Colds and sore throats in pregnancy: ways to feel better at home

Your nose is blocked, your throat burns and you feel more tired than usual. In pregnancy the immune system works a little differently while adapting to your baby’s development, so colds can come more often or last longer in some people. Most colds are caused by viruses and pass within a few days to a couple of weeks.

What symptoms can you have?

A runny or blocked nose, sneezing, a burning throat, a mild cough, tiredness and a mild headache are common. Symptoms usually build over a few days and then slowly settle. Flu and COVID-19 can start more suddenly and more severely; for those, see the Guide article “COVID, flu and protecting yourself from infections in pregnancy”.

8 tips to feel better at home

1. Drink plenty of fluids: water, warm soup, herbal tea. Unless your doctor has set a fluid limit, enough fluid soothes the throat.
2. Rest; sleep is one of the best supports for your immune system.
3. Gargling with warm salt water can ease a sore throat.
4. Humidify the room air and air the room often.
5. Sleeping with your head raised on a pillow eases a blocked nose.
6. You can ask your doctor about rinsing the nose with saline.
7. A warm honey and lemon drink helps many people (honey is only withheld from babies under one year, so this does not apply to you).
8. Wash your hands often, throw tissues away after one use and avoid crowded closed spaces.

The medicine question

Not every cold or sore-throat medicine, herbal product or “natural” mix is safe in pregnancy. Some are not suitable at all. So instead of picking something at the pharmacy on your own, tell your doctor or pharmacist that you are pregnant and ask what to use. For more, see the Guide article “Medicines in pregnancy”.

About fever

Measure your temperature with a thermometer and write it down. Ask your doctor or midwife at what temperature you should call; in most cases it is “the threshold your doctor gave you”. A high temperature in pregnancy is a sign to take seriously; tell someone before trying to bring it down with medicine yourself.

If you work, and at home

Feeling you must go to work while ill is tiring. If you feel very unwell, resting and, if possible, talking to your employer and doctor is sensible. At home, to limit spread, use separate towels, throw tissues away at once and air rooms often. If relatives are ill, keep some distance where you can.

When to contact your doctor

• Your temperature is above the threshold your doctor gave you, or fever lasts several days
• You have shortness of breath, wheezing, or chest pain or tightness
• Symptoms last longer than 10 days, or improve and then get worse
• Facial pain with green-yellow discharge and fever
• Your sore throat is very severe, you cannot swallow, or there are white patches on the tonsils
• You cannot keep fluids down, vomit constantly or notice reduced baby movements
• For blue lips, confusion or severe shortness of breath, call 112 (in Turkey) or your local emergency number

Frequently asked questions

Can a cold pass to my baby? An ordinary cold is not known to harm the baby. Still, talk to your doctor if you have fever or severe symptoms.

Should I get vaccinated? Your doctor can best tell you which vaccines are suitable and when.

What should I do about a cough that will not go away? Tell your doctor about a cough that lasts more than a week or gets worse.

Are herbal teas safe? Not every herbal tea is suitable in pregnancy. Ask your doctor or pharmacist which teas you can drink.

This article is for information only; when in doubt, asking your doctor is always the safest route.