Being Sick and Being Preggo...How to Deal

I just got knocked down a peg or two (or fifteen...let's be honest) with a cold over Labor Day weekend and let's just say, being sick and pregnant really sucks.  Why?  Well, there's really not a whole heckuva lot you can do for a cold while pregnant because everything is pretty much going to cause serious harm to the baby and since Tylenol is pretty much useless, you're left with...not much.  So that makes it really fun for us mamas to suffer through lots of nasal snottiness and coughing...especially when you're also looking after a 2 year old.  So what the heck are we supposed to do besides roll over and bemoan the fact that we feel like death?  Go back to nature...in a way because most of nature isn't trying to kill us or our unborn baby.

*Please keep in mind that just because something is natural doesn't mean it is necessarily safe for a pregnant woman.  There are a lot of essential oils that a pregnant woman shouldn't take so please do your research but these are all deemed safe for use while pregnant. 

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1) Eucalyptus oil...can't really say enough good things about the stuff.  It's a great anti-bacterial and good stuff nose opener.  I will also put a few drops of it into a humidifier when Selah has a cold.

2) These shower tablets are awesome.  You just pop one on the floor of your shower and when the water hits it, voila!  Awesome eucalyptus vapors get all up in your snotty face and help you to breathe better.  Or if you're more the DIY route (like I plan to do with these once I get back on my feet), you can make them yourself as seen here.

3 & 4) Ahh, the Neti Pot.  I'm not sure I can ever really get used to using one of these but if I'm really struggling in the breathing department, these bad boys will help.  They're insanely gross and I'm sorry but the photos of people using them does not accurately portray what has ever happened to me.

5) Lemon oil is another great anti-bacterial that is great for helping with a cold.  I've been using it on my lymph nodes to help drain out the some of the gunk that is hanging out in my sinuses.  Trust me, I've actually thought about shoving a garden hose up there to really get things moving on out quicker but I decided to go the more reasonable route of Lemon oil.

Will these make you miraculously better in the blink of an eye?  Probably not.  And if they do, I may want to smack ya.  But they will certainly help you as opposed to just laying around doing nothing and being more miserable and we all know that sometimes, mind over matter is a good cure too.