Cold & Flu Getting the Common Cold When You're Pregnant Why you might be getting sick more often and what treatments are safe By Kristina Duda, RN facebook twitter linkedin Kristina Duda, BSN, RN, CPN, has been working in healthcare since 2002. She specializes in pediatrics and disease and infection prevention. Learn about our editorial process Kristina Duda, RN Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD on November 04, 2019 Sanja Jelic, MD is board-certified in pulmonary disease, sleep medicine, critical care medicine, and internal medicine. She is an assistant professor and attending physician at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, NY. Learn about our Medical Review Board Sanja Jelic, MD Updated on March 25, 2021 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Pregnancy and Your Immune System The Common Cold and Your Baby Safe Cold Treatments Taking Care of Yourself Cold Prevention Your immune system goes through some amazing changes when you're pregnant. Unfortunately, these changes don't protect you from the common cold. Getting sick when you're pregnant is tough and can make prenatal wellness strategies like getting in daily exercise difficult. Pregnancy can also rule out certain treatment options. DusanManic / Getty Images Pregnancy and Your Immune System Doctors used to think that pregnancy suppressed your immune system, making you more vulnerable to illness. But it's actually much more complicated than that. Research shows that the immune system is modified during pregnancy—not suppressed. Instead of being less active, it's active in different and carefully controlled ways that protect your growing baby. These modifications evolve throughout your pregnancy. You may be more or less susceptible to certain illnesses at certain times. Some studies suggest that you may be most likely to get sick during the first trimester and least likely during the second. The Common Cold and Your Baby When you get sick, your baby is protected by your immune system, their own immune system, and the placenta. According to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), having a cold while you're pregnant typically doesn't harm the baby. The one symptom to watch out for, though, is fever. Having a fever early in pregnancy may increase the risk of certain birth defects, making it especially important for you to contact your doctor and treat your fever appropriately. The common cold doesn't typically cause a fever, which means a fever might be a sign that you have a different illness, such as the flu. What Pregnant Women Need to Know About the Flu Safe Cold Treatments If you're pregnant and get a cold, it's best to consult your OB/GYN or another health practitioner before taking any over-the-counter (OTC) cold or cough medications. Many medications are not safe to take while pregnant or breastfeeding. This includes the common decongestant pseudoephedrine. Taking pseudoephedrine during the first three months of pregnancy slightly increases your baby's risk of developing an abdominal wall birth defect. Pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine, which has similar risks, are found in many cold and cough medications. This includes cold, cough, and allergy medicines made by popular brands like Advil, Aleve, Sudafed, and Mucinex. Acetaminophen, which is found in Tylenol and some other combination drugs, is considered the best pain reliever and fever reducer to use while pregnant. Other analgesics, like aspirin and Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen), are not recommended unless instructed by your doctor. Pregnancy-safe cough and cold treatment options include: OTC steroid nasal sprays like Flonase (fluticasone propionate) Neti pot Saline nasal spray Humidifier Honey (for cough) Natural throat lozenges Menthol rub The antihistamines Claritin (loratadine) and Zyrtec (cetirizine) Always talk to your OB/GYN or another healthcare provider before taking any medication during pregnancy. Taking Care of Yourself If you come down with a cold, self-care will be an important part of your treatment plan. Do your best to: Get plenty of extra rest. Drink plenty of clear fluids. This is even more important when you're pregnant. Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Drinking hot water or tea with honey and lemon, gargling salt water, or sucking on ice chips are all safe ways to help soothe a sore or irritated throat. Notify your doctor if your symptoms seem especially severe or persistent. Cold Prevention Since the cold is so common, it's difficult to avoid it completely. But you can set yourself up to have the best defense by following these strategies: Eating a balanced diet Getting regular exercise Washing your hands frequently Most practitioners will also prescribe or recommend a prenatal vitamin for pregnant women to supplement their normal diet. Be sure to take that as recommended, as it could help you stay healthy. If you're a smoker, quitting is imperative to boost your immune system and support the health of your baby. Overview of the Common Cold Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Looking to avoid getting the flu? Our free guide has everything you need to stay healthy this season. Sign up and get yours today. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Mor G, Cardenas I. The immune system in pregnancy: A unique complexity. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2010;63(6):425-433. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0897.2010.00836.x Waller DK, Hashmi SS, Hoyt AT, et al. Maternal report of fever from cold or flu during early pregnancy and the risk for noncardiac birth defects, National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2011. Birth Defects Res. 2018;110(4):342-351. doi:10.1002/bdr2.1147 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. What medicine can I take for allergies while I'm pregnant? February 2020. Cleveland Clinic. Pregnant with allergies? 5 treatments that are safe for baby. December 23, 2020.