Every year, over one million Americans are affected by influenza, commonly known as the flu. Flu is easy to get and easy to treat, however, for a pregnant woman, flu can cause serious problems for their unborn baby, including premature labor and delivery.
If the women get pregnant in winter, it should be careful with cold weather. You can have some sickness symptoms like getting cold. But, take precautions as you can ve confused between the flu and the common cold. Unlike a cold, flu often presents itself quickly and intensely. The general fatigue and weakness that is characteristic of both is often more pronounced with flu, and it tends to last longer (up to three weeks).
For the best safety, experts recommend that flu in pregnant women is serious, so they should get vaccinated against flu as soon as possible in case of flu getting. The reason is very simple: that is to protect both the mother and her baby (up to 6 months old) from flu. Note that pregnant women should not receive the nasal-spray flu vaccine LAIV.
However, it is not always good for mom to get a flu shot during pregnancy because of some unexpected impacts post-delivery period. That is prefer to maintain a strict diet and care.
Or If you do come down with illnesses, some of these tips may help.
- Get extra rest
- Drink plenty of clear fluids; this is even more important when you are pregnant
- Try saline nasal sprays or steam inhalation for congestion
- Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Drinking hot water with honey and lemon may help soothe a sore or irritated throat
- Notify your healthcare provider if your symptoms seem especially severe or last for more than a week; you may have developed a secondary infection
And the last warning for a mother-to-be is: A mother’s milk is made to fight diseases in her baby so that do not stop breastfeeding if you are ill. Mothers who are breastfeeding can continue to nurse their babies while being treated for the flu.
Those things is not all but a vital tips for pregnant women. Consider them carefully for both mom and baby.