Yes, getting sick while pregnant is common, and for most women it’s a manageable nuisance rather than a serious problem. Your immune system deliberately dials itself down during pregnancy to avoid attacking the developing baby, which means your body doesn’t fight off viruses and bacteria as effectively as it normally would. Colds, stomach bugs, and urinary tract infections are all more likely to show up during these nine months.
Why Pregnancy Makes You More Vulnerable
Your immune system isn’t broken during pregnancy. It’s making a calculated trade-off. To protect the fetus, which carries half its genetic material from someone else, your body shifts toward a more tolerant immune state. This affects nearly every layer of defense you have.
White blood cells called neutrophils, your first responders against infection, show reduced ability to kill pathogens during pregnancy. Monocytes, another type of immune cell, become more anti-inflammatory and produce fewer of the signaling molecules that normally ramp up your defenses. Your lymphocytes, the cells responsible for targeted immune attacks, multiply less readily when exposed to threats. Even your antibodies change: modifications to their structure reduce their ability to recruit natural killer cells, weakening one of your body’s key tools for clearing infected cells.
The shift also changes the balance of your immune signaling. Your body produces less of the compounds that drive aggressive immune responses and more of the ones that calm inflammation. This is protective for the pregnancy but leaves you more open to respiratory infections, gastrointestinal bugs, and urinary tract issues.
The Most Common Infections During Pregnancy
Respiratory infections top the list. Seasonal flu attack rates in pregnant populations run between 9% and 11%, and the risk of catching influenza sits around 0.7% to 0.9% per month during flu season. Common colds are even more frequent. The range of respiratory tract infections reported across studies varies widely, from less than 1% to as high as 44% of pregnancies, depending on the season and the population studied.
Urinary tract infections affect roughly 8% of all pregnancies, making them one of the most common complications. The growing uterus puts pressure on the bladder and ureters, slowing urine flow and giving bacteria more time to multiply. Many of these infections start without symptoms, which is why urine screening is a routine part of prenatal care. Left untreated, a simple bladder infection can progress to a kidney infection, which carries risks of preterm delivery and low birth weight.
Stomach bugs, sinus infections, and ear infections round out the usual suspects. None of these are unusual during pregnancy, and most resolve on their own or with basic treatment.
What You Can Safely Take
Your options for over-the-counter relief are narrower during pregnancy, but you’re not stuck suffering through every symptom. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) remains the go-to for pain and fever. It has decades of widespread use in pregnancy with very few documented adverse effects.
For cold symptoms, chlorpheniramine (found in Chlor-Trimeton) is a well-studied antihistamine option. Dextromethorphan, the cough suppressant in many over-the-counter cough syrups, also appears safe. Oral decongestants like pseudoephedrine are generally best avoided in the first trimester due to a possible link with certain birth defects, though they may be reasonable later in pregnancy when other options haven’t helped.
Guaifenesin, the active ingredient in many expectorants, has been associated with a small increased risk of neural tube defects when used during the first trimester alongside a fever. If you’re running a fever in early pregnancy, treating the fever itself with acetaminophen is the priority.
When an Illness Becomes Concerning
Most colds and mild stomach bugs pass without harming you or your baby. But pregnancy raises the stakes for certain infections, and there are clear signals that something needs immediate attention.
A fever of 100.4°F or higher warrants a call to your provider. Sustained high temperatures, especially in the first trimester, can affect fetal development, so bringing a fever down promptly matters more than it would outside of pregnancy. Severe nausea and vomiting that prevents you from keeping fluids down for more than eight hours is another red flag, since dehydration during pregnancy can reduce blood flow to the placenta and trigger contractions.
The CDC identifies several urgent warning signs that apply whether you’re sick or not:
- Trouble breathing: sudden shortness of breath, chest tightness, or difficulty breathing while lying down
- Severe belly pain: sharp or cramp-like pain that doesn’t go away
- Decreased fetal movement: a noticeable drop in your baby’s kicks or rolls
- Vision changes: flashes of light, blurry vision, or blind spots
- Extreme swelling: swelling of the hands or face severe enough to make it hard to bend your fingers or open your eyes
- Overwhelming fatigue: sudden, extreme tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest
These symptoms can signal complications like preeclampsia or sepsis, not just a bad cold. If you experience any of them while fighting an illness, seek care right away rather than assuming the infection is to blame.
Vaccines That Protect You and Your Baby
Four vaccines are currently recommended during pregnancy: flu, COVID-19, Tdap (which protects against whooping cough), and RSV. Getting vaccinated doesn’t just lower your own risk. Protective antibodies cross the placenta and shield your newborn during the first months of life, before the baby is old enough to be vaccinated.
This matters especially for flu and COVID-19, since babies can’t receive those vaccines until six months of age. Pregnant women with influenza face higher rates of serious complications, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and in rare cases, pregnancy loss. Flu and COVID-19 vaccines can be given in any trimester, ideally as early in the respiratory illness season as possible. The Tdap vaccine is recommended between 27 and 36 weeks of each pregnancy.
Safety data on these vaccines in pregnancy is robust. Studies consistently show no evidence of adverse fetal effects from inactivated virus vaccines, mRNA vaccines, bacterial vaccines, or toxoids used during pregnancy.
Practical Ways to Lower Your Risk
Hand washing remains the single most effective way to avoid picking up a virus. This sounds obvious, but the payoff is larger during pregnancy because your immune system is less equipped to handle what gets through. Avoiding close contact with people who are actively sick, staying on top of sleep, and keeping well-hydrated all help your body maintain whatever defenses it can.
If you do get sick, rest and fluids are the foundation of recovery for most common illnesses. Clear broth, electrolyte drinks, and small frequent meals can help if nausea is involved. A cool-mist humidifier can ease congestion without medication. And if symptoms linger past a week or worsen instead of improving, that’s a reasonable time to check in with your provider rather than toughing it out.