Any girl wants to know what motherhood is. The most important thing in this period is to take care of yourself. Pregnant women are much more susceptible to various diseases, so they should seriously monitor their own health. This is due to the fact that the body suppresses the immune system so that fetal rejection does not occur. At the same time, in order not to harm the baby, experienced doctors advise you to refuse to take medications. But what if the expectant mother could not protect herself and picked up any ailment? After all, most often it is almost always accompanied by a very high temperature?
First of all, you should consult a doctor. Self-medication can be dangerous to the health and life of a woman and her fetus. However, it is also necessary to have an idea of how to reduce the temperature during pregnancy in emergency situations. This will be discussed further. In this article, medication and folk methods will be examined in detail, which will allow bringing the body's thermal index to normal.
Physiological factors
Before talking about how to lower the temperature during pregnancy, let's first find out why it can rise. It is immediately worth noting that a change in thermal indicators occurs at different periods of gestation, which means that, depending on the trimester, a treatment method is also selected. As for the reasons, there can be quite a lot of them. Very often they are associated with an infectious disease or inflammatory process.
After the fertilization of the egg and its fixation on the wall of the uterus in the body of the expectant mother, global hormonal changes begin, in which the body temperature rises to an average of 37.4 degrees. Such a phenomenon is considered the norm and should not cause concern. Here, the main factor is the suppression of the immune system by the hormone progesterone, which is responsible for the preservation of the embryo.
Against the background of the fact that the protective functions of the body do not work at full strength, it becomes more vulnerable to various viruses and infections. That is why doctors advise during pregnancy to try to avoid crowded places and adhere to all the rules of personal hygiene. However, quite often, even the most stringent precautions (especially during epidemics) turn out to be ineffective and the woman still gets sick, as a result of which her thermal indices are violated. In this case, the future mother should know how to lower the temperature during pregnancy. This will be described in detail below, but for now, let's find out what external factors can be behind this.
Main reasons
In addition to the physiological characteristics of the female body, there can be many reasons for an increase in temperature.
Doctors distinguish the following:
- viral diseases;
- various pathologies of the respiratory system;
- thyroid dysfunction;
- problems with the kidneys or bladder;
- excessive tension of the uterine muscles;
- intestinal infections;
- inflammation of the placenta;
- preeclampsia;
- fetal malformations;
- malfunctions of the heart and circulatory disorders.
This is just a small list of why the future mother may be disturbed by the thermal indicators of the body. In fact, it is much wider. To be ready for any situation, every woman should have an idea of how to bring down the temperature during pregnancy. However, it is important to understand the fact that it is necessary to deal with the very cause that caused the body's response. If it is not eliminated, then no improvement will follow. It will not work out on its own, so you should not hesitate to seek qualified help at a medical institution. Too delay a trip to the doctor is not worth it. Any delay can lead to very dire consequences, since some pathologies pose a threat to the life of the mother and her baby, and can also lead to a miscarriage.
What could be the consequences?
This should stop in more detail. Lowering the temperature during pregnancy is important both to alleviate the general condition of the woman, and in order to avoid the development of various pathological processes. As mentioned earlier, after the fertilization of the egg, the body begins to rebuild globally, so the rate of 37.5 degrees is considered normal. However, if the temperature rises to 38 or higher, then it is already worth starting to sound the alarm, since this can indicate the presence of any health problems. At the same time, not only the expectant mother is suffering (her health is much worse), but also the fetus. Its normal physical development is impaired, which can be fraught with serious complications.
With prolonged exposure to high temperature on the embryo (more than 24 hours), its brain begins to suffer, and various physical defects and mental retardation develop. In this case, normal protein synthesis and the functioning of the circulatory system of the placenta are disrupted, which creates favorable conditions for a miscarriage. If a woman does not have time to figure out how to reduce the temperature during pregnancy in the late stage of gestation, premature birth can occur. As a result of this, the baby will be born prematurely, and what consequences can be expected can not be said in advance, even among doctors. There is a danger to the health of the mother. She usually has problems associated with the heart and nervous system.
What to do?
It is not always necessary to worry about how to lower the temperature during pregnancy and whether it is worth doing at all. Sometimes it can serve as a protective reaction of the body for colds. You should also consider the trimester. The immune system is suppressed by progesterone only in the early stages, therefore, if the increase in thermal indicators is insignificant (in the range from 37.3 to 37.6 degrees), then in this case no measures should be taken, since this is the norm. Another thing is if the temperature starts to get closer to 38. With this option, you should be wary and make an appointment with the doctor. He will carry out a comprehensive examination and prescribe the necessary laboratory tests, and if any problems are found, he will select the most optimal treatment program.
In the second and third trimester, progesterone is no longer produced, therefore, any deviations of standard indicators are a sign of the presence of problems of a viral, infectious or inflammatory nature. In this case, it is not enough to know how to reduce the temperature during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester, since complex treatment is almost always required. If at the same time the woman experiences severe pain in the abdominal region or her health begins to deteriorate sharply, then there may no longer be time for going to the hospital. In this case, urgent medical attention should be called immediately.
First steps
So, we came to the answer of how to bring down the temperature during pregnancy in the early stages. Most women take antipyretic drugs, but this is undesirable because they can harm the baby.
First of all, try to bring down the heat with the following tips:
- Drink as much liquid as possible. It is desirable that it be warmed up to body temperature. So the water will be absorbed faster and contribute to the effective cooling of the body.
- Ventilate the room regularly to make the room cooler. Also try to maintain a humidity level of 60-70 percent.
It should be noted that in your apartment there must be constantly fresh air. Therefore, if you are temporarily in one room, then be sure to put the other on airing. This will not only create more comfortable living conditions in the room, but also significantly reduce the number of viruses and infections in the air. How to reduce the temperature during pregnancy if none of the above methods helped? Unfortunately, medication is indispensable here. But great care should be taken here, since most of them are strictly prohibited.
Antipyretic drugs
How to choose the most effective and least safe means for the health of the future baby? So, how can you bring down the temperature during pregnancy in the early stages of a cold? Any medications should be taken only as directed by your doctor.
In addition, you need to understand the mechanism of temperature increase. If it keeps at a level of 37.5 degrees, then it is not recommended to knock it down, because at this moment the immune system is most actively fighting the virus. However, too high a temperature indicator negatively affects the development of the baby.
The most common antipyretic drugs are the following:
- "Paracetamol";
- Panadol
- Efferalgan;
- Paracet.
Expectant mothers who do not know how to reduce the temperature during pregnancy in the early stages should bear in mind that if not one of the above drugs is at hand, then it is forbidden to take Aspirin. In the first trimester, he creates a great threat of miscarriage, and in the second and third can cause internal bleeding and significantly delay the birth. In addition, there are frequent cases when this drug became the cause of fetal malformations. Do not abuse too much and "Paracetamol". It can lead to anemia.
Fighting Heat in the First Trimester
What you need to know about this? The first thirteen weeks of gestation are the most important, since it is during this time that the embryo in the mother’s body is born and begins to form. Also during this period, the hormonal background changes completely, resulting in small jumps in temperature. If there are no other symptoms that indicate the presence of any disease, then there is nothing wrong with that. But if during the measurement the mercury column of the thermometer stops at around 38 and above, then this is already very serious, so you should immediately go to the doctor’s appointment.
If at the moment you are not able to do this, then you can lower the temperature during pregnancy in the first trimester using the following drugs:
The first medicine is considered one of the best, since it has the least contraindications and negative consequences, therefore, it poses less threat to a woman and her unborn child. However, it is important to remember that no matter how safe the drug may be, pregnant women are allowed to take it only after consulting with a specialist.
It is not a problem to lower the temperature during pregnancy in the early stages, but it is extremely undesirable to do this with the use of medicines. Therefore, the mother should be as careful about her health as possible, dress warmly, try not to freeze, and avoid places with a large number of people where the probability of catching some kind of virus is very high.
How to lower the temperature in the 2nd trimester?
Gynecologists call this period of pregnancy gold, because the woman’s body is functioning normally, and the probability of getting sick is very low. But this does not mean at all that you do not need to take care of yourself and not follow all the doctor’s instructions.
If, nevertheless, any health problems arise, then you can lower the temperature during pregnancy (the second trimester provides great opportunities for such actions), you can use such antipyretic drugs:
- "Paracet";
- Nurofen
- Panadol
- Ibuprofen
Which one is best for you, only a doctor can tell based on your clinical picture. The main thing is not to self-medicate, but to immediately make an appointment with him.
What to do at high temperature in the third trimester?
This aspect should be given special attention. The question of how you can bring down the temperature during pregnancy in the later stages is very relevant, since the baby is almost ready to be born, and the upcoming birth is just around the corner. Moreover, the closer they are, the less desirable are any interventions from the external environment. The same applies to taking any medication.
According to current legislation, every pregnant woman can take maternity leave from the 30th week of gestation. It is best to take advantage of this and devote yourself completely to rest, since in the later stages women are very tired and also more susceptible to diseases than in the second trimester. Particularly high probability of catching any viral infectious disease during the epidemic. In this case, the list of permissible antipyretic drugs, with which you can reduce the temperature during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester, is very narrowed.
Nurofen is prohibited because it causes involuntary contractions of the uterus, as a result of which childbirth can begin ahead of schedule. Ibuprofen is not recommended for use. In some cases, it can lead to an increase in fetal water, which, in turn, will stretch the birth process. Doctors recommend their patients who are in the late stages of gestation, only "Paracetamol" and "Panadol", and then only in limited quantities. During this period, the expectant mother should be under continuous medical supervision.
Folk methods
It is not necessary to drink medications immediately in extreme heat. You can try to lower the temperature during pregnancy with folk remedies. First you need to provide yourself a large amount of drink. Herbal teas, such as linden, chamomile, raspberry or currant, as well as cranberry juice, are a great option. But this is permissible only in that situation, if the future mother has no problems with puffiness. Otherwise, an excess of fluid can have a negative impact on health.
Herbal decoctions are also effective antipyretic agents. Here is one good recipe: take 2 tbsp. l raspberries, 4 tbsp. l coltsfoot and 3 tbsp. l plantain. Pour all the raw materials into a glass container and pour half a liter of boiling water. After the broth has cooled, strain it through a fine sieve or cheesecloth folded into several layers to separate from the precipitate. Take a tablespoon in the morning, lunch and evening.
You can also bring down the heat with vinegar compresses and rubbing with cold water. In this way, for many centuries, our ancestors were saved, who lived at a time when medicine, as such, did not exist.
If none of the above helped to lower the temperature during pregnancy, then in this case, you must immediately call an ambulance. Further delay and self-medication can be very dangerous. This is especially true in situations where the increase in thermal performance is associated with viral or infectious diseases, as well as inflammatory processes. In this case, it will not work to bring down the temperature on your own, since complex therapy is required.
Preventive actions
Every expectant mother should know about them. In order not to get sick and not have problems with a high temperature, it is recommended to observe the following tips:
- If possible, do not go to shopping centers, municipal institutions and other places where a lot of people constantly go.
- Ventilate housing regularly.
- Upon arrival, wash your hands thoroughly and rinse your sinuses with soapy water.
- Maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
- Do light exercises in the morning.
- Take complex vitamin preparations.
- To walk outside.
- Avoid stresses, which are frequent triggers of fever.
That, in fact, is all you need to know about the temperature during pregnancy and the basic methods of dealing with it. Take care of your health, do not get sick and be happy.