I Got Covid (While Pregnant). Here’s What I Did.

Yep… it happened. Laura shares her covid symptoms, how she felt emotionally, and what she did, including the supplements she took.

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Links Mentioned

New Mama Nation Community FB Group

Transcript

You’re listening to The Love & Lettuce Podcast, episode number 22. Today I’m talking to you about the fact that I got Covid. Yep… while pregnant, of all times. So I’m going to tell you how I felt about that covid diagnosis and also a little bit about what I did, so stick around.

Hey, this is Laura Lima, holistic nutritionist and founder of New Mama Nation, and host of The Love & Lettuce Podcast. I am here to help mamas know what to eat to give them energy and help them feel fantastic, so they can better enjoy life with their littles. And remember, this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice from your healthcare provider, and is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. As always, please consult your healthcare provider to find out what is right for you. With that said, let’s get to the show!

Before we dive into today’s topic, I want to let you know about my natural mamahood community over on Facebook. It’s called the New Mama Nation Community, and you can find it by searching for “new mama nation” under “groups”. And you can request to join, and I will accept you, mama, oh yes, I will. It’s a free Facebook group where I post nutrition information and tips, recipes, polls, and other fun stuff. Other mamas in the group post as well, and we answer one another’s questions, we support each other… it’s just all around a fun and supportive group to be a part of, and a must if you’re a new or newish mama, if I do say so myself. And I do! So come and join us over on Facebook at the New Mama Nation Community.

Yeah, so I got covid… or I should say, I took a rapid test, and I was like… what?!

Are you kidding me right now? Covid? I thought, like, I was only doing the test, just in case. I haven’t done many over the past couple years when this pandemic has been around, but I decided for some reason to do it that day.

So I took the test on a Tuesday, and on the previous Saturday, so for a few days before I knew anything, I was so tired. Like, we’re talking first trimester tiredness. In fact, Miguel, my husband, said, no, you were more tired than that. I was like, I don’t know, first trimester tiredness is a real thing! But I would sleep, like, 10 hours at night, and then still feel the need to nap during Maggie’s nap. And then when I woke up from that nap, I would be like, you guys, I’m still tired! What is going on?

So I’m thinking, well, I have a cold. My girls had a cold at the time, and my mom had had a cold for a couple of weeks before that. So I thought okay, well, I’m the last one to get it. Here we go. But then on the Tuesday, so a few days later, I was still tired, but feeling a little bit better. But for some reason… okay, so I say I felt a little bit better. I did that day, but then in the afternoon, I was kind of starting to go downhill. And I was like, you know what, I’m just going to take a test because then I can say, well, at least it’s not covid, right? Like, at least I don’t have covid.

So then I took the rapid test. And I’m watching the lines, and I had just read on the instructions, okay, so if there’s two lines, you’re definitely positive. If there’s one line at the top, that’s a negative. But then, as the liquid was going up the test strip, the bottom line showed up, like right away. And I was like, no! So it kept going up and the top line showed up. And the top line is just, like, the control line, right? But the bottom line is the one that says, yeah, you got it. So that showed up right away as soon as the liquid started to go on that part of the paper. So I was like, oh, shoot. Oh my gosh, this is crazy.

So, how did I feel about the fact that I got covid?

Well, first of all, I will say that I’m assuming what I got was this omicron strain of covid late. And what I had been hearing about it was that, and this is hearsay, yes, but what I have been hearing about it was that it was more of the mild strain. And people were like, oh yeah, it feels like a cold; it’s fine. So I thought okay, well, if any strain that I’m going to get, let this be the one. So I felt a bit better about that.

But I still was, like, immediately worried because I’m pregnant. And we just don’t know what happens during pregnancy when the woman has covid; we don’t know. There’s just not enough, well, studies for sure. But there’s not even enough anecdotal evidence really, to say for sure, one way or the other, what could happen. So there’s just this unknown, and I was like, oh, my gosh, okay. But like, don’t freak out, because anxiety is not going to be helping your immune system right now. So as much as I wanted to kind of freak out a little bit, I was like, okay, I’m just going to keep this neutral. I just have to support my immune system, I have to get rest, I have to take my immune supporting supplements, do all the things and try to get better, as fast and effectively as I can.

So definitely, the anxiety was there about the fact that I’m pregnant and had covid. I’m 23 weeks now, so at the time, I was about 20, 21 weeks… I think it was 20 weeks at the time; this was about three weeks ago.

And I also felt anxiety about how bad my covid symptoms might get.

Because I, I knew that, like, you just kind of have to go with it, you have to just ride the symptoms and you know, just get past it as much as you can. And I knew, being pregnant, that I had an option to take Tylenol for, like, severe pain for my throat or whatever, ‘cause my throat was getting really sore that day. But I didn’t want to; I didn’t want to have to take Tylenol, because I didn’t want to suppress anything. I didn’t want to maybe make this virus go deeper into my tissues and say, well, sorry, immune system, I’m just going to stop what you’re doing to get rid of this pain, but now you can’t really work fully. Especially being pregnant, I didn’t want to do that.

So I was like, oh, man, I’m going to be riding this out, and how bad is covid going to get? And I have always, since I was little, tended toward a sore throat. I used to get strep throat all the time when I was little, and so I figured that was probably where it was going to go for me, especially because I had a sore throat that day.

So it kept on getting worse, and I was like, oh my gosh, am I gonna be able to swallow? Like, all these things, right? Am I gonna be able to breathe? Okay. Well, it was okay. And once I said, you know what? You are okay. You are going to be fine… once I was really settled with that, I was able to relax. I had a bath that night with Epsom salts. Actually, every night I had a bath; right after the girls’ bedtime, I will head into the bath with my Epsom salts, just relax, get that magnesium into my skin through the Epsom salts. And then I’ve crawled into bed.

And so I felt, from that first night, better as far as my covid anxiousness was going.

So the next day, this was the Wednesday, I felt my throat was still sore. But I was like, you know what? It hasn’t gotten any worse, so this is good. I like this. Okay, I can handle this.

I was so tired… that was my main thing. So, my throat was sore. Yeah, I was a bit stuffy in my nose… and that became worse after my throat cleared up, actually. I was so super tired. And so I thought if I can just rest… and Miguel said, like, you go to bed, and you rest, you just, you just lay down, you do what you need to do. I was like, thank you, because that’s exactly what I needed.

So I was downstairs, I would come downstairs in the morning, and I would give the girls their supplements, because of course they still had a cold, so I had to make sure they had their stuff. I would take my supplements, make sure that I had some breakfast to take upstairs, and I would take it upstairs, and I would eat it in bed. And I would just watch Netflix and sleep… go back and forth.

And it’s exactly what I needed.

And then I would usually be downstairs in the afternoon, but more just on the couch. Miguel would take care of dinner and the girls and bath time and then I would go upstairs for bedtime. And then I would, like I said, have my own bath and go to bed. I was getting still, like, 10, 11 hour of sleeps at night. And I would still feel pretty wiped the next day but okay, especially because all I had to do, thankfully, was rest more.

So I’m just so thankful that I didn’t have to do anything, that I was able to take that time that I truly needed. And I do think that my recovery being fairly quick, was because I was able to fully rest. And of course, taking my supplements and eating the right foods and all that, and I’m going to get into that today.

So, sore throat for a few days that got better, then my nose was really congested.

And then that got better. But I’ll tell you (and then feeling so tired), but I’ll tell you that the other covid symptom that I got was a complete… we’re talking 100% loss of smell and taste.

So I would make this, like, delicious breakfast. I remember the first time in the morning, this was, I think, the Thursday. And I made, like, beautiful… it was gluten-free toast, lots of butter, because that’s the way I like it. Mashed avocado with Herbamare, which is kind of like sea salt. So like, you know, deliciously salty. And then I had my fried egg on top. And oh, before I did that, on top of my avocado, I had grape tomatoes that I had cut in half, and to that tomato mixture, so I made a mixture in the bowl… first was olive oil, Herbes de Provence, if you will… this is like a mixture, so delicious. Salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder. This is like the mixture that Miguel does, and I love it.

So picture that, okay? I put that on top of the avocado, I put the egg on top. I’m like, winning breakfast! And I did two of those, two pieces of toast with all those things. I take it upstairs, take a bite. I’m like, no! I can’t taste it! But yes, looking back, and even in the moment, I was like, of all symptoms, like, I’ll take it, obviously, loss of smell and taste; I can handle this.

But it was crazy! I could smell nothing.

Like when Maggie had a poopy bum, I had no idea. Ellie had told me, she had to say, something smells like poop. And then she would check, and she’s like, yeah, Maggie’s got poop. I could smell zero and taste zero. And that lasted the longest of all the symptoms, I think, which was only like four days; day five is when I got back about a quarter of my taste, and then a half of my taste. And now I think it’s fully back. Maybe it’s at three quarters.

But man, that was so weird and crazy. And it didn’t seem to be related to my stuffy nose, because I know that can happen sometimes in the past where I’ve gotten a cold, and I get stuffy, and I can’t taste because my nose is plugged up. But it didn’t seem to be related to that; it was, like, even after my nose was better and like after I would blow my nose, because you know, like, you clear it out, you’re like, okay, I can taste a little bit. No, like even after that. There was nothing.

So it’s just a weird sensation, to not have those senses. It’s so strange. So thankfully, those are back, pretty much. Actually, my smell is not as much back; it’s really weird. But anyways, again, I will totally take it.

So those were my symptoms. And as far as tiredness, now a few weeks later, I’m still feeling more tired than usual, I find, but a lot better than it was. So a lot more manageable.

So I want to tell you the supplements I took.

Now, this is not a prescription for you, or for anybody. It’s not even a recommendation. It’s just simply my experience, because I wanted to let you know that, I’m pregnant, I got covid, everybody is different, every situation and immune system is unique and different… and I’m acknowledging that.

But I just want you to know, like, this is a reality that happens, and it could happen to you. And it could happen to a friend of yours. And hey, if it does, deep breaths, mama, you are okay… here’s what I did. So I can share my experience with you. And there you have it.

If you are wondering what the heck supplements I’m talking about… some of them are obvious – there’s not many, by the way – but some of them are like, pardon? What was that? Just go to the show notes because you can see it written down, and it’s a lot easier that way than hearing it on the podcast and being like, what did she say? So, the show notes will be at newmamanation.com/22. You’ll see a transcript, and it will be inside that transcript.

What I took for my supplements.

Well first of all, I kept up with all my normal supplements. So I take something called Bio-Strath, and I kept up with my cod liver oil, which for sure I would also recommend for immune system. I know, I’m like, it’s not a recommendation, but I would recommend… I know I said that, but cod liver oil I 100% recommend during pregnancy, during breastfeeding, for babies and kids. Cod liver oil I 100% recommend for basically everyone, because it is so healing. It’s almost like a tonic… healing, yes, but just as a tonic for the body. And it helps to nurture and grow when they’re babies, especially, so many different areas of the body. And it’s so supportive for the immune system as well. I also take a few other things, I won’t mention them all, but I kept up with my normal supplements.

But as far as the ones that I added, I, well, I always take vitamin D, but I added extra vitamin D for the immune system properties. And it’s just so important, especially during the winter when we’re not getting as much exposure to the sun, so we’re not getting vitamin D that way. So I increased my vitamin D for sure.

I also took extra vitamin C beyond what’s in my prenatal normally.

And I took zinc lozenges, that was something that I added, because, again, all these things are great for a healthy immune system. And I have this product called Echinaforce. I’ve talked about it before, but it’s one of the only immune remedies that I’ve seen that actually has on their label that it’s safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding. And so I love the fact that I have that one on hand for when I feel symptoms coming on. I don’t take it every day for prevention; I just take it when I need it… and especially during covid times, I took it. 

So Miguel went to the store for me that first night of my positive diagnosis, or my positive test result, and he got me, it’s the same brand. And again, I’m gonna write this in the show notes for you. It’s the Echinaforce, but it was the elderberry hot drink, or no, it was the echinacea hot drink, but it has elderberry in it. It is delicious. It is exactly what I was hoping for, because at the time, I still had my taste. And so I just love the taste of a good elderberry hot drink. I don’t know about you, if you’ve ever tried it, but it’s so good. It was so soothing. It was what my throat needed. Perfect.

I also took something called ferr phos.

So that’s great, too. And that’s what I did. So it wasn’t a crazy amount, but it was definitely more than what I normally take on a daily basis. And I truly believe that it helped me to heal, and heal faster than I might have otherwise.

As far as my food, so yes, even though I couldn’t taste, of course I made sure that I still ate healthy foods. So I would have easy to digest food. I mean, I certainly avoided all sugar and most flour. I did have my gluten-free toast, and I think that was all as far as flour’s concerned. But I definitely avoided all wheat because that can be inflammatory, and I didn’t want to have any extra inflammation in my body happening that didn’t need to be there. And I had vegetables, meats, eggs, fish, fruit. That was pretty much it.

I also laid off the dairy because I do love my cheese and yogurt. But when I had that stuffy nose, like that runny nose and stuffy nose, dairy can contribute, especially pasteurized dairy. So raw cheese, like raw cheddar that I do have sometimes – a lot of the time – wouldn’t necessarily contribute to it… it might, but less so than your straight-on pasteurized cheese and other dairy products.

I pretty much avoided dairy.

And I had lots of healing oils, like of course cod liver oil, as I mentioned before, and so I would just like throw that olive oil dressing onto my salad, well really, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. I was also hoping that the apple cider vinegar, being so strong and stimulating, would help me get my taste back. I mean, I don’t know if it helped get it back any faster, but I could feel the sensation, but I still couldn’t taste it, but anyways, that’s what I had. And lots of good sea salt. All of those immune-supportive ingredients and foods, that’s what I had, and I avoided the crap, the sugar, the excess flour, especially wheat, and the junk food, of course.

So here I am today, a few weeks later, thankfully feeling so much better. Like I said, I’m still a little bit tired. But hey, all good.

I hope this has given you some kind of encouragement and that you feel a little bit calmer that if you happen to be pregnant right now, or you’ll be pregnant in the future, and you’re wondering, like, oh my gosh, I’ve never gotten covid (and by the way, I’ve never gotten covid before; this is my first time). Whether or not you’ve had it before, I hope that I have helped you to feel a little bit calmer that if you do get it, and of course, I can’t say like, you’re totally fine. But based on my experience, you might feel like, I’m okay, I’ve got this, I have some tools in my arsenal that I can use.

And certainly healthy food is like the main thing; avoiding the crap and eating all the healthy foods and ingredients and healing foods. That’s where it’s at. So I hope you feel good hearing about my experience.

And I will talk to you next week. Now, if you want to come to my Facebook group, please do! Again, search for it under “new mama nation” when you’re looking under “groups” on Facebook, and you will find it. Just request to join and I’ll add you, and then if you want to comment on this particular podcast episode, you can look for that post. It’ll be there in the group. And you can comment underneath with any questions or thoughts or additions that you might have. I would love to hear from you, mama, as usual. So come join us there.

I will talk to you here next week. You have a great day and a great week. Bye!

Thanks for listening to The Love & Lettuce Podcast. To find out how to work with me and for more great info, check out newmamanation.com. This is Laura! Until next time, love and lettuce.