10 Cold Remedies (Pregnancy Friendly)

It was inevitable...I caught a cold. About two weeks ago my husband started to come down with a cold that stuck around way too long.  I managed to steer clear of a cold since last May, which is an impressive feat for a teacher so it's about time.  I hope this means this is my winter cold and I'll be in the clear for a while. Winter vacation will have nothing to do with snotty Kleenex, coughing fits, and noodle soup for breakfast (I'd rather eat Christmas cookies for breakfast during my vacation!).  Thankfully I've never been one to take medication when I'm sick.  I've only been on antibiotics once in the last 11 years (BOOYA!) and my body does a good job and getting over sicknesses pretty darn quickly.  I truly believe the reason why I don't get sick very often is because I rely on my body to fight its' own battle (that is of course unless it's a bad infection in which case I would totally take medication to help -- but I haven't had to).  During pregnancy most medications should be avoided so this was no big change for me. Here is a list of home remedies that are pregnancy friendly.

1. Mentholated Steamer - Pour boiling water into a salad bowl and add a small tab of vicks vaporub. Drape a towel over your head and the bowl for 5 minutes and take deep breaths.  This sooths a sore throat and helps break up all that gross snot. I try to do this at least 3 times a day.

2. Soup - YUMMY! The heat feels so good on the throat and it gets nutrients in you when you might not have an appetite.

3. Bed side Humidifier - We purchased a cool mist humidifier and run it every night for about an hour in the winter months (I get nose bleeds so this helps limit those). When there is a sickness floating around our house we run it all night long.

4. Emergen-C Health Booster - We only drink one of these a day when there is a chance of a cold or if we have a cold.  I had my Fertility Doctor read over the ingredients and I got the thumbs up that it is ok to drink.  It is an adult formula so it isn't safe for kids to drink. I've figured out that the when you mix a little pineapple juice with the orange flavoured packet it tastes delish!

5. REST - the more sleep the better!

6. Stay hydrated - I drink a ton of orange juice, water and hot water with pasteurized honey and fresh lemon slices. I usually have two drinks on the go while I'm sick. When you think you've drank enough, have more!

7. A daily vitamin - I'm obviously currently taking prenatal vitamins (actually I have been for 3+ years in preparation for pregnancy -- oops! Little did I know it would take a looooong time to get here).

8. Salt water gargle - 1 teaspoon in a half mug of boiling water. Gargle. The more frequent the better!  I try for 4 times daily. It kills helps with inflammation in the throat and kills off bacteria and prevents more from growing. So much better then those sugary gross tasting throat lozenges.

9. Neti pot - It feels weird to do this but it works!  It's the same deal as gargling with salt water but the neti pot gets into your sinuses and prevents sinus and ear infections.  I once started to develop a sinus infection and was able to combat it with the neti and avoided going on antibiotics. Totally worth the purchase.

10. Fresh air - Even in the cold months I try to get outside at least once for a short walk to get some fresh air into my lungs. It does the body and mind some good.