I have been kinda avoiding posting on here because of everything that happened last time I was pregnant (late miscarriage) but I could really use some help from you ladies.
I am now in my 12th week of pregnancy and things have been going great. I really cannot complain. All the scans and test have shown that everything is progressing smoothly. Blood sugars have been managable and I thank my lucky stars that almost 3 yrs ago I got myself on the insulin pump, because I think that it has made adjusting insulin levels as needed so much easier than when I was on multi-day injections.
Now, I am sick. I mean dead dead sick. I have the worst cough/cold/chest thing going on that I have ever had in my entire life. Pleghm (sorry to much info), coughing like crazy, super sore throat, stuffed nose, head pain and generally feels like there's an elephant sitting on my chest. Ordinarily I would simply self medicate and use those over the counter cough meds that help you sleep it off....but obviously that's not going to happen.
I've been to the doctor, though only a walk in clinic (holidays) and he said that I have mucus in my chest", well duh! I could have told you that! He gave me an Rx for a medication that both dr and pharmacist assured me is safe in pregnancy. I am seeking any other ideas/suggestions etc that you ladies might have to help me get through this dreadful pain. Online searches have suggested tea or even hot water with honey...well I don't really want to be taking unnecessary insulin if I can avoid it. Hot steamy showers help short term and same with plain tea, but anything else would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Amanda! I had almost the same illness around week 12 as well. I was REALLY hesitant to take the coughing medicine that the doctor gave me (which was stated to be safe in pregnancy). I tried all the home remedies and rested a lot, but I only improved when taking the medicine that helped clear chest congestion.
I HATE taking medicine for colds and I was hesitant to do so during pregnancy, but my OB-GYN reminded me that the sooner that I am better, the better it is for the little one too. Also because it is MUCH easier to keep stable blood sugars when you are not sick!!
Did you take any meds yet? I hope that they will help you too. Get as much rest as you can and take care of the two of you!!
Thanks Kristin for your advise. I really appreciate it.
I have taken the meds that the Dr prescribed to me, but I have found that they aren't doing anything...honestly, I feel worse since I started taking them. I went back to the Dr yesterday and saw someone else. He was generally un-helpful and he just kept telling me not to take any over the counter meds, just rest and drink lots of fluids.
While I have been doing all of those things, I simply want to feel better again. I cannot continue to avoid work and feel like garbage on top of it. I know it's probably rediculous, but my mind instantly goes to "how is my consistent coughing harming my baby?" or "Is there anything I should be doing that I am not, in order to protect my baby?"
Pregnancy is scary and hard enough with so so many things out of your control, but to get so sick while pregnant is just torture...talk about pressure.
I;m so sorry to hear that you are sick! I don't really have any advice for you. However, I did see on the news that honey is supposed to be as effective (if not more effective) than cough syrup for suppressing a cough. And there is no drug interaction (however, you would have to cover it with insulin). It might be worth a try?
I had the same concern about the cough, but if you think about it, the baby is hearing all your blood rushing and other bodily functions. It's apparently pretty loud in there anyway!
I hope that you will feel better soon. I would not take anything without a doctor's permission. I got a few prescription medicines, but since I live in Hungary, they are different than what is available in the USA.
I drank warm chicken broth as well and lots of chamomile tea.
A big thank you to everyone who responded and all the suggestions I received. I am pleased to say that I am now (finally) on the mend. I still am not at 100% but I'm getting better. I had to take the entire week off of work, which is both nice and not so nice at the same time. I did not cave and take any over the counter medications, though I'll admit I was pretty darn close. I did however stick with the tea and even took a spoon full of honey (along with insulin of course) to ease the coughing fit. One way or another, I still believe that pregnant women should never get sick because it's just plain mean and tourturous.
Agreed! Definitely not fair. Glad you're feeling better though! I'm currently 38 1/2 weeks and yesterday came down with a cold. Wondering how awful it would be to be both sick and in labor... Drinking lots of tea and eating chicken soup tonight!
I've used the honey for coughs before. It doesn't last as long as cough medicines, but it does work wonders. Especially if you're in the middle of times you can take cough medicine and it's just too much. Last time I was sick, every time I was low, I ate honey instead of drinking juice.
The honey worked just as Anna (below) explained. It worked but not for nearly as long as cough medicine would have. I wasn't able to eat much while sick, getting back my appetite now, so lows were frequent and I opted to use honey to treat instead of juice or glucose tabs. I think the honey simply coats the throat and soothes the cough. Good suggestion and I think as long as you take insulin for it, it should help.
