Pregnant women experience coughing to varying degrees. Often the cough is related to a cold or flu type virus. In this case, the cough will gradually improve and cease within several days or even weeks. However, some women experience chronic coughing throughout part of their pregnancies.
When the cough is related to an illness, your doctor may prescribe home remedies, medicines or both. Medicinal recommendations will depend on the type of cough and may include antibiotics, allergy medications or prescription or over the counter cough medicines.
Home remedies can be surprisingly effective for a range of symptoms, including cough. Tea with honey, sleeping with your head elevated and even chicken soup have been said to help with cold and coughing. Pay attention to irritants and allergens in your environment that may be contributing to the cough, such as dust, pet dander and smoke.
Allergies or asthma can cause chronic coughing. Your doctor can often determine the cause and offer relief. There are medicines for allergies and asthma that are safe for pregnant women. Don’t take any prescription or over the counter medicine without discussing the safety of the specific medicine with your health care provider.
If you develop a cough that doesn’t go away, be sure to mention it to your doctor. In most cases, the cough is related to sinus or other causes and subsides eventually, but have your doctor check it out to be sure nothing more serious is at the root of the coughing.
Sometimes the coughing gets so intense the mother begins to worry about the baby. Regardless of the cause or duration of the cough, it is unlikely to harm the baby. The baby is well protected inside the amniotic sac.
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