Coping with coughs and colds

Pregnancy and birth

Having a cold may not be serious, but few things make you feel as lousy as a streaming or stuffy nose, sore throat and hacking cough when you're pregnant. At a time when you don't want to be taking medicines, is there anything you can do?

Colds are caused by viruses, so antibiotics aren't the answer. Your best defence is to relieve the symptoms and grab some rest. Low doses of paracetamol are perfectly safe to take, as are all those good, old-fashioned remedies such as hot lemon and honey.

'Once you're past your first trimester, you can try daily steam inhalation with a drop of eucalyptus oil to try to relieve stuffiness,' suggests midwife, Anne Richley.

Relieving symptoms is one thing, but what happens if you go into labour with a streaming cold? 'Nature usually has very good timing, and labour is unlikely to start until you're feeling better,' reassures Anne Richley. If you do end up giving birth with a runny nose, it's highly unlikely your baby will catch your cold.

Newborns

Although colds are pretty unusual in young babies, they still have our antibodies floating around to protect them, snuffling and sneezing are fairly common. This type of sneezing is usually attributed to a mild allergy. Your baby's nasal passages are particularly sensitive, so things such as house dust or pollen are much more likely to affect her.

Medication is generally not advised for young babies, but any symptoms must be taken extremely seriously, especially if your little one's feeding or breathing is affected. You should contact your GP, or the NHS Direct 24-hour helpline (0845 4647) for advice.

By Rachel Blackwell