Published on November 7th, 2023 and Updated on January 15th, 2024
Check out SneakPeek Gender Test to find out your baby’s gender as early as 6 weeks at over 99% accuracy1!
One of the most common myths about the immune system in pregnancy is that women become mildly “immunocompromised” or “immunodeficient.” Though the myth contains some truth, it certainly doesn’t capture the whole picture.
Think of it this way: Normal pregnancy is a uniquely flexible period when the maternal immune system becomes highly responsive to protect both your and your baby’s survival. So, while certain features of an expecting pregnant woman’s immune systems relax—thereby ensuring your body doesn’t “attack” the tiny one it’s carrying—others go into overdrive.
These changes can happen from trimester to trimester, day to day, and minute to minute—and it’s complicated for a pregnant woman. But getting a feel for how your maternal immune system will fluctuate in pregnancy can be an important measure of proactive defense while your body does most of the heavy lifting.
As we delve deeper into the intriguing world of the pregnancy immune system, we invite you to explore a wealth of knowledge at SneakPeek. We’re here to educate you as you embark on the world of pregnancy, including topics like what color urine is in early pregnancy, among others. Let’s embark on this enlightening journey together.
Are pregnant women “immunocompromised”?
Pregnant or not, a healthy immune system is a highly complex arrangement. It involves countless coexisting:
- “Characters” – Your immune cells and the microorganisms they encounter and combat.
- “Sets” – Your internal and external environment, and, if you’re pregnant, your baby’s.
- “Dialogues” – The proteins with which cells communicate and the signaling pathways they use to do so.
With so many variables, your immune system is constantly in flux. At various times in your life, it may be described as overactive, as in the case of an allergy, or underactive, as in the case of an autoimmune disorder.
Changes in your pregnancy immune system don’t happen all at once. Rather, the most current research shows that immune activity during pregnancy follows a carefully orchestrated, delicate dance designed by evolution to protect the next generation of offspring. This “pattern” or “timeline” is often referred to as the immunological clock of pregnancy.
How does the immune system change during pregnancy?
The immunological clock of pregnancy spans the three trimesters to field changes in both the internal and external environments. Most of these shifts occur on a microscopic level, so you’re unlikely to notice any major pregnancy complications or differences unless you get sick.
That said, understanding what’s happening on a cellular level during normal pregnancy can help clarify why protecting your health is critical to supporting your baby’s.
Number and Location of Immune Cells
When you’re newly pregnant, your body contains a bounty of new genetic material. To protect your baby’s growth, the immune system must rapidly learn to recognize your friendly trespasser.
It readjusts by:
- Proliferating immune cells – Your immune system enhances its responsiveness by creating lots of new immune cells. A few crucial cell types are natural killer (NK) cells and neutrophils, whose jobs are to help keep your immune system from attacking your baby.
- Migrating immune cells – One marker of a healthy immune system is its ability to efficiently relocate immune cells where they’re needed most. This is known as cell migration, and in a healthy pregnancy, the first trimester is a critical period for it.
Mere days after fertilization, NK cells migrate into the uterus to surround and protect the blastocyst. Not only does this migration defend your nascent baby from being attacked, but it also ensures it’s able to access blood in the endometrial tissue for nourishment. Researchers believe that if these NK cells aren’t present, a pregnancy complication or miscarriage is more likely to occur.
Immune Cell Function and Signaling Pathways
Think of signaling pathways as the channels or “switchboard systems” cells use to communicate and coordinate activity. There are many types of immune cells with distinct responsibilities, but their programming is dictated by hormones, and they adapt depending on what actions are needed.
By way of example, let’s look at two types of immune cells that play key roles during pregnancy:
- Neutrophils – Neutrophils are normally highly responsive to infections, arriving at the site of trespass earlier than other cells. However, they’re known to be highly non-specific, with a less refined memory than other immune cells.
In a healthy pregnancy, more neutrophils flood your system, becoming more active and dynamic. This ensures infections are caught earlier, reducing their likelihood of being passed on to your baby.
- Dendritic cells – Dendritic cells are some of the best communicators in the immune cell family. They are highly specific and knowledgeable about certain pathogens, which makes them efficient coordinators of fellow cells’ responses. During pregnancy, however, they’re found in high numbers in the uterus and tend to become more relaxed. This change helps ensure your body doesn’t attack your growing embryo.
Estrogen and progesterone play key roles in governing cellular behavior shifts. They work together to institute a “checks and balances” system that helps protect your baby while real threats are put to rest.
The role of hormones in pregnant immune function reminds us that the immune system doesn’t operate in a vacuum. The endocrine system, your metabolism, and even your microbiome are thought to heavily inform pregnancy immune function. For this reason, pregnant women are encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle to support their immune and overall pregnancy outcomes.
How does my immune health affect my baby’s?
Prenatal babies start articulating their immune systems in the first few weeks of life. Recent studies have discovered dendritic cells in human embryos as early as 13 or even 9 weeks into pregnancy, though most scientists consider immune systems “active” by the second trimester.
Babies develop their immune systems based on encounters with pathogens, proteins, and cells they meet via the placenta. Antibodies from Mom are imparted to her child, giving Baby an essential layer of protection in the womb and (eventually) in the outside world. As such, the health and responsiveness of your immune system are critical for the development of your baby’s.
Women with autoimmune conditions react diversely to pregnancy. Some see a recession in symptoms, while others contend with fetal health complications. It’s still possible to have a healthy baby if you have an autoimmune disorder, but your healthcare provider will likely recommend extra monitoring or care.
How to Support Immune Health During Pregnancy
Researchers believe that a better understanding pregnancy immune function could help reduce rates of preterm birth, which affect almost 10% of American pregnancies today. And while evolution has been refining pregnancy immune systems for millennia, there’s no reason why you can’t take some steps to support the cause!
The following guidelines can help you build immune health to prevent infection and promote your baby’s immune system development.
#1 Protect Yourself from Viruses
One grain of truth in the myth of immunosuppression during pregnancy is that expecting moms are generally more susceptible to certain infections and viruses. For this reason, the CDC recommends pregnant women get the flu shot—especially if they’re pregnant during flu season.
Moreover, if a friend or loved one gets the flu or another infection, it’s best to wait until they’ve recovered before you get together.
#2 Take a Prenatal Vitamin
Prenatal vitamins are an ally for ensuring you meet your and your growing baby’s unique nutritional needs during pregnancy. Folic acid, calcium, and vitamin D are all par for the course, but if you want to boost immune health, look for one that also contains vitamin C (or ascorbic acid).
Vitamin C is known to have profound healing properties, including:
- Supporting a vibrant, resilient immune system
- Protecting cells against damage and oxidative stress
- Wound healing
Your body can’t make vitamin C on its own, so it’s important to derive it from either a supplement or food sources. You can bring more of the nutrient into your kitchen by adding more citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables, and red bell peppers to your diet.
#3 Avoid Infection-Causing Foods
Pregnant women are discouraged from eating certain foods that could make them more prone to infection. Some to avoid include:
- Deli meats
- Sushi
- Raw eggs
- Soft cheeses
- Paté or other meat spreads
- Caesar salad dressing
- Mayonnaise
#4 Center Stress-Relief Activities
Chronic psychological stress can have a crippling impact on the immune system, diminishing the number of NK cells and other defenders you need to fight off infection. While it’s impossible to eliminate all stressors during pregnancy, you might try reducing their impact by:
- Getting at least a half-hour of movement daily
- Using mindfulness techniques while performing stress-inducing tasks
- Trying guided relaxations or positive, affirming meditations
- Reducing your screen time
- Avoiding isolation by spending time with friends, family, or support groups with whom you can share your anxieties
#5 Indulge in Sleep
Sufficient, high-quality sleep is crucial for immune health, as sleep deprivation can create immune cell deficits—just like stress. Ideally, you’ll get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night—but it’s very normal for pregnancy to make falling (or staying) asleep a challenge.
Creating and sticking to a bedtime ritual may help you unwind when it’s time to rest. But if you can’t sleep through the night and find yourself aching for a nap, if possible, indulge it. It is possible to reverse sleep debt and, in the process, give your immune system a chance to repair itself.
Prepare for Pregnancy with SneakPeek
A proactive approach to your body’s built-in defense system can help build fetal immune health while reducing your risk of catching an infection. For an even more proactive approach to you and your little one’s future, check out SneakPeek’s Early Gender DNA Test.
This at-home, DNA-based gender blood test lets expecting moms discover their baby’s gender as early as 6 weeks into their pregnancy with over 99% clinically proven accuracy1. Once you’ve mailed us your sample, we’ll triple-review your results and send them back on the same day we receive them.
SneakPeek is the #1 OBGYN-recommended at-home early gender test with the trust of 750,000 moms behind it. Find out what (and who) is around the corner by visiting SneakPeek Test today.
Sources:
- Health. Are People Who Are Pregnant Immunocompromised? https://www.health.com/condition/pregnancy/are-pregnant-women-immunocompromised
- Frontiers. Maternal Immunological Adaptation During Normal Pregnancy. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.575197/full
- Cleveland Clinic. The Meaning of Immunocompromised. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/immunocompromised-meaning/
- Stanford Medicine. Immune system changes during pregnancy are precisely timed. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2017/09/immune-system-changes-during-pregnancy-are-precisely-timed.html
- Science Immunology. An immune clock of human pregnancy. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.aan2946
- The Conversation. How pregnancy changes women’s metabolism and immune systems. https://theconversation.com/how-pregnancy-changes-womens-metabolism-and-immune-systems-121893
- Science. Immune system ‘negotiations’ stop mom’s body from attacking her fetus. https://www.science.org/content/article/immune-system-negotiations-stop-mom-s-body-attacking-her-fetus
- Verywell Health. What Does It Mean When Neutrophils Are High During Pregnancy? https://www.verywellhealth.com/neutrophils-high-during-pregnancy-5223737
- National Library of Medicine. The Immune System in Pregnancy: A Unique Complexity. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3025805/
- National Library of Medicine. Dendritic cell function at the maternal–fetal interface.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3216484/
- European Journal of Immunology. Human pregnancy levels of estrogen and progesterone contribute to humoral immunity by activating TFH/B cell axis. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eji.202048658
- National Library of Medicine. The Protective Role of Maternal Immunization in Early Life.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8113393/
- National Library of Medicine. Pregnancy and Autoimmune Disease. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9201458/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines and Pregnancy: 8 Things You Need to Know. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pregnancy/pregnant-women/need-to-know.html
- Cleveland Clinic. 5 Ways Vitamin C Keeps You Healthy. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/vitamin-c/
- University of Maryland Medical System. How Does Stress Affect the Immune System? https://health.umms.org/2020/11/10/stress-immune-system/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/work-hour-training-for-nurses/longhours/mod2/05.html
- Healthline. Sleep Debt: Can You Ever Catch Up? https://www.healthline.com/health/dr/sleep-deprivation/sleep-debt
Shop Our Products
SneakPeek Gender Snap
Learn if you’re having a boy or girl with the #1 OBGYN-recommended at-home baby gender test, over 99% accurate1 at 6 weeks into pregnancy. Get next-day results!
SneakPeek Fetal Doppler
An easy, portable way to hear your baby’s heartbeat in between doctor visits, starting at 16 weeks into pregnancy.
SneakPeek Gender at Walgreens
Skip the wait for shipping and pick up SneakPeek Snap at a local Walgreens. Just look for the kit in the pregnancy aisle, and take your test today!
