… But First …

Avoid any kind of over-the-counter medication during the first eight weeks of pregnancy. If you get ill during this time, avoid popping any common pills at any cost. This is because your baby is in the critical stage, when all the vital organs like her brain, heart and lung systems are just beginning to develop.

Make sure you visit your doctor for a prescription and follow it religiously.

Fever, Fever

Think twice before you diagnose yourself with a fever during pregnancy. According to Gynaecologist Dr. Satish Tibrewala, "During pregnancy, your body temperature is higher than normal. So never self medicate thinking you have a fever."

Also, Dr. Tibrewala suggests, when taking a reading for fever, never take an oral reading (thermometer in the mouth).

The temperature in the mouth is usually a degree higher than the rest of the body. So, if even if you have a normal temperature of 98 degrees, an oral reading would probably indicate a 99 degree reading, and you may think you have fever.

In this case, the ideal place to take a reading would be your armpits.

For fever, paracetamol will bring the fever down and is safe for your baby. However, Dr. Tibrewala says it is critical to visit your doctor before starting any medication. You might get well after having the medicine, but the infection might remain in your body and harm your developing baby.

For example, if you have a fever due to typhoid or malaria, medication could make you feel better, but the typhoid bacteria might keep growing in your body and affect your baby.

High fevers could make the environment around the baby too warm, resulting in miscarriage and foetal death.