Not Feeling Well?

Posted by mamas

Posted: April 7, 2008 - 10:40 pm

If you have ever been pregnant or nursing a baby and taken ill, you quickly realize that your options for medicine are limited. There are many medications that are simply not safe to take in pregnancy or when lactating. Since I have been in one of these two states continuously since February 2006, you would think that I would have adjusted to this fact. I have done well with certain lifestyle shifts such as limiting my caffeine intake, exercising, and nutrition. But every time I come down with an awful case of the flu or a bad cold, I begin to wish for the days when I could simply take a strong medicine that would miraculously make be feel better or at least help me to get through the day.

With pregnancy especially, you must be very careful what goes into your body. The first trimester is critical for baby development, but the growing process continues for all forty weeks and you don’t want to risk your baby’s health. Then when nursing a baby, you are faced with the similar problem of ensuring that everything that goes into your body is something that is safe for the baby as well.

Sometimes, despite a strict adherence to preventative measures such as frequent hand washing, you may find yourself dealing with a nasty bout of sickness. There are natural remedies to try and as always when I am ill, I begin to systematically go through the list in an attempt to get better faster.

I have found that taking garlic to help keep up the body’s defense system has been a life saver as well as cleansing the sinuses with saline or steam. Vitamins are useful in proper doses; just don’t take them if you can’t keep food down. I am thankful for the occasional Tylenol to ease the all over aches and pains. I drink gallons of fluids during the day, particularly water and hot tea. I eat hearty soups in hopes of revitalizing my body and gaining strength enough to keep up with my toddler. All of these I do in order to reduce the length of the illness. But it doesn’t make up for the fact that sometimes you really have to just plain tough it out.

Sleeping upright is not my idea of a restful night and going through multitudes of tissues in an hour is par for the course. I suggest that you keep your spirits up and your mind occupied. If you have other children, then try to get a day off to rest. Perhaps your spouse, a grandparent, or a friend, could help out with the kids while you recoup. Cut back on what you are doing and eliminate stress where possible as it can prolong an illness. Women are often surprised at how many of the medicines that we take for granted are not safe to use when pregnant or nursing, so be sure to do your research. There are some wonderful informational web sites and books out there and I am constantly finding new home remedies to try. Best of health to you and your baby!

For lists on what medications have been classified as safe in pregnancy or when nursing, please visit:

Kellymom.com
Motherisk.org
Perinatology.com

Tell us about your experiences relating to illness while sick or nursing? Do you know of good remedies that are safe?

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