescribed for newborns.
A cough in the second trimester can be treated with the same folk remedies as in the first trimester. It is also very good to apply honey and milk internally.
Honey makes it possible to make a wet cough out of dry. If you are already coughing up phlegm, honey will greatly facilitate expectoration, which means it will speed up recovery. Here are several ways:
- Three times a day, half an hour before meals, it is necessary to slowly dissolve in a teaspoon of natural honey. It doesn't have to be liquid.
- You need to add a teaspoon of honey to any warm drink that you intend to consume.
- Mix natural honey and black radish juice in a 1: 2 ratio. Take this potion 2 tablespoons three times a day.
Drinking warm milk soothes irritated throat, helps relieve coughs and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system. It should be drunk only warm or hot, in small, unhurried sips.
To improve expectoration, you can add any alkaline mineral water (preferably "Borjomi") to the milk. The proportions are 1: 1. Remember to vent the gas before adding.
In the III trimester
At 7-9 months of pregnancy, a woman is very worried if a cough catches her by surprise. The fact is that during this period, the uterus can tone up much more often. This means that a strong cough is quite capable of provoking premature birth. And the risk of infection of the crumbs is very high if the expectant mother falls ill at 9 months, immediately before the preliminary date of birth indicated by the gynecologist. This is why it is imperative to heal your cough as quickly and safely as possible.
The last trimester is convenient because the range of drugs and treatments has increased significantly in comparison with the first trimester. Some of the drugs prohibited at the very beginning of pregnancy are allowed by the doctor at the end. They cannot harm the child. In parallel with taking the pharmacy medicines prescribed by the doctor, it is advisable to use various folk remedies. However, their use should also be discussed with a doctor.
A cough at this time is well treated with tea made from a special breast collection, as well as a collection of medicinal herbs, including plantain. Please note that you can not use fees for the treatment of cough, which include thermopsis herb.
Before you start using any folk remedy - internal or external - it is imperative to get medical advice about the benefits or harms of your actions for the baby. Self-medication in the third trimester is especially dangerous.
What can you drink when you cough
Inhalation and gargling
For inhalation, it is best to use a special device - a nebulizer. However, if it is not there, you can use the old method - armed with a kettle or a saucepan. In the latter version, for inhalation, it is good to use boiled potatoes, onions, onions, garlic, honey, mineral water with pre-released gas, saline, and herbs (plantain is best suited) for inhalation.
If you are fond of aromatic oils, you should use them especially carefully during pregnancy. Eucalyptus essential oil is often used for inhalation - it is considered the most effective in fighting coughs.
Some people think that there is no need to gargle when coughing. And completely in vain. After all, rinsing affects, including the larynx. Saliva picks up the drug and transfers it lower - to the trachea and bronchi. There it is safely absorbed and manifests its healing properties. It is recommended to gargle your throat between meals.
For rinsing, you can brew various medicinal herbs and their collections:
- sage;
- chamomile;
- mother and stepmother;
- calendula;
- plantain;
- eucalyptus;
- raspberries.
For brewing, take 10 grams of each herb per glass of water. The gargle can be additionally enriched with baking soda, salt, iodine and apple cider vinegar.
Other means
- "Asterisk" is often used by pregnant women for various respiratory problems. This popular preparation contains a large amount of active substances - eucalyptus, menthol, aromatic oils.Due to this, it has a pronounced stimulating effect on the nasal receptors - the vessels in the nasal cavity are narrowed. This effect is extremely useful if the cough is accompanied by rhinitis (runny nose). To cure a cough with "Asterisk", it is necessary to do inhalations with just one drop of this drug. It is imperative to be careful and monitor the dosage closely. Exceeding the latter threatens to burn the bronchial mucosa.
An iodine net is a good antitussive agent that women can use in position. It is necessary to apply the mesh with iodine to the chest area. However, the area where the heart is located should not be touched. How can the mesh eliminate coughing? It is well known that iodine has bactericidal properties. When applied to the skin, it penetrates and fights bacteria. In addition, such a mesh expands the capillaries, thus stimulating blood circulation and improving expectoration. As a result, the cough softens and then disappears altogether. Pregnant women can only use this treatment once a day. Before drawing the mesh, be sure to conduct a preliminary test with iodine to make sure there are no allergies.- A cough cake is a good remedy for expectant mothers. To prepare such a compress, you will need to take mustard powder and honey (a tablespoon each), as well as olive oil (a teaspoon). Stir all ingredients and form into a cake. Place it on your chest and cover with cling film or a disposable sachet. Wrap the top with a warm blanket or scarf. Such a compress helps to improve blood circulation, expectoration - it immediately becomes easier to breathe.
An iodine net is a good antitussive agent that women can use in position. It is necessary to apply the mesh with iodine to the chest area. However, the area where the heart is located should not be touched. How can the mesh eliminate coughing? It is well known that iodine has bactericidal properties. When applied to the skin, it penetrates and fights bacteria. In addition, such a mesh expands the capillaries, thus stimulating blood circulation and improving expectoration. As a result, the cough softens and then disappears altogether. Pregnant women can only use this treatment once a day. Before drawing the mesh, be sure to conduct a preliminary test with iodine to make sure there are no allergies.Let's summarize
Every expectant mother suffering from cough should understand that taking pharmacy drugs can have an extremely adverse effect on the intrauterine development of the child. Especially in the first trimester, when the crumbs form and develop the brain and heart. Thus, first of all, you need to run not to the pharmacy, but to an experienced doctor. He will recommend what it is permissible to take for cough from pharmacy medicines and traditional medicine.
Treatment of cough during pregnancy with many alternative methods is safe and very effective. However, any remedy must be approved by your pregnancy doctor.
Of course, folk remedies are natural and no less effective than drugs from a pharmacy. However, this does not mean at all that they are completely harmless and that they can be used arbitrarily and in any quantities. Healing herbs can contain very strong, sometimes even aggressive substances. They can harm the child. Therefore, before proceeding with the treatment of cough during pregnancy, it is imperative to consult a specialist.
