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Training for Baby: Super cold

I am knocking on the door of my third trimester; coincidentally at the same time my baby is knocking on my bladder. At this stage, I am starting to discover things I really didn't know about being pregnant - like getting sick and staying that way.

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Kathy Hanrahan with Elmo and Super Grover
By
Kathy Hanrahan

I am knocking on the door of my third trimester; coincidentally at the same time my baby is knocking on my bladder.

I never knew babies could kick your bladder like that. I always thought they just beat your stomach and rib area. But I’ve got a very active child in there and apparently he loves to move those limbs. A good sign, from what I hear.

At this stage, I am starting to discover things I really didn’t know about being pregnant - like getting sick and staying that way.

I got sick last week. Within two days, a run of the mill scratchy throat turned into a fever-filled illness with swollen glands and a sore throat. I haven’t felt that terrible since I had mono freshman year of high school.

Since I was feeling awful, I called my regular docs, who referred me back to my OB.

Seriously? My OB?

Sometimes I wonder if they know what they are doing with the other end of my body, and now they wanted me to go see them about my severe sore throat and fever?

Oh well, I thought, maybe they can help me.

After telling the nurse three times about my fever, she finally decided to put it on the chart and then take my temperature. I had fever. Not much of a shock there.

A throat culture soon revealed no infection.

It is a cold, the doc said.

A cold?

How could a cold make me feel this awful?

Apparently, when you get pregnant, your comprised immune system means it could take weeks to recover from something like a cold.

By the weekend, I was coughing and had no voice.

I am still struggling to get my voice back from this super cold.

My mommy friends say they went through the same thing while pregnant. Apparently illnesses just take a lot longer to get over when you are pregnant.

So, I am resigned to a week or more of Tylenol severe cold.

Did any of you get sick like this while pregnant? Do you have any home remedies that help with sinuses and coughing?

The only home remedy for a sore throat that I found was eating Lemonheads. They help produce more saliva and soothe your throat.

Kathy is editor of WRAL.com's Out & About section. Learn more about Kathy on her website. Last year, here on Go Ask Mom, Kathy chronicled her efforts to lose weight before she and her husband started a family. Now, due with her first baby this fall, she's writing about her pregnancy. Find her here on Wednesdays twice a month on Go Ask Mom.

 

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