Sore throats – Pregnant women often have a tough time. Unfortunately, expectant mothers are sometimes also affected by sore throats during pregnancy.
Imagine it’s a beautiful morning, the sun is shining, and the first thing you see is your tummy. Almost everything is perfect, except for one annoying thing – hoarseness and a slight scratchy throat !
Some of us are luckier and enjoy our pregnancy without any problems.
But for those who aren’t so lucky, I have several tips (some of which I’ve tried myself) on how to get rid of a sore throat and the associated health problems , or how to better tolerate them.
So, what are the relevant causes and symptoms of a sore throat during pregnancy?
How can medications and home remedies help, and what do you need to consider? You can find out all this and much more here.
Causes of sore throat during pregnancy
Sore throats often accompany colds, even during pregnancy.
But there is no specific cause for this, it is more a question of how strong your immune system is, how you feel in general, what you eat, etc.
However, a common trigger is a respiratory infection.
That’s not a bad thing, it just sounds bad, but you don’t need to worry because we women are much stronger than we think, especially you as a future mom!
Most of the ailments you suffer from can be triggered by various factors, here are some of them: inflammation (tonsillitis, pharyngitis), flu, runny nose, cold, irritation of the mucous membranes, etc.
Does this sound familiar? Of course, because you’ve experienced everything mentioned before, only you weren’t pregnant.
Some things depend on your lifestyle. For example, if you’re a smoker or someone in your family smokes, because smoke can cause a sore throat.
A dust allergy can also trigger a reaction.
We sometimes show too much concern because now your body has to protect not only you but also your unborn child.
But there is no reason to panic, because no matter how dramatic it sounds, sore throats are usually harmless.
Of course, if you don’t feel well, have a fever, or experience other symptoms, it is always important to see a doctor.
Sore throat during pregnancy: Home remedies – what helps best?
Is there a secret, or better yet, a magic drink that will solve all my and your problems?
Home remedies have existed longer than medications and often prove to be a better solution, especially for colds such as soothing and treating a sore throat!
The most important ingredient in all remedies is water, water and more water!
Water is the magic drink.
When someone tells me to drink more water, it’s very healthy, the best medicine, I say, “Yeah, of course, water is great!” Even though I feel like drinking something else from time to time, I end up going back to water.
This means you should drink as much water as possible to keep your mucous membranes moist.
Today there is a wealth of alternative home remedies and here I give you an overview of helpful home remedies:
1. Teas – drink or gargle
Whether you want to drink it or gargle it, tea is an ideal hot beverage for your throat and pharynx.
To be honest, I don’t particularly like tea. At first, I had to force myself to drink tea instead of coffee, but it was worth it.
Today I have the same problem again (:D), I love coffee too much to give it up, but I still try to drink a cup of tea every day (currently I only drink organic breastfeeding tea).
Despite the beneficial treatment, you must be careful; not all teas are suitable for drinking if you have a sore throat in early pregnancy.
Here are the varieties that are best used for their anti-inflammatory effects and tips on how to make tea yourself at home:
Chamomile tea has many healing properties and relieves symptoms in a natural way (colds, nausea, insomnia).
For example, I drank chamomile tea for heartburn. I had many sleepless nights trying to relieve it with chamomile tea. It helped me a lot!
Thyme tea has an anti-inflammatory effect and is also used to treat digestive problems or acne.
It is important to note that you can drink thyme as a tea, but using it as a medicinal plant is not very advisable.
One reason you may want to avoid it temporarily is its stimulating effect, which can potentially lead to premature labor.
Fennel tea is recommended throughout pregnancy because it has expectorant and antispasmodic properties, as well as soothing stomach and intestinal discomfort. So drink it regularly!
To make it even easier for you, here is a recipe for how to prepare this tea at home:
Take a teaspoon of freshly crushed fennel pods.
Now pour 150 milliliters of boiling water over the chopped fruit, let it steep covered for 10 to 15 minutes and then strain.
You can drink 2-3 cups of fennel tea per day to avoid exceeding the recommended daily dose.
Anise tea is a valuable spice plant, and its effects can be very helpful. It’s good for coughs, bronchitis, heartburn, nausea, etc.
After you have prepared it, you can drink it twice a day, but you should not drink more than that.
Elderberry tea: Have you ever heard of elderberry? Of course! But did you know how healthy it is? I didn’t!
It sounds silly, but it’s true. Its flowers have been used since the Middle Ages, and after reading a lot about this magical plant, I can understand why.
Elderberry tea is good for relieving cold symptoms. You can drink the tea several times a day, preferably hot.
The daily dose is 10 to 15 grams of dried flowers.
Linden blossom tea: Linden blossoms are the flowers of the summer and winter linden trees and are also an effective medicinal plant that is taken for colds, coughs or inflammation of the mucous membranes.
It has a slightly calming and pain-relieving effect.
You can also drink it several times a day, possibly sweetening it with honey.
Sage tea is more for gargling: chop up fresh sage leaves, add 200 ml of water and let the mixture steep for about 15 minutes.
But you should not overdo this tea, as an overdose can lead to cramps and dizziness.
As you can see, there are so many teas out there, and you probably won’t be able to try them all, but I have a great idea for you! Organize a tea party!
Call your friends and feel like a kid again (if you hosted tea parties as a kid). It’ll be fun.
All of these teas are good for you and your child, but don’t overdo it.
There are also teas that are not recommended for you at all, or at least you can enjoy them in small quantities, because they contain caffeine (green tea, black tea), or they can stimulate contractions (raspberry leaf tea) and are therefore recommended to only drink them in the last few weeks before birth.
2. Ginger and hot lemon with honey
Ginger has disinfectant and pain-relieving properties. How can you use it to relieve your sore throat?
Cut it into small pieces and pour hot water over it. For a more delicate flavor, you can also add a bit of honey and lemon.
But don’t overdo it, as ginger has a labor-inducing effect .
Lemon and honey can also be consumed on their own. Besides tasting delicious, they also act as an immune system booster (vitamin C and zinc).
3. Potato wrap for sore throat during pregnancy
This home remedy often proves to be one of the most effective. All you need is a boiled potato, and you’re good to go!
The process is very simple: mash the boiled potato while it is still hot, wrap it in a cloth or scarf and place it around your neck.
Holding something squishy around your neck might not be my favorite tip, but as long as it helps, there’s nothing to complain about.
4. Inhale
From the second trimester onwards, you can use selected, compatible essential oils (e.g. lavender oil) for inhalation.
Beforehand, you should definitely consult your doctor or pharmacist to find out which essential oils are best for pregnant women. You can also inhale a saline solution.
There are many other tips and tricks you can try: gargling with salt water, placing a cool curd or lemon compress around your neck, sucking on sugar-free sage candies, mixing apple cider vinegar into juice or tea and drinking it, eating spicy foods (if you don’t have problems with heartburn), etc.
It depends on you what you want to try and what will help you, because something that helped me, for example, may not be the case for you.
If home remedies don’t help much, you can also try medication, but of course in consultation with your gynecologist.
Sore throat during pregnancy: medication – yes or no?
We live in a time where medications are swallowed like candy, and just as too many candies are unhealthy, the same is true of over-the-counter medications.
Do you remember how our mothers were? Did they take so many pills or other medications? My mom always says, “In my day, everything was much simpler.”
But times have changed. Medicine has made many advances, but our lives have also become much more stressful: Am I late for work? Did I forget to buy something?
Will I be able to cook lunch on time? etc. In situations like these, I’m always amazed at how we pregnant women and mothers manage to keep everything under control and enjoy life.
It’s often the case that if you have a sore throat or a headache, you automatically reach for pills.
I used to do that too, but during pregnancy I started to treat my symptoms in combination with other remedies (home remedies).
So if you have to take medication, always be careful and don’t overdo it.
Especially during pregnancy, you should not simply resort to your usual medication, but rather ask your doctor.
But sometimes you need to take medication for a sore throat. Most commonly, you take lozenges, paracetamol, and ibuprofen.
1. Painkillers: Paracetamol and Ibuprofen
This is the most recommended by doctors and you can’t go wrong with it.
You don’t need a prescription for it and it can generally be used for several complaints.
Paracetamol is a well-tolerated remedy for mild to moderate pain (including headaches and body aches) and fever, and you can use it at any stage of pregnancy.
What is also important to mention is that you can use paracetamol alongside ibuprofen while breastfeeding, so you don’t need to worry if you are breastfeeding your child.
2. Lozenges during pregnancy
What to do for a sore throat? Well, sucking lozenges makes sense!
Swallowing difficulties come and go, but one thing is certain, they disrupt our everyday lives.
Even if they taste good and you feel like you need another one, be careful, these are medicines and not regular candies.
However, not every active ingredient is suitable during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Therefore, always consult your gynecologist or pharmacist for further information.
Sore throat during pregnancy: How to strengthen the weakened immune system
The immune system is often attacked by viruses and bacteria during pregnancy.
It is much easier for viruses and the like to attack your immune system because it is primarily concerned with protecting the child.
Therefore, it’s advisable to prevent or at least alleviate a cold. But that’s easier said than done!
I’ve mentioned before that life is much more stressful these days. During pregnancy, I often felt like I couldn’t get out of bed because I had absolutely no energy.
Do you know the feeling too?
This is precisely because of weakened immunity! It’s not the only reason (for example, family genes also play a major role), but it’s a very important indicator of life.
If your immune system is weakened, you should take the following measures to strengthen it again:
1. Avoid stress: The first and, for me personally, most important thing is to avoid stress. It’s quite simple, but not entirely easy, if you know what I mean.
When I was pregnant, I experienced some very stressful situations and consulted my doctor about what medications I could take, etc.
In the end, I didn’t take anything. What helped me? My family.
They knew how sensitive and dangerous stressful situations can be for us pregnant women, and just knowing that they were with me, supporting me, and caring for me helped me the most.
Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to avoid stress completely, but you can at least try and enjoy your pregnancy with people you love and who have a positive impact on you.
2. Healthy diet: The next step is to eat a healthy diet. You should consume plenty of nutrients, especially during pregnancy.
Even if you can’t live without fast food (that was my biggest problem, no joke! I had gestational diabetes), try to eat healthier, if not for yourself, then for your child. That was my motivation, too.
3. Fresh air: I can also recommend that you get some exercise in the fresh air and be physically active, whether you just go for a walk or do some sport.
If you also manage to sleep in, then that’s a real hit! 😀
4. Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, including water and tea. You can never get enough of them!
5. Good habits: You should wash your hands regularly and ventilate your living spaces more often!
6. Laugh: Laugh as often as possible! There’s nothing better than starting the day with a dose of optimism. After all, it’s not for nothing that they say, “Laughter is the best medicine!”
7. Get enough sleep: Your body needs this recovery time to recharge. Pregnancy can be very stressful, so you need to rest every now and then.
Sore throat during pregnancy: What should you consider while breastfeeding?
The baby has arrived, everyone is overjoyed, but now another question arises: Can I take medication for my sore throat?
If so, which ones? Or are there other options?
Many doctors will tell you that it is not possible to pass the effects of a medication from mother to child and that you can continue breastfeeding without worry.
Unlike during pregnancy, sage tea is not recommended during breastfeeding . It is suspected that the plant disrupts milk flow.
In general, the treatment methods for sore throats during breastfeeding are the same as during pregnancy.
There’s not much difference. There’s something you have to pay attention to: how quickly the medications work and how strong they are.
It is best to take it immediately after breastfeeding and the effect may be reduced by the time of the next breastfeeding.
Final thoughts
So, dear mom, I hope my tips for sore throats during pregnancy will help you. Of course, it’s up to you what you want to try.
Maybe you should try one or two home remedies first.
If that doesn’t help, talk to your doctor about which medications you can take.
The most important thing, however, is that you try to avoid stress as much as possible, recover, drink plenty of fluids and enjoy your pregnancy as much as possible.
I wish you and your baby good health and lots of strength!
