Immune System During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the immune system is naturally somewhat suppressed — this is a very clever adaptation necessary to prevent your body from rejecting the baby. However, this can make you more susceptible to certain infections, so taking a little extra care of yourself is a good idea.

To support your immunity, including foods containing vitamin C (citrus, kiwi, peppers), vitamin D (sunlight, eggs, fish), zinc (red meat, pumpkin seeds), and probiotics (yogurt, kefir) can be beneficial. Talking to your doctor about vitamin D supplements is a good step.

Regarding vaccination schedule: The flu vaccine can be safely given at any point during pregnancy. The whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) is recommended between weeks 27-36 — this way your baby is protected at birth by antibodies passed from the mother. The COVID-19 vaccine is also considered safe during pregnancy.

To protect against infections, washing hands frequently, avoiding crowded places when possible, and being careful with raw meat and unpasteurized products can be helpful. Leaving cat litter cleaning to someone else is a sensible precaution due to toxoplasmosis risk. If you feel fever or infection symptoms, contacting your doctor is the safest approach.