Getting sick when you’re pregnant is scary business. Not only do you feel awful, but there’s also a worry that your developing baby is at risk – especially if you’re unable to keep any fluids or food down.
Pregnant women are at higher risk for illness during pregnancy because your immune system is weakened during those 40 weeks. Mother nature is a miraculous thing, and your body changes so much when you’re pregnant. When you’re expecting, your immune system becomes weakened to tolerate the unborn baby, since it is a “foreign substance.” To prevent your body from attacking your growing child, your immune system naturally takes a back seat and alters its immune responses. So you are more vulnerable to getting sick. [Read more…] about Coping with a Flu During Pregnancy
Fall and winter are absolutely my favorite seasons. There’s nothing I like better than apple picking on a lazy fall afternoon, baking apple pies during those early-to-dark evening hours and snuggling up by a soothing fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa and buttered toast in hand for the perfect wintry night. But with the arrival of these seasons, unfortunately, also comes the dreaded flu season. It’s always my fear that I’ll catch the flu and be robbed of precious fall and winter days in which I could be carving pumpkins or sledding mountains. It messes up exercise plans. It ruins your pattern of smart eating and throws you for a loop. And since pregnant women are in the “high-risk” category for catching the flu, knowing how to protect yourself is absolutely crucial in this phase of your life.