This article was written based on an interview with American obstetrician-gynecologist Alaine Park, who has more than 20 years of experience and works in a Los Angeles hospital. Also, when writing, some additional materials and research results were used, which can be found links at the bottom of the page.
Getting sick during pregnancy can feel especially scary because you'll have to worry about whether the medication you're taking might harm your growing baby. "One of the biggest fears patients have is that medications can cause birth defects or negatively impact the baby's development," says Alaine Park, MD, mother of two sons and co-author of a book on pregnancy and childbirth ("The Mommy Docs' Ultimate Guide To Pregnancy and Birth"). “The truth is that most medications are actually considered perfectly acceptable. Although you want to reduce your use of medications as much as possible, the health consequences of not taking them for the mother and baby usually outweigh any potential risks.”
To get relief and feel more comfortable throughout your pregnancy, check out Dr. Park's recommendations for safe medications during pregnancy.
But keep in mind that you should avoid taking unnecessary medications during the first trimester. This is when the fetal organs are developing rapidly, making them extremely vulnerable to the potential effects of drugs.
From pain
Safe to take : Acetaminophen/paracetamol (Panadol)
A cold compress and rest can help relieve muscle pain and headaches during pregnancy. But if you need extra relief, your doctor may recommend paracetamol. Follow the dosage indicated in the instructions. Other types of pain medications, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, can cause low amniotic fluid levels in the third trimester, says Dr. Park. Ibuprofen can also cause a certain vessel in the baby's heart to close prematurely and cause developmental problems later in pregnancy. In fact, some studies suggest that taking aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during conception or early pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage and birth defects, especially in the early stages.
Medicines for coughs during pregnancy and colds
During a flu epidemic, for respiratory diseases, you should gargle daily with disinfectant infusions of calendula (marigold), eucalyptus, yarrow and drink vitamin teas.
Intensive inhalations - it’s better to have your own nebulizer at home (a portable, convenient device for inhalation
Various kinds of medicinal herbal decoctions - can be bought at the pharmacy (linden, raspberry, rosehip, chamomile, verbena)
Warm milk with honey - it’s better to melt the butter, mix it with honey and warm milk and drink it all
Some medicines are also possible
- Dr. MOM
- Bronchipret
- Bronholitin
- Bromhexine
For constipation
Safe to take : Psyllium (Mucofalk, Metamucil), Sodium Docusate (Norgalax), Methylcellulose (Citrucel), Magnesium hydroxide, Bisacodyl (Dulcolax).
Increased levels of the hormone progesterone, which slows down smooth muscle function, or pressure from the growing uterus on the intestines can make it difficult for the intestines to function. Dr. Park gives the green light to taking stool softeners and laxatives, but you can also try increasing your fiber intake by eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking more fluids. Exercise, with your doctor's approval, can also help prevent constipation. If problems persist, your doctor may recommend a fiber laxative such as Metamucil.
Cure for headaches during pregnancy
It’s worth forgetting about painkillers while pregnant, it’s better to try
- Ventilate the room
- Massage, weights
- Apply cold cabbage leaves to your head
- Drink an infusion of lemon balm or chamomile
- Black strong tea with honey
It is also necessary to know medicinal teas and be able to use them. Some liberties are allowed in the sets, but it is advisable that you have at least two herbs on hand from each collection. A set of herbs is mixed in equal quantities, 2 teaspoons are brewed with boiling water, infused in a thermos for 30 minutes, filtered, and drunk hot with honey and lemon, 0.25-0.5 cups per serving.
For indigestion and heartburn
Safe to take : Rennie, Maalox, Gastal.
Progesterone acts on smooth muscle cells and relaxes the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus, causing heartburn. And the growing uterus in later stages also puts pressure on the stomach, which intensifies this problem. Before taking Omeprazole or another prescription drug, try over-the-counter medications first because they are less potent. Also, meals should be more frequent and portions should be small. And you should avoid consuming fatty, fried or spicy foods, which often cause stomach irritation. Sleeping in a reclining position can also prevent stomach contents from refluxing into the esophagus, causing heartburn.
Medicine for heartburn during pregnancy
You can try a drink
- grapefruit juice
- carrot juice
- milk
- a weak solution of baking soda diluted in warm water
Among the medications for heartburn, pregnant women can also be prescribed:
- Smecta
- Maalox
- Phosphalugel
- Almagel
- Talcid
For infections
Safe to take : Penicillin
If you have an infection such as strep throat or a urinary tract infection (UTI) that requires antibiotics, penicillin is a possible solution. “There have never been any birth defects or any other problems associated with taking penicillins,” says Dr. Park. However, it has been found that the tetracycline and doxycycline families of antibiotics can cause discoloration of primary teeth in children's primary teeth when taken after the fourth month of pregnancy because these medications affect calcification. “This is purely a cosmetic issue, but it is best to avoid such drugs,” says Dr. Park. If your doctor prescribes any medications during pregnancy, rest assured that they likely pose far less risk than the consequences of not treating the illness or infection.
For fungal infections
Safe to take : Miconazole, Clotrimazole
Yeast infections are common during pregnancy, and although they do not harm the baby, they can cause itching and discomfort. “Some amount of vaginal creams penetrates the body and bloodstream, but the doses are low and no studies show that it has a negative effect on the baby or pregnant woman,” says Dr. Park. “We do not prescribe fluconzaol (Diflucan) oral tablets because studies show that mothers who had to take the drug long-term for chronic fungal infections had an increased risk of having babies with birth defects.” Although these are rare cases (only 5 have been published so far) and recent studies have not shown an increased risk of congenital malformations from the use of fluconzaol in typical doses.
However, it is safe to take this medication if you are breastfeeding if you develop a yeast infection known as thrush.
What to drink during pregnancy
All men, as well as women who have never been pregnant, may be surprised by the posing of the question, but pregnancy is such a special condition that when it occurs, a responsible expectant mother seriously has to completely reformat her own life.
Many people have heard that there are special diets for pregnant women. They consist of dishes that not only will not harm the fetus, but will also contribute to its proper and rapid development. Drinks consumed by a pregnant woman have no less effect - properly selected liquids will only be beneficial, but it would be better to exclude some familiar drinks. So, what to drink during pregnancy?
What can you drink during pregnancy?
Let's start with something pleasant and useful - something that can be consumed. The list is not so short, but the most important drink for a pregnant woman will be ordinary water. Although no, the word “ordinary” will not work here - this means clean water, that is, tap water without filtration will not work. Not everyone likes to drink clean water, but the human body needs water, and not conventional tea.
Drink spring water, bottled water, or simply boiled water, but make sure that it contains fewer various impurities, even beneficial ones at first glance. Ordinary clean water should make up about two-thirds of all liquid entering the body. Pregnant women who are not at home all the time are advised to always have a bottle of this water with them. And yet the “liquid menu” is not limited to water alone.
Good fruit juice will perfectly quench your thirst and saturate your body with healthy vitamins. We are, of course, talking about freshly squeezed juice - it is not recommended to consume juice from a package, since it contains much less vitamins, but there is an abundance of preservatives and other additives. You can also drink drinks related to juice - for example, homemade compote or jam diluted in clean water.
Another useful drink can be ordinary herbal tea. Again, you should be suspicious of sold tea leaves - it’s better to collect the “raw materials” yourself and brew it. At the same time, you don’t need to chase any particularly medicinal plants; you can brew absolutely familiar raspberry leaves, linden leaves, rose hips and other herbs and fruits that are often used to achieve the same goals. Drinking this way will help diversify tasteless water (which you still can’t refuse in its pure form!) and will help the body replenish its reserves of useful microelements.
Pregnant women should monitor their body’s reaction and not drink drinks that cause a negative reaction. Therefore, herbs for tea are not mixed - this makes it easier to determine what exactly the body does not accept. If you adhere to such a drinking diet, you can occasionally allow yourself something conditionally harmful - the same tea.
What not to drink during pregnancy
There are drinks that are not recommended for even ordinary people to drink, let alone pregnant women. This includes alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks, energy drinks and other types of drinks that contain a significant amount of toxic substances and chemical additives.
The use of such drinks during pregnancy is strictly prohibited - something that is harmful even to a fully formed adult can lead to irreparable consequences if the fetus is exposed to these substances at the formation stage. However, not only this is prohibited for pregnant women to drink - there are many favorite and generally safe drinks that are not strictly prohibited to drink during pregnancy, but are still not recommended.
First on our list is coffee. It is no secret that coffee is a soft drug, but usually no tragedy is made of this, since there are usually no visible problems with its use. In fact, if you think about it, coffee in large quantities leads to problems with the cardiovascular system, and this affects the fetus even more than it affects the adult.
Among other things, coffee leaches calcium from the body, which the fetus’s musculoskeletal system urgently needs, and it would also be useful for a pregnant mother. These reasons force you to greatly limit your coffee consumption - it’s better not to drink it at all during pregnancy.
In general terms, tea has the same contraindications as coffee, although it does not wash away calcium. In addition, tea can be consumed in fairly large quantities, but it must be very weak and diluted, which repels many fans of this drink. If you choose from types of tea, it is better to give preference to green, since it contains more beneficial microelements.
However, it also contains harmful ones, so it will have to be diluted. It is best to prepare your own fruit or herbal “tea” - in quotes, since there will be no tea at all, and a drink with that name will be brewed by the pregnant woman herself, not from a bag, but from dried herbs or fruits.
In the context of tea and coffee, cocoa looks completely harmless - at least it is not recommended to dilute it. True, it also leaches calcium, and many people are allergic to it.
It is not recommended to drink carbonated water during pregnancy. Gas bubbles, firstly, contribute to flatulence, and secondly, they interfere with the absorption of the same calcium, the benefits of which have already been mentioned above. Pregnant women should not drink sweet carbonated drinks, since they contain too many different chemical additives, or just mineral water, which is usually considered healthy - the abundance of mineral salts will create unnecessary stress on the excretory system.
During pregnancy, you should not consume juices - those that are presented in packages from various companies. The very fact of packaging means that the juice in this case is not pure; it contains various additives, preservatives, sugar, and finally. If you really want juice, but don’t have any homemade juice, you can buy one intended for baby food.
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For a cold
Safe to take : Diphenhydramine, Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), Pinosol nasal spray, Loratadine (Claritin), Guaifenesin (Tussin), Dextromethorphan (Vicks Active), Halls cough drops
Few women go through pregnancy without developing colds or allergies. The safest treatment option is to try non-drug remedies: rest, drink plenty of fluids, especially warm fluids, and use a saline nasal spray/solution to relieve congestion. If symptoms affect the ability to eat or sleep, then the question arises: “What medicine can I take during pregnancy?” But according to Dr. Park, generally all over-the-counter cold medications are considered safe. Keep in mind that there are many combination medications available in sachets and capsules that treat multiple symptoms such as runny nose, cough and fever. But usually they are contraindicated, according to the instructions. Often this is because there simply have not been studies done on their use in pregnant women. But if your symptoms are a headache and a stuffy nose - why would you take a medicine that also treats a cough? "Instead of taking medications that you don't really need, choose only those that relieve the symptoms you have," says Dr. Park.
Look for the cough suppressant ingredient dextromethorphan; guaifenesin to loosen mucus; and pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine as a decongestant for nasal congestion.
Please consult your doctor before taking any medications during pregnancy.
For the flu
Safe to take : Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
During the epidemic season, you can get the flu, which can even lead to pneumonia or death in extreme cases. This is why it's important to get a flu vaccine (ask for an inactivated flu vaccine to avoid getting the live virus). However, if you do get sick, doctors say it's important to take Tamiflu to reduce symptoms and how long it lasts. “The drug is considered safe for pregnant women, and the risk if left untreated is much greater than with the medication,” says Dr. Park. “This is because your baby’s temperature will always be a few degrees higher than yours. So if you have a high fever, it can cause birth defects early in pregnancy and premature birth later in pregnancy."
Allergy medications during pregnancy
It is best to consult an allergist in such a situation. But at the same time, remember that no drug guarantees absolute safety for your unborn child.
Unfortunately, there is no effective folk remedies for combating the allergies of the expectant mother; you can only reduce the risk of allergies by reducing your stay in places where flowering plants and trees accumulate, and using air purification in the air conditioner.
Natural antiallergic agents include:
- Zinc
- Ascorbic acid
- Pantothenic acid
- nicotinic acid - you should absolutely not smoke, by smoking you are killing your fetus, and in the future you are dooming yourself to various kinds of serious diseases, the simplest of which will be a severe allergy
- Cyanocobalamin
For chronic diseases
(For example, depression, asthma, seizures, chronic hypertension and diabetes). Safe to Take : It's best to consult your doctor if you have a prescription for a pre-existing health problem, but you'll likely need to continue taking your life-saving medications while you're pregnant.
The goal is always to give the minimum dose needed to keep symptoms under control. Because if you suffer from, say, asthma or seizures, the risk may be higher than the baby's exposure to those drugs. “And although we do not recommend regular, long-term exposure to anti-anxiety medications such as alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan) and diazepam (Valium) because they are addictive and the baby may have withdrawal symptoms at birth, they are prescribed in rare cases. because a healthy pregnancy requires a healthy and happy mother,” says Dr. Park.
High blood pressure can be treated with methyldopa or a number of other medications. But it's best to avoid a group of drugs called ACE inhibitors, which are commonly used to treat high blood pressure. They can damage the fetus' kidneys after the first trimester.
Although most asthma medications are considered safe (including inhaled steroids and bronchodilator sprays containing terbutaline sulfate or albuterol), less is known about sprays containing salmeterol, so consult your doctor before using them.
