Flu in Pregnancy (Including H1N1): Risks and Protection

Q: How can I protect myself from flu in pregnancy?

Get the flu vaccine, which is safe and recommended in pregnancy and protects your baby too, wash your hands often, keep away from sick contacts, and rest and hydrate.

Even those pregnant women who are otherwise healthy, may be at a higher risk of falling prey to the swine flu.

“Swine flu” made global headlines back in 2009, and the H1N1 strain behind it is now simply one of the seasonal flu viruses that circulates every year. The panic has faded, but the underlying point still stands: flu of any kind is riskier in pregnancy than most people assume, and worth taking seriously. Here’s what flu, including H1N1, means when you’re pregnant, how to protect yourself, and when to pick up the phone.

Flu, including the H1N1 strain once called swine flu, can be more serious in pregnancy, raising the chance of severe illness and hospital care. Protect yourself with the flu vaccine (safe and recommended in pregnancy), good hand hygiene, and by keeping away from sick contacts. If you get flu-like symptoms, contact your doctor promptly, since antiviral treatment works best started early.

Don’t tough out flu-like illness in pregnancy. Early advice is the whole game with antivirals.

What happened to swine flu

H1N1 caused a flu pandemic in 2009 and understandably alarmed everyone, pregnant women especially, since they were among the hardest hit. In the years since, H1N1 settled into the normal rotation of seasonal flu strains and is covered by the regular annual flu vaccine. So there’s no separate “swine flu” to fear now; there’s just flu, and the sensible precautions are the same ones that apply every year. The 2009 experience did leave one clear lesson, though: flu in pregnancy deserves respect.

Why flu is riskier in pregnancy

Pregnancy shifts your immune system and puts extra demand on your heart and lungs, which means a bout of flu is more likely to turn severe and land you in hospital than the same illness would outside pregnancy. A high, sustained fever early in pregnancy carries its own concerns, and serious flu can affect the baby indirectly by making the mother very unwell. None of this is meant to frighten, only to explain why pregnant women are singled out as a priority group for flu protection each year.

How to protect yourself

Get the flu vaccine. It’s safe at any stage of pregnancy, covers the circulating strains including H1N1, and also passes protective antibodies to your baby. This is the single most effective step. See our guide to the flu shot in pregnancy for the detail.
Wash your hands often, with soap and water, and avoid touching your face. Flu spreads readily on hands and surfaces.
Keep your distance from sick people where you can, and ask unwell visitors to stay away, gently but firmly.
Look after the basics: rest, fluids and reasonable nutrition all help your body cope.
If someone at home has flu, be extra careful with shared spaces and hand hygiene.

If flu is going round the house

Flu spreads fastest at home, so if a partner, older child or helper comes down with it, take extra care: keep the unwell person’s towels, cups and cutlery separate, ventilate shared rooms, wash hands often, and clean frequently touched surfaces like door handles and taps. If you have not yet had the flu vaccine, this is a good moment to arrange it, and to mention any symptoms of your own to your doctor early rather than waiting to see how they develop.

Spotting flu, and what to do

Flu tends to arrive suddenly and hit harder than a common cold: fever, aches, chills, headache, sore throat, cough and marked tiredness. If you develop flu-like symptoms in pregnancy, don’t wait it out. Contact your doctor promptly, because antiviral medicines are most effective when started early, and your doctor can advise whether they’re appropriate for you. Manage fever and discomfort with your doctor’s guidance, keep your fluids up, and rest.

Seek urgent care if you have difficulty breathing or chest pain, a fever that won’t come down, signs of dehydration, confusion, or reduced baby movements. These are the warning signs that flu is becoming serious and needs prompt medical attention.

Common questions

Is swine flu (H1N1) still a threat in pregnancy?

H1N1 is now just one of the ordinary seasonal flu strains and is covered by the annual flu vaccine. There’s no separate swine flu to fear, but flu of any kind is riskier in pregnancy and worth guarding against.

Why is flu more dangerous when pregnant?

Pregnancy changes the immune system and adds strain on the heart and lungs, so flu is more likely to become severe and need hospital care. That’s why pregnant women are a priority group for the flu vaccine.

How can I protect myself from flu in pregnancy?

Get the flu vaccine (safe and recommended in pregnancy and it protects your baby too), wash your hands often, keep away from sick contacts, and rest and hydrate. If someone at home is ill, be extra careful with hygiene.

What should I do if I get flu while pregnant?

Contact your doctor promptly rather than waiting, since antiviral treatment works best when started early. Rest, keep fluids up, manage fever on your doctor’s advice, and seek urgent care for breathing trouble, a persistent high fever, or reduced baby movements.

Can I take flu medicine during pregnancy?

Some antivirals and fever medicines are used in pregnancy under medical advice, so check with your doctor rather than self-treating. Don’t take over-the-counter cold and flu combinations without confirming they’re suitable.

The short version

Swine flu is no longer a headline, just H1N1 taking its place among the seasonal flu strains, but the lesson it taught still holds: flu is riskier in pregnancy, so take it seriously. Get the flu jab, keep your hands clean, steer clear of sick contacts, and if flu-like symptoms hit, call your doctor early rather than soldiering on. Prevention plus prompt advice keeps a nasty illness from becoming a dangerous one.