Pregnancy after and during a cold

A little about colds

In general, a cold is a whole complex of various respiratory infectious diseases that are manifested by catarrhal inflammation of the mucous tissues of the respiratory structures.
Colds are considered the most common diseases, because adults manage to get them up to three times a year, and children – up to six. It is a highly contagious infection that spreads easily between populations through airborne transmission. The concept of a cold refers to an infection of viral origin, although the disease can develop in several forms, such as a regular infection without a febrile state, ARVI with hyperthermia, influenza, sore throat or ARVI with bacterial complications such as sinusitis, bronchitis, etc.). These pathologies can have an ambiguous effect on the patient’s organic activity.

Minor colds affect only the nasopharynx area, without provoking any reproductive changes, but flu and infection with fever have a rather serious impact on the body, affecting its functionality. In such situations, conception during a cold may not manifest itself very well during the process of gestation or development of the fetus.

Necessity of vaccination

Any cold is an insidious infection. The virus first infects the nasopharynx, and then spreads through the blood and infects other important organs. The body should not be allowed to become infected when planning conception, as the female body will be greatly weakened.

Pregnancy is a serious test for immunity. To prevent the infection from causing harm, it is recommended to take measures in advance to protect yourself from dangerous viruses. We are talking about vaccination. There are several reasons for the need for early immunization:

1. If you get vaccinated at the planning stage of pregnancy, it will not harm the unborn child.
2. The woman's body will have time to produce the required amount of antibodies to viruses.
3. Vaccination is tolerated much easier by the expectant mother, because at this stage her immunity has not yet been weakened.

Flu and colds can cause serious complications, so it is recommended to consult a doctor. The gynecologist will advise you whether you can get pregnant with a cold.

In what cases does conception often occur with a cold?

Due to the peculiarities of physiological processes, a woman finds out about pregnancy 2-3 weeks after conception. And there are quite frequent cases when a pregnant woman, having made the necessary calculations, understands that during the period of alleged conception she felt unwell due to a cold.

This happens especially often when the pregnancy is long-awaited and planned. Doctors give a completely logical explanation for this phenomenon and name two main reasons:

• psychological: When a couple plans a pregnancy for a long time, prepares, monitors the cycle, calculates favorable days for conception - it happens that such “obsession” prevents pregnancy. When a woman realizes that she has a cold and now is not the best time to conceive, she lets go of the situation, which often helps to get pregnant;
• physiological: One of the many causes of infertility may be too strong an immune system that rejects “foreign” antibodies. When you have a cold, your immune system is weakened and does not prevent pregnancy.

Pros and cons of conceiving during illness

To make the right decision: whether to try to conceive or postpone the process until the next menstrual cycle, you need to take into account several factors:

• source of infection;
• type of disease;
• time of onset of symptoms.

One partner who is already sick is likely to infect the other. This is very difficult to avoid if you live under the same roof. The duration of the incubation period can range from 1 to 10 days.

When a woman gets sick first and she infects a man, there is a possibility that by the time the egg is released, both will recover.

The situation becomes more complicated if everything happened the other way around. The woman feels generally unwell after a few days and may not recover by ovulation.

When ARVI is diagnosed long before the middle of the cycle, there should be no reason to panic. During menstruation and immediately after it, you can safely undergo treatment. Partners are allowed to have an open sex life, but it is important to constantly monitor the condition of the expectant mother.

The cold itself presupposes the presence of certain types. Often the body is affected by viruses, then it is better to postpone planning until complete recovery.

Does the cold blues contribute to fertilization?

It happens that spouses spend quite a long time and thoroughly planning the upcoming conception, but to no avail. And suddenly fertilization unexpectedly happens when the wife, spouse or both experience a cold due to ARVI. Why does this happen? Experts explain this phenomenon by the influence of physiological or psychological factors.

• In the first case, the onset of the long-awaited conception of a child during a cold is due to a decrease in the patient’s immunity. It’s just that some women have quite strong immunoglobulins that prevent sperm from moving towards the egg. And in a state of colds, the immune barrier cannot resist male reproductive cells, which is why it is possible to conceive a child.
• And in the case of psychological influence, a cold helps spouses to distract themselves from unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant. It’s just that during the planning process, the couple, and especially its female half, is experiencing a stressful state. After all, the spouses count and hope that everything will work out, but conception does not occur. And in the event of a cold when conceiving a child, the spouses are relaxed due to the painful ailment, they do not focus on the success of the event, which helps in achieving the goal.

And in some cases, under the influence of ARVI, the birth of a new life, on the contrary, does not occur. And there is another option when the cold itself is a consequence of an already accomplished conception, against the background of which a characteristic decrease in immune defense occurs.

Flu in early pregnancy

If after conception a fever, cough, runny nose, body aches and other manifestations of the flu begin, then you need to drink plenty of fluids and be treated with medications as prescribed by your doctor. It is also best to stay in bed and be sure to warn your doctor about a possible pregnancy. Later, such a pregnancy will require special attention from doctors.

The most dangerous periods are implantation (5-7 days after fertilization) and 4-13 weeks of pregnancy.

During the period from the first to the fourth obstetric week of pregnancy (that is, until the missed period), the zygote lives autonomously, on its own, and is therefore protected from viruses. But at the moment when the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus and begins to grow and develop, the fetus depends on the processes occurring in the body. It is during this period from 4 weeks (that is, at the very beginning of pregnancy until the second trimester) that the child’s development occurs under the influence of changes in the mother’s body. Viruses can penetrate the baby's cells and damage them.

Prevention of disease and medications in early pregnancy

Much depends on the disease itself and the medications used. When conceiving, the health status of both partners is important, but the disease of the woman has a greater impact than that of the man.

If a man gets sick: Symptoms of ARVI in a man without an increase in body temperature will most likely have a minimal effect on sperm quality.

But a cold or flu with an increase in body temperature to 38 degrees or higher will affect sperm motility, their quantity and quality. But since a man’s sperm mature for more than a month, those sperm that survive and fertilize the egg will in no way affect the development of the child.

Thus, a man suffering from a cold can significantly reduce the likelihood of fertilization, but if it occurs, then there is nothing to fear.

If a woman gets sick: The female body can be called a kind of vessel in which a child will grow and develop, so here it is worth taking a cold more seriously.

For a runny nose:

• rinsing the nose with preparations based on sea water (Aqualor, Aquamaris,);
• nasal drops based on herbal preparations (pinosol, pine oil);
• Hot hand baths are also good for nasal congestion (but hot foot baths are contraindicated).

When coughing:

• inhalation using a nebulizer (saline solution, mineral water);
• steam inhalations (chamomile, sage);

For a sore throat:

• rinsing with soda-saline solution;
• rinsing with infusion of medicinal herbs (chamomile, sage, calendula).

Antiviral drugs:

• Oscillococcinum;
• rosehip syrup and infusion;
• tincture of Eleutherococcus.

You should also adhere to the general rules:

• plenty of warm drinks (cranberry and lingonberry juice, weak tea with lemon);
• constant ventilation of the room;
• bed rest;
• light, low-fat food.

When planning pregnancy, much attention should be paid to the prevention of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza:

• If possible, avoid crowded places, especially during periods of mass epidemics;
• take preventive measures in public places (lubricate the nasal passages with oxolinic ointment, wear a medical mask);
• take vitamin and mineral complexes.

You cannot self-medicate, this is fraught with complications

In order not to doubt the correctness and safety of medical prescriptions, it is better to avoid public places where large numbers of people gather during the period of seasonal infectious diseases, and if you really need to go somewhere, it is better to wear a gauze bandage. In order for the body to withstand viral attacks, it is recommended to help it by taking vitamin complexes that help improve immune status. Lubricating the nasal sinuses with oxolinka can also be considered a good preventive measure.

The expectant mother needs to enrich her diet with fresh vegetables/fruits; it is better to steam food. It is also useful to take rosehip decoction daily, which does not cause allergic reactions, perfectly strengthens a woman’s immune defense and saturates the body with vitamins. But it is not recommended to drink tea with matryoshka, which our grandmothers brewed for us since childhood, because this herb is contraindicated for pregnant women and can provoke intrauterine bleeding. This is why women need to be extremely careful when drinking herbal teas.

Types of colds

To clearly understand the relationship between conception and ARVI, it is worth considering the types of these diseases. In most cases, a cold is usually understood as an infection of the body by viruses.

Based on this, doctors distinguish several varieties:

1. Typical acute respiratory viral infection, which occurs in a mild form, without fever;
2. A severe form of ARVI, the main symptoms of which are high body temperature, as well as a state of fever;
3. Flu;
4. Complications after a mild respiratory viral illness, in which patients develop long-term bronchitis or sinusitis;
5. Angina.

Each of the diseases presented has a different effect on the body of men and women. So, for example, if a cold is mild, then the damage spreads only to the nasopharynx, and the reproductive organs function normally. In the second case, the pathology also affects the reproductive system, which leads to malfunctions in its functioning.

ARVI in a woman

Conception against the background of ARVI symptoms without an increase in body temperature: ARVI symptoms (cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat) at normal body temperature will not in themselves affect the course of pregnancy or the development of the child.

Conception against the background of ARVI symptoms with an increase in body temperature: If conception has occurred and the fertilized egg has already attached to the wall of the uterus, then the malaise did not entail any negative consequences for the unborn child.

The sudden onset of the disease, fever, headache and aching joints - the symptoms of influenza are not at all conducive to the process preceding conception. But fertilization can occur 36 hours after intercourse, so we can assume a scenario where conception occurs against the background of the flu.

In any case, if fertilization and attachment of the egg occurred, then with a high degree of probability the disease passed without consequences.

At this stage, the “all or nothing” principle applies, that is, if the unborn child is affected by viruses or medications and something goes wrong, then, most likely, a spontaneous miscarriage will occur. A woman may not even notice that she was pregnant and mistake the discharge for normal menstruation.

But if you are planning a pregnancy and fall ill during a period favorable for conception, then you do not have to abandon your plans only if one or both partners have mild cold symptoms.

If you have a fever or flu-like symptoms, pregnancy planning should be postponed until the next cycle.

The fact is that treatment during pregnancy limits the choice of drugs, and if the disease becomes complicated or prolonged, then there is a high risk of damage to the fetus. The most important and most dangerous period is the first trimester, when the formation of the child’s organ systems occurs; the most important period is from the fourth to the ninth obstetric weeks.

The greatest harm can be caused not by the disease itself, but by the medications with which the woman was treated.

If you have a sore throat, drinking plenty of warm water will help.

If a cold strikes a woman, and there are symptoms such as a runny nose and cough, sore throat and nasal congestion, but there is no fever, then such symptoms will not affect fertilization, the progress of gestation or the development of the fetus. In such a situation, it is important to start therapy in a timely manner, but only with those medications that are approved and safe for intrauterine development.

If fertilization has occurred, implantation has occurred, but the patient has managed to catch a cold and is in a feverish state, then no adverse effects on conception should occur. The main thing is to start treatment immediately to avoid progression of the disease or its complications. You should take paracetamol-based antipyretics only when you reach 38.5°C.

In general, the effect of acute viral infections on conception and the course of pregnancy is determined by the severity of the infectious process and the type of medications taken. With a minor cold there is nothing to fear; it does not affect the patient’s reproductive functions or the functionality of her body. The main thing is to take only medications prescribed by a specialist.

Some danger can only be caused by a strong cough, which provokes involuntary uterine tension, which can lead to rejection of the embryo from the uterine walls and abortion. But this happens if the uterine muscle tissue is too weakened.

If the cold is severe, for example, complicated by fever, then there is a certain risk that the signs of the disease will adversely affect the embryo. The danger comes from hyperthermia, because overheating is not very beneficial for the fetus. At the same time, you cannot reduce the temperature with aspirin and drugs based on it.

There is an assertion that if an infection of viral origin affects the embryo, it may die. If there was no spontaneous interruption, then there is nothing to be afraid of, which means that the infection could not harm the fetus. If embryonic tissues are damaged, the body rejects them. If the fetus was not affected by the infection, then the child will survive safely and continue to develop.

It is advisable to undergo a medical examination before conceiving

For influenza infections, the characteristic clinical picture is a sudden onset with a sharp rise in temperature, joint aches and headaches. Such symptoms do not in any way contribute to the onset of conception. But sperm can live in the female genital tract for up to 5 days (and sometimes a week), so conception can occur several days after intimacy, when the patient is already experiencing all the flu-like symptoms.

In such a situation, if you have a cold and conception cannot be ruled out, you need to undergo treatment as soon as possible to avoid complications. To eliminate intoxication symptoms, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids and stay in bed. You also need to call a doctor, warning him in advance about the possible conception, so that the course of treatment consists of prescriptions that are safe for the fetus and pregnancy in general.

If it later turns out that you managed to get pregnant, there are no suspicious symptoms, and the egg was successfully implanted in the uterus, then there is every reason to believe that the flu did not cause any bad consequences. If a couple is planning a pregnancy, but one of them has contracted a flu infection, then it is better to give up trying to conceive for a while until the next ovulation.

It’s just that the flu requires serious treatment with drugs that are dangerous for the fetus, and if they are not taken, then there is a high probability of developing complications that are also not beneficial for the child. The first trimester is the most important time in fetal development, because the formation of intraorganic systems occurs.

Is it possible to plan a pregnancy if you have a cold?

You can plan to conceive when you have a cold, but doctors do not recommend it. Every illness of the expectant mother will certainly affect the baby.

The eggs are reliably protected from all kinds of negative influences, so no diseases will prevent the cells from being fertilized and moving through the fallopian tubes. It should be noted that cells are extremely sensitive to radiation and toxic effects. In other words, taking medications will certainly negatively affect the condition of the egg.

The fetus is susceptible to viral infection literally as soon as it attaches to the wall of the uterus. Therefore, if future parents have ARVI, it is better to postpone conception.

A woman's temperature does not in any way affect the likelihood of pregnancy. However, when it increases, the doctor prescribes antipyretics, which are dangerous to the health of the unborn baby. Therefore, conception should occur when both partners are ready for it, especially for health reasons.

If the future father has a cold

If we have sorted out the situation with a woman who has a cold, then what can we expect from a husband who has a cold? At first, the patient is incredibly happy about her condition, because she will soon become a mother. But the good news may be overshadowed by the memory that the man had a cold at the time of conception.

• Usually, if a husband gets sick with ARVI, then this does not have any negative consequences for the child.
• It’s just that sperm mature for quite a long time, more than a month, so the spouse’s cold does not affect the quality of sperm.
• But if the spouse had a cold a few weeks before fertilization, then difficulties may arise, especially if the respiratory infection was accompanied by a fever.
• Cold symptoms could negatively affect male reproductive cells.
• An increase in temperature reduces the quality characteristics and activity of sperm, which makes conception more difficult. But under the influence of hyperthermia, weaker sperm die, and the strongest ones may well survive, so there is still a chance for fertilization.
• After fertilization, the female body will test the embryo. If there are any complications, the immune system will reject it and the egg simply will not attach to the uterine wall. If the embryo is able to grow into the endometrium, but is unhealthy, then a spontaneous miscarriage will occur in the very early stages.
• If gestation proceeds safely, then there is no need to worry.

Doctors recommend refraining from trying to conceive if one of the spouses or both of them have undergone treatment with serious drugs. After all, many of these medications have a teratogenic effect, leading to fetal anomalies.

Planning pregnancy and colds

If you have been planning your pregnancy for a long time, then you are several times more attentive to everything. But it happens that one of the couple gets sick at the beginning of the cycle. The question arises - what to do? After all, perhaps, you will say, this was exactly the day when the conception of a child could have occurred, but you were afraid to do it because of a cold. Should you delay conception due to a cold?

It is impossible to answer unequivocally. In this situation, you need to look at the circumstances - who exactly is sick, a man or a woman; when and how he/she got sick and what treatment was prescribed. Many types of medications are not intended for a pregnant woman and can simply kill the unborn child before it even forms an embryo.

In addition, do not forget that if one of the partners gets sick, then the probability of infecting the other is very high. It is also worth thinking very seriously about whether it is worth stressing a sick person with lovemaking? Of course, the desire to have children is very important, but sometimes you need to think about it.

And, of course, if a man gets sick, a woman can “catch” the infection within a few days - the incubation period of the disease lasts up to ten days. Therefore, it may well turn out that the height of the disease will already occur in a woman at the time of conception or even after it. ARVI is a very complex disease, and its consequences are almost impossible to predict. Therefore, it is better to wait until you are both healthy and then do something about conceiving a child.

How to treat?

It also happens that the patient suspects pregnancy, lives in anticipation of a delay, but suddenly catches a cold. How to be treated, is it possible to take antibiotics, etc. It is better to seek a prescription from a specialist. Usually, if you have a runny nose in such cases, it is recommended to rinse the nasal cavity with products containing sea water, as well as instill nasal drops based on natural oils (pine, eucalyptus, etc.). Also, to eliminate congestion, hot baths for the hands are recommended; it is better to avoid steaming the legs.

Doctors also recommend:

1. If the throat is sore, gargle with herbal decoctions such as sage or chamomile, a solution with soda and salt, and also irrigate the throat with aerosol preparations such as Ingalipt or Hexoral;
2. When coughing, breathe in steam over an infusion of sage or chamomile, and also carry out inhalations with a nebulizer with mineral water or saline, take Sinekod or Stodal;
3. Take antiviral drugs like eleutherococcal tincture, rosehip tincture or syrup, Oscillococcinum, etc.;
4. You need to drink as much liquid as possible, preferably tea with lemon or cranberry juice;
5. Be sure to stay in bed if you have the flu;
6. It is better to eat lightly during the period of illness, and the room where the patient is located should be regularly ventilated.

Colds during pregnancy

Colds are most often caused by viruses:

• RNA-containing rhinoviruses - up to 40% of all colds;
• ecoviruses;
• influenza and parainfluenza viruses;
• reoviruses;
• coronaviruses;
• respiratory syncytial virus;
• adenoviruses;
• cytomegalovirus;
• enteroviruses.

Usually, after 3 days, the virus is released from the body, but leaves behind a weakened immune system, after which bacterial infections occur or viruses dormant in the body (herpes virus) are activated. Considering that the immune system in pregnant women is weakened, frequent colds during pregnancy can cause disturbances in fetal development and complications during pregnancy.

Are colds dangerous during pregnancy?

The virus in the early stages of pregnancy, especially immediately after conception (a cold in the first days of pregnancy) can cause the death of the embryo. When the formation of organs and tissues occurs, a viral cold in the first weeks of pregnancy, damaging the embryonic elements, causes various mutations in the fetus, the absence of organs (the virus especially often affects brain tissue) or malformations of organs (especially the heart). It is unrealistic to predict at what stage and in which organ the virus will cause defects, but defects can be detected during screening ultrasound examinations.

At the beginning of pregnancy, a cold is much more dangerous than in the second and third trimester, when it no longer causes gross organ defects, but functional disorders (for example, hypoxia and delayed fetal development).

But not only viruses are dangerous: bacterial infections, although they do not damage the fetus so radically, can cause intrauterine growth retardation and intrauterine infection of the fetus. And a bacterial cold at 40 weeks of pregnancy can cause bacterial sepsis, meningitis or pneumonia immediately after birth (in the neonatal period).

Cold symptoms during pregnancy

The symptoms of a cold during pregnancy are the same as in non-pregnant women: cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever - the state of pregnancy has little effect on the course of the disease. And, if a pregnant woman has a cold, special control is needed not only because of possible complications from the organs that the virus affects, but because of complications of the pregnancy itself. Therefore, only mild colds during pregnancy can be treated at home, but moderate and severe colds during pregnancy can only be treated in a hospital under the supervision of a doctor.

Treatment of colds during pregnancy is usually local and is aimed both at removing the virus from the body and at alleviating the symptoms of the disease. Antiviral drugs are not prescribed for the treatment and prevention of colds during pregnancy. Antibiotics are also contraindicated, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. But for bacterial complications, especially severe and life-threatening for the woman (bacterial pneumonia), some of them can be used, despite the risk to the child.

Local treatment of colds includes exposing areas where the virus accumulates to antiseptics in the form of rinsing solutions, tablets with local antiseptics, and sprays for local irrigation. Among the physiotherapeutic procedures, it is recommended to influence the source of inflammation using ultraviolet irradiation and nebulizer (inhalation) therapy with antiseptics. But, in addition to the bactericidal effect, the virus can be removed mechanically by washing it out from the source of infection

weak acid solutions (lemon juice, weak vinegar solution) or even simple boiled water.

You can relieve the symptoms of intoxication during a cold by drinking plenty of fluids: drinking clean water, teas (from currants, strawberry leaves) without sugar and decoctions of medicinal herbs (rosehip decoction). To relieve cough, alkaline oil inhalations are recommended, and tea with raspberries is recommended to reduce fever.

Prevention of colds during pregnancy - general strengthening exercises, good nutrition with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, avoid hypothermia and large crowds of people where you can become infected with the virus.

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