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Fighting Cold Symptoms
Battling the Bug While Expecting
By Katherine Bontrager
Deborah MacDonnell of Niantic, Conn., keeps the stuffiness and aches and pains of the cold season at bay in a unique fashion.
"I find the best way to fight colds isn't with medication, it's by wearing gloves," says the mother of two. "My hands get cold, so I wear gloves all winter. I find I get few, if any, colds, because I'm not touching the gas nozzle when I fill up, the shopping cart handle at the grocery store, the door handles at the elementary school – all those places where germs fester."
Other experienced moms swear by constant hand washing, regularly taking quality prenatal vitamins and disinfecting all work surfaces, especially phones, desktops and keyboards.
But what if, despite your best intentions, you find yourself starting to feel that tickle in the back of your throat, that dull ache in your sinuses? The common cold is sneaky and has a way of catching up to even the most cautious mom-to-be. So how can you help alleviate all those miserable cold symptoms, like the running nose, sore throat, aches and pains and more?
During pregnancy everything you put into your body affects the little one growing inside you. So some over-the-counter medicines are a no-no for pregnant women. What's safe – what's not – and what really works?
"Pregnant women can use most over-the-counter cold preparations; however they need to avoid any products containing a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen, naproxen, common names include Motrin®, Alleve®, etc.), and any nasal sprays except saline (salt water)," says Dr. Laura Goetzl, an assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, author of Healthy Pregnancy over 35 (DK ADULT, 2005) and mother of two.
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