Aligned Birth

Ep 81: Immunity Boosters + Cold Remedies During Pregnancy

December 14, 2022 Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael Episode 81
Aligned Birth
Ep 81: Immunity Boosters + Cold Remedies During Pregnancy
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Show Notes Transcript

Did you know cold symptoms can be exacerbated or last longer during pregnancy?  This is because your immune system is working at a slightly lower function and your changing body may not be able to deal with cold symptoms as effectively (like chest congestion). In this episode, Doula Rachael shares a regiment to boost immunity and reduce the length and severity of cold symptoms during pregnancy.  What supplements are safe and what is safe to try at home. This episode covers it all!

Vitamin D Reference

Vitamin C Reference

Probiotics Reference

Echinacea Reference

Zinc Reference

Elderberry Reference

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Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

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Hello and welcome to the aligned birth podcast. doula Rachel here today flying solo. I am talking about preventing and treating the common cold during pregnancy. So I'm a birth doula. I'm also a childbirth educator certified through Lamaze and I work in the North Atlanta northwest Atlanta area providing support and education to birthing people for the duration of pregnancy and birth and postpartum and beyond. And I hear a lot during this time of year. People with the cold symptoms of a cold, some version of a cold something that is making them feel congested and icky, and sniffily and just not 100% And we hear from our clients a lot about what is safe, what can I take, what can I do to feel better? You know, a lot of people during pregnancy are unsure about, you know, what can I take that's over the counter, what can I do at home, what's you know, what's the deal? And so today I'm going to share with you some evidence based information about protocols for boosting your immunity to help prevent the common cold as well as reduce the severity and length of the common cold if you do end up getting it and cool fact, did you know that cold symptoms can be exasperated or lasts longer during pregnancy? I know another one of those things that during pregnancy just not cool. This is because your immune system is working at a slightly lower function and your changing body may not be able to deal with cold symptoms as effectively like chest congestion. So it can really just feel worse during pregnancy than when you get it during normal nonpregnant life. So this regimen that I'm going to go over first is basically like vitamins and supplements that you can take again to boost your immunity and reduce the severity and length of the cold if you do get it and then I'm going to go into sharing about home remedies. Some kind of like old wives tale some anecdotal stuff, but the first things that I talked about our evidence base are safe during pregnancy. But of course, as always, I'm not a doctor, I am not a midwife. So we recommend always consulting with your provider. When you are wanting to take some supplements or try some things to help feel better. This is just a general guide. So take that for what it's worth. So the first thing I want to share about is vitamin D. So adequate functional vitamin D levels are associated with a huge range of benefits. When it comes to immunity, vitamin D aids and the response of white blood cells, the body's defense towards invading pathogens, so as your little helpers and it helps to prevent infection in the first place. So because vitamin D is fat soluble, you want to look for supplements and oil drops or soft gels and with k two for Max absorption. So five to 10,000 units is what's recommended per day. And then during illness you can break this up in three to four doses during the day like throughout the day. Try and get a total of 10,000 units of vitamin D during the day. I also really like sublingual tablets that dissolve underneath your tongue. This can also help maximize absorption. Also, next is vitamin C. So vitamin C stimulates the production of white blood cells. This shortens recovery time from illness and reduces the severity of that illness. A sorbic acid is the active form of vitamin C, calcium and magnesium help in absorption. A buffered version with these ingredients is best. So what that means is that consuming calcium either through food or three supplements and magnesium helps boost the efficacy and absorption of vitamin C. So that's really important because Why spend the money and take all the time taken a supplement. It's not going to serve you So learning about how the body works and absorb certain vitamins and minerals is really important. So 250 to 500 milligrams three to four times a day during illness can help you kick that cold quickly. It can also help again, boost your immunity to prevent it in the first place. So use a lower dose if you experience bowel distress and try organic food based vitamin C which is gentler and doesn't contain any GMOs or anything like that. The next on the list. The third thing is probiotics. So balanced gut health aids and nutrient absorption and immune regulation. Probiotics are known to stimulate white blood cells and increase the communication and immune cells. preliminary research shows probiotics prevent decrease the length and symptoms of illness so preliminary research shows that probiotics prevent and decrease the length and symptoms of illness and that's what we're going for. So I have some notes here I am reading from them. So I had to reread that to make sure it made sense with all of these. I have to have it printed out. It's what I share with our clients when they're sick. And so I'm reading from my notes I apologize for the flub there but I know you guys understand. Okay, so live raw and refrigerated versions are most beneficial. Women's feminine labeled options are best for UTI and vaginal infections, a diet rich and prebiotics. So this helps the probiotic do its work is like things like onions and garlic, asparagus, things like that. And that's essential for maximum absorption of the probiotics. So to help it do its job. You want to make sure you're getting those prebiotics in and you can do that with supplement or with food like onion, garlic and asparagus and with your probiotics. You want to follow the dosing instructions on your label and you can double probiotic and take during illness again to help boost those fighters in your gut so that you kick that cold quickly. Foods with probiotics are also another great way to get it in. So you can consume something like a you know a full fat Greek yogurt, sauerkraut, fermented veggies, kefir is great and kefir is like a fermented grain and you can get like kefir water or kefir yogurt and you can do like a coconut kefir. Yogurt if you're like dairy intolerant. Kimchi as a favorite in our household. Kim treat kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used including onions and garlic and ginger which also have health benefits and those those prebiotics in them to help the probiotic do its job. You can find kimchi like in the grocery store in the produce section usually it's usually in the refrigerator section of the produce section. The next thing on the list is euthanasia. So you can Asia is the name of a group of flowering plants that are native to North America. These plants are also called coneflowers euthanasia is called is used best for short duration at the first sign of cold it mobilizes your own immune system and actually generates more helper cells. There's good evidence that it shortens the duration and severity of illness. So you can age it can be taken in like the form of herbal tea. That's a really nice way to consume it. It's soothing and warm. I'm pretty sure you can do it in capsule form and I think they have tinctures as well. I think tincture form is the biggest bang for your buck. It taste terrible that you can like put some drops under your tongue and that's going to hit your system more quickly than any other way. So one to three dropper falls two to three times a day during illness and then it's important to note that you want to discontinue once symptoms are gone. This is not a supplement like something like vitamin D or C that you take all the time. This is just to help boost that immunity when you feel a cold coming on or once it's fully established. The next thing is zinc. So zinc can shorten the duration of infection by 33% and have a direct antiviral effect. Zinc works to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation and acute infections and immune response. Wow. maintaining the integrity of mucous membranes where pathogens enter the body. So that's like your nose and your mouth and your lips keeping those areas well moisturized. And you know getting the zinc in there is going to help the those mucous membranes where pathogens enter your body stay in good shape. So zinc pika lining is a form of zinc that is easily digestible and absorbable. So 20 to 35 milligrams two to three times per day during illness is going to help you kick that cold. Let's see the last one here for the kind of the evidence based protocol for boosting immunity and


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helping kick that common cold once it once you have it is elderberry. It's an immune booster that can help speed up recovery. Elderberry has antioxidant and immune stimulating properties. Elderberry stimulates stimulates white blood cells and increases the communication in immunity sells. It can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation by 50%. You can often often find it in the natural section of your local grocery store or you can make your own fairly easily. The internet has lots of recipes when when making elderberry syrup or gummies yourself you really want to make sure and follow a recipe that's proven and has good instructions on the temperature and ways to cook it to make sure it doesn't cause intestinal upset because I think if it's not cooked properly, um It can cause like vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. And like that's why you wouldn't consume it in its raw form. So making sure you either get a commercial grade or from someone who has, you know knows how to properly prepare it or that you take the proper steps when you're preparing it yourself to ensure you get it cooked correctly. So that you don't have any adverse side effects. So the thing with syrups is to watch the sugar content on some of the gummies and syrups on the market. So you want to kind of look at the additional ingredients if you are buying from commercial places such as the grocery store or Whole Foods or sprouts or even a natural food store. Just check those extra ingredients. See what's in there. We have people in our community who make and sell really pure delicious elderberry syrup. I would look for something like that you can look like a farmer's market but again, you want to know what else is in there to try and reduce sugar intake. And again, they have gummies or syrup. Taking like a spoonful a day is helpful. I think you can take up to like three spoonfuls a day when you are sick. But again, just follow the instructions on the label. Yeah, take as directed on the label. That's what I have here. Okay, so moving in to home remedies. You know, there are this is sort of like not gonna say old wives tales, but just like through the years, we have learned that when you use these things at home or consume these things at home, then it can really reduce those symptoms and really help you feel better kick that cold. Faster. And so we have garlic, part of the onion family garlic is a powerhouse against the cold during pregnancy. In fact, one study daily consumption of a garlic supplement reduce people's chance of a cold by over 60% That's awesome for those who did get sick, garlic helps them feel better, faster. So you can consume one crushed raw garlic clove with each meal. You can smear it in raw honey for taste and added benefits because honey you know it's great it's on my list. If you're cold is a cute you can eat one crushed raw clove every two to three hours. Some people also like putting raw garlic in and socks and when you go to bed and wearing you know pulling on your sock with the garlic in your in your sock with your feet and that that helps kick the cold as well. The next on my list is apple cider vinegar. This is one of my favorite go twos. So how does it work? Apple cider vinegar alkalizes the body and most illnesses can't thrive in an alkaline environment. It also contains good bacteria to help fight off infection so when you're getting apple cider vinegar you want to make sure it has the mother that it has like the pieces of stuff in it. That's the good stuff when you're buying your apple cider vinegar. And you can mix one to two tablespoons of the ACB preferably raw ACB into water or tea and drink it three times a day. You could also just do like a quick little shot if you want to get it over with. The next one already mentioned is honey. So raw local honey is antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiseptic. You'd want to take one you can take one teaspoon three times a day. Onion, raw onion has phytochemicals that help keep the respiratory tract open, which is really helpful when you're sick. raw onion is hard I know during pregnancy just may not sound appetizing. So you know try it if it sounds good to you. Next is also one of my favorite is lemon. A known anti bacterial that's rich in vitamin C. Lemon also helps alkalize the body and what did we just learn that disease can't thrive in an alkalis body so that's going to help you fight off those those bad germs. So you can choose to lemons and add to a quart mason jar. Add Filter filtered water and one tablespoon of raw honey and a dash of sea salt for added minerals and then drink it throughout the day. I love lemon in my water it's how I start most days. Just I do half of eliminate put in my water and I drink that first thing. It really helps with digestion. And when your gut is operating optimally, that can also help you fight off illness. So lemon is great and lemon taste good. Whereas like some of these other things like onion don't taste so good lemon most people can tolerate limit so give that a shot. You also want to think about clear, unsweetened liquids. So dehydration is more of a concern for pregnant people than in non pregnant people. So being diligent about staying hydrated is important. You can make homemade lemonade drink bone broth homemade or store bought herbal teas coconut water or few fruit infused water all great ways to get in low sugar or no sugar clear liquids. Try to also avoid caffeine. This can further dehydrate you. And remember caffeine is safe 200 milligrams or less a day is known to be safe during pregnancy. But when you are sick or feeling something come on really cut back on caffeine if you are consuming it. Because that's going to promote dehydration. And when you're dehydrated, that's when you tend to feel worse. So we want to stay hydrated you can want you want to drink like minimum half your body weight in ounces of water per day but if you can get like 100% of your body weights if you weigh 100 pounds drinking 100 ounces of water when you're sick that's gonna really help you kick that cold faster. homemade chicken soup this is one of my favorites so studies prove this age old remedy still really works. So take your bone broth and cook it in a pot with onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, parsley, and diced or shredded chicken. Add sea salt for taste and a mineral boost. And boom that's it. It can be so easy. It really is I throw any veggie I have in there with some chicken bone broth them and you can sip on just the broth if you want or eat everything in there and that is going to boost your immunity and just help you feel better. It's kind of like a cozy warm meal when you're sick in the wintertime. The next here is the next and last because then I just move into a couple of helpful tips. So this is the last on the Home Remedies list. And it is warm saltwater. So in a study of just 400 people, so kind of a small study. Those who gargle three times per day were 40% less likely to have symptoms of upper respiratory infections and maybe there's other studies out there but as far as trying to find evidence based information this is a hard one. But warm salt water has many many benefits and this is like centuries old for helping you feel better so gargling saltwater also doing warm saltwater in a neti pot can really help congestion I really liked this option really moves the mucus out and then having the warm salt in there again


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helps to kick the the symptoms of a cold


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faster than when you don't use warm water. So you can gargle it or put it in any pot I also really love a warm Epsom salt bath and you can add eucalyptus for invigorating vaporizing effects. Eucalyptus essential oil is really wonderful Epsom salts warm bath and that even if it's temporary is going to just help you feel better helps with hydration helps with sore muscles. If you have like a bad cough or anything like that, it's going to help open up your airways help you breathe a little bit easier. So that might be something to try before bed to really clear things out and help you feel better. That's one of my absolute favorite things to do when I don't feel well or when my kids are sick. I the bath is a go to. You can also do a humidifier. And then you could also try eucalyptus essential oil like a vaporizing rub on your chest and then put a warm towel on on your chest and that's going to really open the airways up and help you breathe a little bit easier to clear that congestion out, open up the airways and hopefully hopefully give you some relief again, that's a really good thing to do for trying to rest so nighttime or if you're resting during the day, that's going to be really soothing and help relieve some of those symptoms of the cold. So that's it for home remedies and my favorite tips for feeling better when you have a cold. This is something we're hearing a lot of right now. We're right in the throes of cold and flu season. So hopefully you have found this information helpful. Hopefully one of these tips resonates with you and you can try it out. Definitely look at that regimen. Or consider that regimen to help keep your immunity up while you're pregnant during the winter season. As well as postpartum too. And talk with your care provider about these supplements and these home remedies if you are interested in trying them make sure they're right for you. Of course not all of these are right for everybody. Everyone has their unique medical situation and history and needs and preferences. So take what works and you can leave the rest behind but hopefully something here has resonated with you and it's going to help you feel better and hopefully keep those colds away right now. It feels like everyone around us has some degree of a sniffle or congestion and we're hearing a lot about it from our clients. So I thought I would put this together here for you. So yeah, I will link resources, studies and any additional information in the show notes thank you so much for listening today. And if you like what you're hearing, definitely subscribe if you really like what you're hearing, tap the five star review and leave a few words of what you like about the episode we so appreciate reviews. It makes a big difference in how many people like get to see our podcast and listen to it. And the more people that hear it, the more people like the more likely we get to keep doing this and we love love this podcast. We love sharing with you. And yeah, I hope you tune in next week for another brand new episode. Have a beautiful


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day.