What can you do during cold season when you are pregnant? Maybe you feel like you can’t take anything because nothing has been tested on pregnant women. Or maybe you know that you shouldn’t be taking it because of the side effects. I wanted to share with you what I did when I got a cold a couple of weeks ago.

There is nothing worse than being sick, and feeling like there is nothing you can do about it because you are pregnant. This is what I have been doing to try and combat the congestion.

• First, I have been taking NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) like it is my job.
• Second, I’m diffusing the essential oil thieves constantly.
• Third, making soup with homemade bone broth.
• Finally, trying to rest as much as possible.

These are all helpful tools to boost your immune system and keep that congestion away.

NAC comes from the amino acid L-cysteine and is used as a mucus reducing agent. N-Acetyl Cysteine is important for supporting glutathione synthesis in the body, a key tripeptide that has important antioxidant roles in humans. While it is important to know what it does, the most important part is that pregnant women are able to take this supplement to fight congestion!

I am new to essential oils, but I know they can be a powerful tool. In the clinic, when we notice individuals are getting sick, we will often diffuse thieves. Thieves is a blend of highly antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-infectious essential oils. Fun fact for the day: thieves was created from research of a group of 15^th-century thieves who rubbed oils on themselves to avoid contracting the plague while they robbed the bodies of the dead and dying. You can utilize thieves a couple of different ways. First you can diffuse, like we do in the clinic and I have been starting to do at home. I just got a diffuser and am loving it; I may have already ordered a second for our bedroom. You can also dilute 1 drop of thieves with 4 drops of olive oil and rub it on your feet.

I don’t know how many of you have tried to make your own bone broth at home, but it is one of my favorite things to do. This is mainly because it is so easy and you get awesome nutrition by making your own! I just save any leftover bones from a meal in a container in my freezer. Once my container is full, I follow the instructions here to make my own bone broth in the crock pot. One difference is that I don’t put my vegetables in the cheese cloth like she does. Also, I freeze mine in glass canning jars, but make sure you learn from my mistake. Before you put them in the freezer, make sure they are completely cooled or they will break the glass!! Bone broth has so many health benefits including promoting gut and immune health. There is a reason you are told to eat chicken noodle soup when you are sick.

Finally, make sure you listen to your body and rest when you need to. I often need to remind myself of this because I can always think of 100 other things I should be doing. But your body can’t heal or get better if you don’t allow it the time to do so. And don’t forget, when you are pregnant, your body is building a baby; even when you are resting, your body is still busy at work.

I hope that this gives you a few tools to help battle that cold and congestion you have been suffering through!

 

Yours in Health & Wellness,

Dr. Jordan

 

For more information about NAC check out this link:

http://www.encognitive.com/files/NAC%20(N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine),%20Natural%20Decongestant.pdf

 

 

***Make sure you consult your medical provider before taking NAC while pregnant.