How to boost immunity during pregnancy: advice for expectant mothers

Just two such tiny stripes on the test - and what a big change in life! Ahead are nine long months of gestation, several hours of hard work and a long-awaited meeting with your baby. Both pregnancy and childbirth are the most crucial periods in a woman’s life. Your task, as a caring mother and responsible person, is to make sure that your baby receives the nutrients he needs in full, develops fully within you, and grows up healthy. And you can’t do without a strong immune system in such an important matter.

Causes of decreased immunity

Hormonal imbalance. After fertilization of the egg, the body is rebuilt and physiological changes occur. In this regard, weakness, nausea, dizziness and weakened immunity are observed.
Poor nutrition and lifestyle. If you previously devoured fried potatoes, smoked chicken and processed foods, did not give up alcoholic beverages, and did not exercise, it is not surprising that your immunity has weakened.
Stress and bad mood. During pregnancy, mood swings become a common occurrence in women, and especially impressionable ladies also constantly worry about the health of the baby and stress themselves out. The cause of stress is also a change in your daily routine, when you want to sleep more and more, but work and household chores do not allow you to do this.
Disruption of the digestive system (after all, it is in the intestines that the eternal struggle between “good” and “evil” microflora takes place, and the health of the whole organism largely depends on its normal functioning).
Lack of regular physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, and insufficient oxygen supply to the body.
Poor environmental situation, living in large noisy cities.
Lack of vitamins and microelements, vitamin deficiencies.

The first signs of a healthy immune system are a feeling of vigor and sound, healthy sleep.

Why does immunity decrease during pregnancy?

Human immunity is the physiological ability of the body to resist foreign infectious and bacterial factors coming from outside.

According to experts, a woman’s immunity during pregnancy decreases due to the negative influence of the following reasons:

anxiety;
depression;
chronic stress;
prescription of antibiotics;
unfavorable environmental situation;
unfavorable living and working conditions;
tendency to allergies.

There are several main stages of pregnancy, which are classified depending on the vulnerability of the woman's immune system.

The first stage lasts from 6 to 8 weeks after conception. During this period, the expectant mother’s body adapts to the new status, while a colossal amount of hormones are released into the blood - biologically active substances that reduce the woman’s immune defense.

The second stage occurs at 20–28 weeks of gestation. At this time, the development of the fetus is in full swing, and therefore the body’s resources are maximally wasted on this difficult process.

Also, weakened immunity can occur due to the unstable state of a woman’s hormonal levels. Changes in the hormonal system develop already at the stage of fertilization of the egg.

From this moment, intensive production of the chorionic pregnancy hormone begins, which causes characteristic changes in the woman’s well-being. Against this background, the body’s defenses are weakened. Read more: HCG during pregnancy→

Poor or insufficient nutrition can also lead to a weakened immune system. In this case, the woman’s body will receive few nutrients, which during pregnancy are needed not only by her, but also by her unborn child.

As a result, the fetus takes from the mother’s body the substances necessary for its development, weakening the mother’s immunity.

Ways to boost immunity

Do not contact sick people and do not get hypothermic. Do not walk on the street for a long time, avoid crowded places. It is better to send close relatives to the store. If your financial situation allows, you should also refuse public transport services; travel by private car or taxi. This is especially true during the cold season.
Take regular walks in the fresh air. Get out of town more often.
Lubricate the nasal mucosa with oxolinic ointment 3-4 times a day.
Cleanliness in the apartment comes first. It is advisable to wipe the dust 2-3 times a week, and carry out general cleaning at least once every two weeks. If in the later stages of pregnancy such a task seems overwhelming to you, involve members of your household. The apartment should be ventilated several times a day. Use an air ionizer or a Chizhevsky lamp, which purifies the air of bacteria.
Don't neglect physical exercise. Exercising in the morning to keep your muscles toned will be quite enough. In addition, there are exercises for pregnant women to prepare the body for childbirth and facilitate this process. The classes are aimed at increasing the flexibility of the pelvic joints and stretching the muscles of the thigh.
Toughen up. This should be done gradually, starting with rubbing with a towel dipped in cool water. Then you can switch to a contrast shower (you need to start with water at room temperature, gradually moving to lower temperatures).
Visiting doctors is only with the permission of your treating specialist. Therefore, before you run for the next flu shot, x-ray, massage and other procedures, consult a gynecologist; perhaps, in your situation, this will be strictly contraindicated. For example, the flu vaccine can cause complications, you need to know about them in advance in order to make the right decision: to vaccinate or not to vaccinate.
During pregnancy, drink a lot of liquid , but remember that ordinary water causes swelling, combine it with compotes, juices and decoctions with raspberries, mint, rose hips, ginger, fireweed. Of course, you need to give up bad habits.
Personal hygiene will never be superfluous. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap after walking and touching public objects. On the street, where there is no water and soap, use napkins and antiseptic gel.
Gargle with a decoction of chamomile, calendula or a solution of soda twice a day.
The main criterion for the health of a future mother is good mood , lack of stress and wonderful sleep. Therefore, do not worry in vain, find a new hobby for yourself or devote yourself to a favorite activity for which you previously did not have enough time. Watch good movies, listen to pleasant music, chat with friends, sleep more.

Ten minutes of laughter are equal to a course of taking an expensive vitamin complex, so look for reasons for joy everywhere and have fun from the heart - in this case, not only your mood, but also your immune status improves.

What temperature is normal during pregnancy?

A temperature ranging from 37° to 37.4° is not necessarily a sign of a cold or infectious disease. In the absence of a runny nose, cough, sore throat, or body aches, there is no particular cause for concern. This temperature is quite natural in the early stages of pregnancy. The reason for this condition may be:

increased production of progesterone, a hormone that affects thermoregulation processes;
decreased immunity;
acceleration of metabolism.

So if you feel good overall, don't worry. After a few weeks, the body will adapt to the changes occurring in it, and temperature indicators will gradually return to normal.

Healthy eating

Be sure to add as many fruits and juices to your diet as possible. If you are not sure about the freshness of the purchased goods, put them in a trash bag. Avoid eating foods that cause stomach upset: chips, fast food, mushrooms, overly fried meat. This is a heavy food that requires enormous effort from the digestive system to assimilate, and such food does not contain any beneficial vitamins and minerals.

To maintain immunity, expectant mothers are advised to regularly consume foods rich in dietary fiber - prebiotics: fruits, vegetables, especially bananas, garlic and onions. Prebiotics are found in asparagus, beans, chicory, and figs.

A strong argument in favor of including onions and garlic in the diet: these products contain not only prebiotics, but also phytoncides - biologically active substances that kill or inhibit the growth and development of bacteria. Another option for using the beneficial properties of garlic: cut several cloves into small pieces, place them on saucers and place them throughout the apartment. Thus, phytoncides will be able to actively demonstrate their protective properties.

Consume beetroot and pomegranate juice, apples with seeds, pumpkin, and carrots. Regular buckwheat is also suitable for strengthening the immune system. Eat porridge with it or prepare an unusual dessert using a simple recipe: rinse, heat in a frying pan and grind buckwheat in a coffee grinder. Mix with powdered sugar. Take one teaspoon before meals.

Liver, meat and fish are undoubtedly very healthy, but they pose a serious burden to the digestive system of a pregnant woman; try to exclude them from the evening meal. But you should definitely include prunes, figs and dried apricots in your diet; they help normalize intestinal function and relieve constipation.

Folic acid, which is found in greens, beans and avocados, plays a huge role during pregnancy. Eat spices from the garden only in moderation, especially parsley, which stimulates blood circulation in the pelvic organs; this is harmful for expectant mothers. Peanuts and chocolate should be strictly prohibited; they can cause allergies. Citrus fruits, which effectively boost immunity, should be consumed in small quantities.

Take more vitamins, especially vitamin C, zinc, selenium.

What conditions during pregnancy should be considered normal?

Any pregnancy is associated with ailments. Among them, the normal ones are:

emotional instability, anxiety, irritability, apathy;
periods of moderate weakness and lethargy, slight dizziness;
changes in food preferences, strong appetite with episodes of nausea, which can be caused by odors;
an increase in weight and body size, a shift in the center of gravity and a changed sense of self;
sweating, drowsiness, increased fatigue;
bleeding gums - during pregnancy they become weakened and easily inflamed;
thrush, which occurs during pregnancy due to changes in hormonal status and requires treatment;
heartburn - due to hormonal shifts, the valve at the entrance to the stomach relaxes, and gastric juice enters the esophagus;
interrupted sleep and the need to go to the toilet frequently.

The feeling of hunger, especially in the early stages, can spoil the mood of the expectant mother. Pregnant women are advised to always have a bottle of water and a light snack with them, such as fruit purees for children and Agusha curds. They contain beneficial minerals, dietary fiber, protein and calcium.

All of the above symptoms, although they may cause alarm, relate to natural conditions that accompany the process of bearing a child on a physical level. Physiology, chemistry and body dynamics change, and the expectant mother may mistake these changes for symptoms that something is wrong.

While expecting a child, a woman needs to listen to herself and her well-being, but she should remain calm. It is difficult to miss the real signs of a problematic pregnancy - bleeding, fainting and unsatisfactory results of blood and urine tests, severe headache, increased blood pressure, repeated vomiting, swelling, pain in the lower abdomen (usually of a pulling nature). The appearance of these symptoms is a reason to immediately consult a doctor.

During pregnancy, depressive and psychotic disorders develop in some cases. They may be a reaction to fear of change or to the family, economic, social situation in which the expectant mother finds herself. These cases are quite rare - according to doctors’ observations, pregnancy has a beneficial effect on a woman’s mental state if she previously had any complaints about her mood. In case of exacerbation, you need to contact a psychiatrist and psychotherapist.

Vitamins and drugs

Any medications should be taken with extreme caution. But taking vitamins will not be superfluous, since the body cannot get the entire range of nutrients from food: a supplement is required. A whole range of various vitamins is produced for pregnant women. Before using it, you should ask your doctor for advice; maybe you don’t need any medications, your immunity is already fine.

Important: before taking immunostimulating and other drugs, consult your doctor! During pregnancy, we do not recommend taking herbal preparations to support immunity. Plant immune stimulants (echinacea, eleutherococcus, ginseng, aralia) have a mechanism of action on the immune system that has not been fully studied by science, including during pregnancy. In addition, allergic reactions and increased blood pressure cannot be ruled out.

There are several of the most popular vitamin and mineral products on the market:

Elevit. Contains a loading dose of magnesium and does not contain iodine.
Pregnavit. A very popular complex containing a huge list of microelements.
Alphabet. A unique complex of its kind, different vitamins are divided into tablets of different colors. You can take any microelement, if you wish, refuse the vitamin, which you already receive in excess. Particularly convenient for women prone to allergies: you can always refuse any element.
Vitrum Prenatal. Another drug that does not contain iodine. But there is iron in huge quantities, which is useful for girls with anemia, as well as folic acid.
Completing Mom. This complex is suitable for women who feel good, eat right, take care of their health, and take vitamin tablets only as a safety net.
Centrum Materna. The drug contains iodine, folic acid, vitamins A and B in increased quantities. Not recommended for allergy sufferers; a doctor's prescription is required.
Multi-tabs Prenetal. This is a basic vitamin complex for pregnant women.
Femibion. European product containing magnesium, vitamins B and C.
Amway. Tablets with different vitamins differ in color; the drug is controversial because it is not sold in a pharmacy, but is ordered from a catalog from a company representative. On the other hand, reviews from pregnant women indicate the effectiveness of the product and the absence of harm.
Emfetal. A new product on the Russian market that women are still afraid to buy.
Pregnacaea. Inexpensive vitamins that contain the whole range of useful substances. It's new to the market, so the opinion is still mixed.

Despite the wide range of vitamin complexes, remember the need for medical advice . If it’s summer, you lead a healthy lifestyle, your city has a good environment, and colds are infrequent guests in the house, you shouldn’t even start taking medications.

Health care

When should you see a doctor for help, and when can you treat illnesses at home? In an interesting situation, even a slight increase in body temperature and the first symptoms of ARVI indicate the need for urgent consultation. It is not advisable to take any pills without a doctor’s prescription, since most modern medications are strictly contraindicated in the first trimester. It’s up to you to call a doctor or go to the clinic; when choosing the second option, remember about the gauze bandage, because the medical facility is full of sick people.

As you can see, the ways to maintain and strengthen the immune system are very simple, and the advice can be followed without difficulty. The main thing during pregnancy is a great mood, long rest, healthy eating and a gentle daily routine, then you will feel wonderful, and the baby will tell you a huge “Thank you”