Cold And Flu Season | My Mills Baby

Unfortunately, this has been the worst week of my pregnancy so far. Despite having a flu jab, I’ve contracted influenza. Although I can still feel my little girl kicking and hopefully enjoying the quiet solace of my belly, things on the outside have been pretty horrendous and terrifying.

It started a week ago with a case of the sniffles. Dexter was struck down first and had a few bouts of late-night / early-morning screams. As he can’t talk yet, the cause of his discomfort wasn’t immediately obvious. At first we suspected he was struggling to adjust to his new surroundings (we’ve been in our new home for just 1 week), then excessive dribbling and lots of hand-chewing pointed to some back molars coming through, but before long it became clear we were dealing with a nasty cold.

It was somewhat inevitable I’d catch whatever germs my little man has been cultivating - I’d estimate I’m swiping his nose at a rate of 3 times per hour, that’s a 36 to 1 shot per day of it coming my way. Short of buying one of those face masks and running my home like a hospital, it was a forgone conclusion. Yet on the face of it, aside from the snotty nose and grumpy temperament, Dexter seems okay. I’ve also shaken off more than my fair share of colds this pregnancy so just prepared myself for another day of Kleenex abuse. But unfortunately whatever infection he had, mutated within me and brought out one of the worst strains of flu I’ve ever experienced.

As a result, I haven’t managed to keep any food down for 52 hours, have been asleep for an average of 20 hours per day, and have passed out a few times in my en suite. It’s been epic.

At first, I tried to be as pragmatic as possible about it. I read up about contracting flu in pregnancy and knew I couldn’t get medieval on the medicine cabinet, and already knew what the healthcare professionals would advise for the first 72 hours for any flu-like symptoms - plenty of fluids, lots of sleep, manage fever etc. The first few days I even managed a five hour shift cleaning the old house, a meal out with Craig (albeit cut short around 10pm), and managed to stick to Dexter’s usual routine. In retrospect, I should have cleared my diary, organised child-care and taken it easy. But I didn’t.

The full force of the flu hit me on Saturday. I was continually sick, couldn’t muster the energy to get out of bed, and bright lights hurt my eyes. I was so congested I struggled to breathe and couldn’t clear my nose or throat for long enough to get any real respite. Even glasses of water wouldn’t stay down and I quickly became dehydrated. Yet the worst thing, by far, was that all the retching was causing my stomach to cramp. My thoughts inevitably turned to my little tenant.

Having had the doctor on speed dial, until yesterday his guidance had been as expected. But yesterday he sounded a little concerned and has sent over a bevvy of safe medication to try and shift it. Given I’m now firmly in the second trimester, he’s switched out the paracetamol and codeine for antibiotics and it seems we’ve declared war on this thing.

So now I’m laying in bed surrounded by tissues, with streaming eyes, and the laptop back light on low. During the course of typing some 700 words, I’ve been sick twice, and have had 4 bouts of cramp (each lasting around 20 seconds every 20 minutes). Hand on heart, this is the worst I’ve felt in years.

To say I’ve been frightened is an understatement. Although my doctor likened baby’s temporary home in my belly to a balloon filled with water (e.g. practically impossible to burst), the cramps have regularly taken my breath away, and I’m very conscious that baby hasn’t had any nutrients for a few days now. I’m prepared to give it a few days on this new set of medication before I get myself down to the hospital, put in my own cannula and pump some meds into me intravenously. Let’s pray it doesn’t come to that.

Stay in the warm baby girl, trust me, you don’t want to come out yet.

Not for the first time during this pregnancy, I’m ill. Last night I woke up at 1.30am, ran to the bathroom, tossed a bath towel on the cold tiles, and prepared myself for a half hour camp-out wedged between the bath and the toilet. Somehow I managed to wake up Craig and Dexter and now we’re all feeling very groggy today. I’m beginning to think that my hometown has been sent across a very dodgy batch of vaccinations as part of some strange NHS conspiracy - my Facebook timeline is full of statuses with people reporting to be ill as a result of a flu jab (I had one a month ago). I’m almost thankful that at 18 months, Dexter is just below the recommended age for a nasal vaccine.

Of course, now that I’m ill, Dexter & Craig soon will be too. As neither of them are pregnant, they can obviously raid the medicine cupboard, whereas poor old mummy has to rely on a duvet, a Kool n Sooth patch, and a box of Kleenex to shift any pesky illnesses. Here’s my must-have products and gadgets for keeping your family fighting fit during the cold and flu season (all helpfully available online at Pharmacy at Hand so you don’t have to brave the arctic temperatures to get your mitts on them!):

A Thermometer

Essential if you have a little one in the house. If they can’t talk, they can’t tell you they’re feeling under the weather, and if they can talk, they’re very prone to exaggerating or lying to get a day off school! Remember that any temperature over 37.5°C is classed as a fever and you should act immediately - keep rooms well ventilated, strip them down, and give them plenty of fluids. A child-friendly paracetamol can be used when all else fails, and don’t be shy about ringing your GP or going to A&E if you’re really concerned.

Cold & Flu Medicine

Cold & flu hot drinks (any brand) really do help. The steam will help ease congestion, and most varieties contain paracetamol so will help reduce temperatures. Unfortunately, these aren’t safe for your littlies so make sure you’ve got some infant suspension medicine at the ready too. Most brands now come with handy syringes for easy measuring and administration. They also make fun bath toys when not in use… works on Dexter anyway!

Nasal Sprays

As they are sterile, simple saline sprays are safe to use from birth. They’re great for moistening the nasal lining and unblocking the nose by thinning mucus build-up and rinsing it away. Like most medications, they can be incredibly difficult to administer however. The merest sight of these send Dexter into a blind panic.

Decongestant Oils

My mum swore by this when I was little. Just a few drops on a tissue craftily buried in your child’s pillowcase will help breakdown any snotty build-up throughout the night. You can also hide a tissue in between a vest and a sleep suit during the day for 24 hour coverage. For adults, thankfully brands such as Olbas Oil have come up other ways for us to feel the benefit such as lozenges and bullet-shaped inhalers.

Nasal Aspirators

Okay, okay so these bad boys are unpleasant - for baby and mum and dad - but they do really shift mucus from your little ones nasal passage. As babies can’t blow their noses it beats smearing snot across their cheeks!

Daily Vitamins

Prevention is always better than cure so make sure your child is getting a daily multivitamin tablet. For babies, ensure they are eating healthily and getting plenty of fruit and vegetables.

And for mummy? Well, I guess the only thing that works us pregnant folks, is tons of early nights (easier said than done if yesterday’s post is anything to go by!), lots of cuddles and kisses, Radox baths, and a good skin care regime to stop the central heating from drying out our already dehydrated skin. Note to brother / dad / mum I’m a massive fan of Skinceuticals UK if you’re looking for stocking fillers for Christmas!

PR Collaboration