Getting a Cold During Pregnancy: What Medicine Can you Take? (Week 32)

I'm sick, and have been for the past few days. I have had the usual cold symptoms: runny nose, sore throat, and a mild headache from sinus pressure. Luckily I have no fever.

So what does one do when she is pregnant and has a cold or the flu? Is there anything that is safe to take to help alleviate symptoms? Although there is some debate as to what medicine is safe to take, and when it is safe to take it, there are some drugs that have not shown any harmful effects to the baby. Nevertheless, always consult with your doctor before taking any medications.

What You Can't Take

• Ibuprofen (e.g. Advil), or any kind of NSAID (non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drug) can be harmful to the baby during any stage of pregnancy. Generally, anything labelled as an anti-inflammatory should be avoided.
• ASA (e.g. Aspirin). While shown to be relatively safe during the first trimester, it can cause labour complications and should be avoided later in pregnancy.
• Avoid cold remedies that contain alcohol. 
• Avoid the decongestants pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine, which can affect blood flow to the placenta.

What you Can Take

• Acetominophin (e.g. Tylenonl) is perfectly safe to take while pregnant, and will not only offer some pain relief, but also help to bring down a fever.
• Guaifenesin, an expectorant (Hytuss, Mucinex, Naldecon Senior EX, Robitussin)
• Dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant (Benylin Adult, Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough, Scot-Tussin DM, Vicks 44 Cough Relief)
• Guaifenesin plus dextromethorphan (Benylin Expectorant, Robitussin DM, Vicks 44E)
• Cough drops
• Vicks VapoRub

All in all, you can rest assured that it is safe to take over-the-counter cold medications on a short-term basis. These drugs, however, should not be used indiscriminately or for extended periods of time. In addition, use should be confined to only those products that are appropriate for the symptoms.


Non-Medicinal Aids

• Rest, and plenty of it
• Water, and plenty of it
• Lots of clear, decaffeinated liquids, such as teas and broths
• Orange juice or other juices with vitamin C
• Taking your prenatal vitamin, which contains vitamin C to boost your immune system and zinc to help fight off germs. And don't forget to get your vitamins and minerals the natural way — by eating food rich in nutrients. You can find vitamin C aplenty in citrus, strawberries, melon, kiwi, mango, papaya, broccoli, red cabbage, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, and a host of other delicious foods. Get your zinc from turkey, beef, pork, cooked oysters, yogurt, wheat germ, oatmeal, and eggs.
• Eating fresh garlic — known to have virus-fighting compounds (if you can actually get it down), or using anti-viral spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves in your cooking
• Humidifiers to keep the air around you moist (consider a warm mist humidifier)
• Saltwater gargles to relieve sore throat pain (try one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of warm water to get the fastest relief)
• Steam inhalation or nasal lavage to relieve nasal congestion or sinus headaches (for lavage, dissolve a quarter teaspoon of salt and a tiny pinch of baking soda into eight ounces of lukewarm water, and use a nasal aspirator to irrigate — or clean — out your nasal passages)
• Saline sprays to moisten your nasal passages (but make sure not to use the medicated sprays)

Rib and Chest Pain During Pregnancy (Week 30)

A week ago I started getting pain in my chest whenever I laid down to sleep either on my side or my back. I ended up having to sleep in my recliner upright for a few days for the pain to go away. Thank goodness I had an airplane neck pillow and a extremely comfy chair to get me through that time. The pain in my chest started just a few minutes after laying down, and radiated from my sternum (chest bone) and through my rib muscles on each side of it. The pain would make breathing more difficult, and the only thing that I could do to alleviate the pain the next day would be to have my partner stretch my chest muscles a few times throughout the day.

Although I have had this pain before I was pregnant, it would be rare. I would wake up in the morning with a stiffness in my chest, but shortly after getting out of bed and moving around the pain would subside.

Topical Pain Relief Creams a "No-Go"
A visit to the pharmacy for some topical muscle relief cream proved fruitless. I'm not allowed to take any anti-inflammatories, whether orally or topically, while pregnant. Not good. Fearing the worst--that the pain would last for the remaining two months of my pregnancy--I did some research online to see what was going on: why was the pain so severe, and why was it so consistent? The results I found were unsatisfying.

Is it Heartburn?
If you Google "chest pain during pregnancy" or "sternum pain during pregnancy", the results overwhelmingly tell you that what you have is heartburn. That's' baloney, I say. Here's what the symptoms are for heartburn:

• A burning sensation in the chest
• A burning feeling in the throat
• Feeling of food "sticking" in the middle of the chest or throat
• Sour or bitter taste in the mouth
• Difficulty swallowing

I know what heartburn feels like. It has visited me sporadically throughout my pregnancy. It's not fun, but it's not the kind of pain I was feeling. So what is it, then?

No One Really Knows What Causes It

The sobering truth is, there's no clearcut explanation for why this happens to pregnant women. There is a condition, known as Costochondritis, which is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone (sternum). It causes sharp pain where your ribs and breastbone join....Hmmm, okay, this sounds a lot more like what I've been going through. My sternum and the muscles on either side of it are sore to the touch. Having said this, I'm not into self-diagnosis, so I'm also not about to jump to the conclusion that this is what I have.

Pain in the ribs and sternum is not uncommon to pregnant women. As the baby grows, the uterus expands and can put pressure on your ribs. The Intercostal muscles, which are located between ribs, can become strained. Rib pain can make movements and even breathing painful. During pregnancy, it may be difficult to find a position which isn't painful, which seems to complicate the situation. 

Okay, so the question remains: what can I do about the pain?

How to Ease Rib and Chest Pain During Pregnancy

Pain Medication. Before taking any medication, confirm that it is okay to do so with your doctor. Tylenol is generally considered safe during pregnancy, and more severe rib pain may take a stronger pain medicine. Many different types of pain medication can be prescribed during pregnancy for rib pain, but your doctor will need to decide which medicine is best for your pregnancy. 

Open up the chest. Sit upright in a comfortable chair and place a small pillow in the small of your back creating an arch. This will take some of the pressure off your rib pain and make it easier to breathe again. You will know when you find the angle that works best for you, some pregnant women need more of an arch than others.

Stretch the chest. Follow this link to find instructions on how to do an assisted chest stretch. Being pregnant, it is easier if you are seated in a chair. Your partner will have to raise his or her knee to place it between your shoulder blades. This stretch was my lifesaver--it immediately reduced the pain to almost nothing, and by the end of the day I'd have no pain at all.

Use ice to reduce inflammation. Place a bag of ice or a chilled gel pack on your ribs where the most pain is. If you have rib pain on both sides, place ice over each. It is generally considered best to have a thin layer of cloth between ice and skin, so you may be most comfortable by placing your ice pack right over your clothing. 

Raise your arms above your head. While seated, either with the ice packs or without, raise your arms above your head. I have a high back recliner, and I can grab the back of the seat with my hands to prevent my arms from getting tired. It's a great way to take the pressure of my uterus off my lower ribs. Hold this position as long as is comfortable, and repeat as needed.