What should you know about cold and fever during pregnancy?

A common cold can cause a runny or blocked nose, sore throat, cough, tiredness, and a mild feeling of unwellness. Fever is a raised body temperature and can accompany infections that need different evaluation, including COVID-19, acute bronchitis, or other illnesses. It may also occur with conditions such as cellulitis, chickenpox, or brucellosis, depending on the symptoms and exposure history. Pregnancy changes immune and circulation responses, so tell your maternity team or clinician about a fever rather than assuming it is part of a cold.

Check your temperature with a reliable thermometer, rest, drink fluids, and avoid overheating. Use simple measures such as saline nasal spray for congestion. Speak with a pharmacist, midwife, or doctor before taking cold remedies, pain medicines, herbal products, or decongestants; pregnancy can change which ingredients are suitable. Do not combine products without checking their ingredients. Reduce close contact with people who are unwell and wash your hands often.

Contact your maternity or medical service promptly for fever, worsening cough, breathing difficulty, chest pain, dehydration, confusion, a new rash, painful urination, or severe weakness. Seek urgent help for severe breathlessness, fainting, blue lips, or inability to keep fluids down. Mention reduced fetal movement, abdominal pain, contractions, or fluid loss immediately to the maternity team.

Ask what temperature or symptom should trigger a same-day call, which medicines and doses are suitable for your pregnancy, and whether testing for COVID-19 or another infection is needed. Share your gestational stage, medical conditions, medicines, allergies, and recent exposures.