The handling of coughs will usually be different for pregnant women because they should not take drugs carelessly. The reason is that the drugs consumed by the mother can affect the development of the fetus, and even trigger health problems. The first trimester, which is the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, is an important time when the organs of the baby’s vitals are formed. Eating warm soup, taking a warm bath, gargling with salt water, drinking honey and lemon, can be a treatment for cough conditions that are applied during pregnancy.
Coughing during pregnancy can be very annoying and inconvenient. The reason is, pregnant women should not take drugs carelessly. Instead of overcoming a cough, taking the wrong medication can actually increase the risk of interference with fetal growth and pregnancy.
In fact, the symptoms of a cough that appear are very disturbing and uncomfortable. So what to do? It is important for pregnant women to know the right steps to deal with coughs without taking medication. In addition, preventing coughing should also be done so that the health of the mother and fetus is always maintained.
Home Remedies for Cough with Phlegm during Pregnancy
Coughing is a natural response of the body that aims as a defense system to expel foreign substances from the respiratory tract. Coughing also occurs to prevent foreign bodies from entering the lower respiratory tract. Therefore, the occasional cough is actually a normal and good thing to keep your breath moist.
There are several things that can cause a cough to appear, ranging from a dry throat, foreign body attacks, dry air, to signs of certain diseases. It is important to know what is causing the cough so that it can be treated immediately.
Handling coughs will usually be different for pregnant women because they should not take drugs carelessly. The reason is, the drugs consumed by the mother can affect the development of the fetus, and even trigger health problems.
The first trimester, which is the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, is an important time in which the baby’s vital organs are formed.
This is the reason pregnant women should not take drugs in the first trimester. If the cough symptoms are still mild, pregnant women can try some tips, such as:
- Eat Hot Soup
Consumption of healthy food is one way to keep the body in shape and the symptoms of cough disappear. One of the foods that can be tried when pregnant women cough is a bowl of warm chicken soup. Consumption of warm soup can help breathe easier and reduce inflammation.
- Hot Shower
Cough may appear accompanied by symptoms of shortness of breath. To overcome this, try taking a warm shower. This can help relieve shortness of breath and make you feel healthier.
- Gargle Salt Water
One way to deal with cough without medicine is to gargle saltwater. To make it, dissolve salt in a glass of warm water, then use it to gargle. This is believed to help relieve sore throat and cough.
- Take advantage of the Balm
Balm or rubbing oil that is widely sold in the market is often used to warm the body. It turns out that it can also relieve cough symptoms. Try applying a balm or rubbing oil on your chest and under your nose to relieve symptoms of stuffy nose and coughing.
Read also: How To Help With Nausea During Pregnancy
- Honey and Lemon
When the cough does not stop, pregnant women can try consuming warm water mixed with lemon and honey. This mixture is believed to be able to help overcome a sore throat that may be a trigger for coughing.
- Comfortable Sleeping Position
The cough usually appears at any time, and sometimes becomes worse at night. Therefore, pregnant women need to adjust their sleeping position to be more comfortable, so that coughing does not interfere with sleep quality.
Try to use pillows that are stacked high enough when sleeping, so that your head is in a higher position. This is to prevent phlegm from flowing during sleep and irritating the throat wall. Irritation in the throat is one of the causes of frequent coughing symptoms.
However, if the cough does not go away and gets worse, immediately go to the nearest hospital.