Feeling a slight cold coming on...

[demoonunit]

Any recommendations for what to take to prevent a cold that is safe while pregnant? I don't feel too bad--just the beginning stages of a sore throat--but the hubby has a cold and I don't want to catch it!

[Devaskyla]

Vitamin C & Vitamin D will help your body fight off an infection.

[montessorimama1]

It's not the first time I post about organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar... It's the best thing to take when you feel a cold coming on!  It nips it right in the bud.  You have to make sure not to eat dairy (creates mucus) or sugar (feeds bacteria), and along with these diet changes take the apple cider vinegar and voila!!  Just mix one tablespoon of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar in one glass of water and drink this three times a day until you feel better.  It works, guaranteed!

Feel better soon!

[Alenushka]

There is really no conclusive study on dairy. and if sugar feeds bacteria, you need to stop eating many many things. Sugars, in one form or another, are in many foods we eat. Nothing really specifically feeds bacteria.

If you truly believe in something, it most likely to work because of the placebo effect.  Apple Cider vinegar helps the sore throat feel better . I have not come across any study that conlusvely prooves that it helps with colds.

The best cold prevention is basic hygene. Wash your hands a lot. If someone is sick int eh hosue, do not sleep in same room with them. Make the people with cougth wear a mask, and whip door knobs etc with Lysol.

[montessorimama1]

Originally Posted by Alenushka 

There is really no conclusive study on dairy. and if sugar feeds bacteria, you need to stop eating many many things. Sugars, in one form or another, are in many foods we eat. Nothing really specifically feeds bacteria.

If you truly believe in something, it most likely to work because of the placebo effect.  Apple Cider vinegar helps the sore throat feel better . I have not come across any study that conlusvely prooves that it helps with colds.

The best cold prevention is basic hygene. Wash your hands a lot. If someone is sick int eh hosue, do not sleep in same room with them. Make the people with cougth wear a mask, and whip door knobs etc with Lysol.

Please, by all means, continue to consume dairy products if they are not harmful to you.  But keep in mind that there are many people for whom dairy creates excess mucus.  Even Dr. Sears has said that dairy products are harmful and are a leading cause of ear infections in children.  If you have sinus issues, remove dairy, and the sinus issues go away, it doesn't take a federally funded study to help you realize that dairy was the culprit.  It doesn't hurt to reduce dairy intake when you feel a cold coming on.

As for refined sugar, it's not healthy to eat it.  Period.  Sugar reduces the responsiveness of a certain type of white blood cell called neutrophils.  There's a wonderful book out there called "Sugar Blues" that can help you to understand the impact of sugar consumption on your body.  Sure, I and most everyone else eats some sugar once in a while, but if you feel a cold coming on, don't you want to give your body every fighting chance it has to beat the cold without medications that will have negative side effects and/or just mask the symptoms?  And yes, like you say: "you need to stop eating many many things" because sadly nowadays most processed foods have refined sugar.  But isn't your health and the health of your child worth reducing your sugar intake and eating more whole foods? 

I agree that basic hygiene is important, but if you have a strong immune system - one NOT burdened by poisons such as pasteurized dairy products and refined sugar - then someone coughing in your face will not affect you.  I should know: I was a pre-school teacher and had several children sick most of the year.  I caught one cold all year, even though I had children sneezing and coughing in my face all year long.  Why?  Because I have a strong immune system.  Why?  Because I consume very small amounts of dairy and sugar, and none whatsoever when I feel like I'm getting sick. 

Don't knock apple cider vinegar till you've tried it... Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used to prescribe it to cure everything from colds to burns to acid reflux.  My mother - a respected traditional Chinese medicine practitioner - has used it to heal burns, sore throats, and many other ailments.  It alkalizes the blood so that your immune system is strengthened.  Millions of people around the world swear by it, but of course it doesn't get any mainstream press like drugs do because the drug companies can't patent it and therefore can't make any money off of it.  Also, it's preventative, which as we know is not good for the business of selling drugs once people get sick.

As for Lysol... It contains dioxins.  Which cause cancer and a host of other charming side effects.  I wouldn't spray Lysol near my worst enemy.

Some might choose to spray Lysol and hand out masks... As for me, I'll sip my vinegar drink and enjoy its health benefits without long-lasting negative repercussions on others and on the planet.  Bottoms up!

[waluso]

Montessorimama1 - I wish there was a like button on here because you said much of what I was thinking

[HardCoreMom]

there is!  click the thumbs up at the bottom of her post.  :)

[moonSnail]

montessorimama....GO, mama, GO!!

[Alenushka]

So, I practice separation of the sick person in my house and very vigorous hand washing policies. So, while all my Airborn , zinc and apple cider consuming friends have colds and stomach flu go thought their families like wildfire, we usually manage to isolate to one person. Bleach works too if you hate Lysol.

I work in the hospital, the ultimate germ pool. I take no unproven supplements. I work out a lot, I eat my veggies and I bake dessert with my kids....I love milk in my coffee and yogurt for for lunch.

I get one cold every other year.

All those immune stregthening portions are total BS sold my money hungry "natural company" that often have Big Pharma behind them . They make tons of money on selling things that are not FDA approved without spending any R&D money.

I think the Airborne and Zinc debacle would make people think a little bit more about the bag of goods sold to them on the regular basis.   "Father of Modern Medicine" believes in dark humors and cow dung as contraception. So, not I am not going to follow his outdated teaching. 

Yes, Apple Cider Vinegar make sore throat feel better, now show me one double blind randomized study proving that Apple Cider Vinegar strengthens immune system. (Whatever it mean, if you ask most of the people what that means, they can;t give you a coherent answer)

Placebo effect is wonderful thing. If a remedy works and one has not side effects (like using the sense of smell from zinc ), it is a great thing! I say, go for it.

[Devaskyla]

Alenushka, are you even a member of this due date club?

[AfricanQueen99]

^^^ Does it even matter? This is a public board and everybody can post.

OP - I hope you don't get it too bad. I'd agree with more hand washing while your partner is sick (for both of you) and keep up your quality diet.

[Conchobhar]

Originally Posted by AfricanQueen99 

^^^ Does it even matter? This is a public board and everybody can post.
 

Agreed.

[demoonunit]

Thank you so much for the thoughtful posts! I have a whole jar of Braggs apple cider vinegar leftover from when I had morning sickness. The Braggs didn't help with morning sickness, but maybe it will with this little cold. I'll keep you updated. ;)

[L'lee]

Thanks for the detailed post, montessorimama!

Do any of you know if Umcka is OK for pregnancy/BFing? I've had pretty good luck using that when I feel like I'm coming down with something.

I have also heard that airborne is useless. I didn't think that about zinc, though, I'll have to look into that.

Personally, whether there have been studies or not, based on my philosophy of the less chemical intervention the better, I'd rather try braggs in water (which I'd drink ANYways because I like how it tastes) than to spray nasty chemicals like lysol, or even bleach. Nothing against you, Alenushka! I just prefer to treat my home as a healthy place, not as a dirty place like a hospital! As for the placebo effect - if it works, it doesn't really matter, does it? I think that there is a lack of interest in (double-blind or other methods of) studying things like "does Braggs apple cider vinegar help fight off infection?" because who would want to fund it? Braggs has lots of fans whether or not there are studies and big pharma has no interest in finding out that maybe ACV DOES work, kwim? I love science and appreciate the things it has helped us to learn about, but there are very serious limitations when there are conflicts of interest and funding issues.

I *have* seen a study that even a tsp of sugar can suppress the immune system, however, so that is not BS, and it is well known to professional and recreational singers that dairy creates mucus. (I find any argument that humans should drink the milk of another animal to be questionable, even though I choose to eat dairy products myself.)

[demoonunit]

I tried the Braggs apple cider vinegar with water last night, and while I don't really mind the taste, it made me very sick to my stomach. Not sure if it's the baby that doesn't like it, but it's the second time it made me feel awful since I've been pregnant, so I'm gonna hold off on it until after the baby comes. Luckily, I'm still not sick--just that sore throat in the morning--so maybe the prenatal vitamins and orange juice are working! Here's hoping!

[montessorimama1]

Originally Posted by demoonunit 

I tried the Braggs apple cider vinegar with water last night, and while I don't really mind the taste, it made me very sick to my stomach. Not sure if it's the baby that doesn't like it, but it's the second time it made me feel awful since I've been pregnant, so I'm gonna hold off on it until after the baby comes. Luckily, I'm still not sick--just that sore throat in the morning--so maybe the prenatal vitamins and orange juice are working! Here's hoping!

Good idea... It's never made me feel anything but great, and I know many many people who swear by it, but we're all different and especially during pregnancy you gotta go with what your body is telling you, right?  (Sadly, my body is still telling me it hates chocolate, but that's a different story, haha).  I'm glad you're feeling better!  Gargle with salt water to make the sore throat go away... and keep up the vitamins!  :)
 

[demoonunit]

I can't do ice cream since I've gotten pregnant! So strange! And thanks for the well wishes.
 

Originally Posted by montessorimama1 

 (Sadly, my body is still telling me it hates chocolate, but that's a different story, haha).