Motherhood is a lifelong role, during which there will be no shortage of opportunities to worry. Even before you give birth, your mama-bear radar is engaged, and you’re suddenly motivated to do all you can to protect this precious being growing inside of you. So as hard as it is to manage these worries while we're pregnant, it's also an ideal time to start developing inner practices to help us cope with these worries, both in order to protect ourselves and our little ones.

On today’s first official Let’s Chat About That episode of On Health, I’ll be addressing some of these worries head on by answering a voicemail from an expecting mama who is concerned about immunity during pregnancy, currently dealing with the very real feelings of anxiety and fear about getting sick during this time. My goal today is to ease some of these overwhelming worries by providing you with the honest facts so that you can make the most informed decisions to keep yourself and baby healthy now and for the long run.

On this episode, I discuss:

• The likelihood of developing respiratory illness while pregnant
• Non-respiratory infections to be aware of: herpes, toxoplasmosis, and Listeria
• What you need to know about the cold, the flu, COVID, and RSV while pregnant, including prevention and what to do about common respiratory symptoms and fever
• Universal symptoms that tell you it's time to get medical care
• How to minimize exposure and boost immunity safely in pregnancy

I hope this episode brings you the peace of mind, reassurance, and ease to carry you through your pregnancy and into your journey through motherhood. I look forward to connecting with you and answering more of your women’s health-related questions in future episodes of this series! Remember, you can call me at (413) 889-4549 and leave a voicemail for a chance to be featured on the next one!

Thank you so much for taking the time to tune in to your body, yourself, and this podcast! Please share the love by sending this to someone in your life who could benefit from the kinds of things we talk about in this space. Make sure to follow your host on Instagram @dr.avivaromm and go to avivaromm.com to join the conversation.