Usually, treatment of a boil is quite simple, and being pregnant does not really matter. In fact, most boils do not require any real "treatment" at all, and disappear on their own. If you like, you can take some basic measures to keep the area clean and speed up the body's healing process, and these measures are probably safe for anyone, include expectant and nursing mothers. It is only when a boil requires medical treatment that you need to consider the fact that you are pregnant, because certain drugs may not be safe for you and your unborn child. When a boil is very severe or persistent, the use of antibiotics or other more powerful drugs is sometimes needed to control the infection. However, such drugs are in any case not to be taken without a doctor's prescription, and whenever you visit a doctor during your pregnancy, you should make sure that he or she knows that you are pregnant.
A boil is simply an infection of a hair follicle, and for the duration of the infection, pus and dead cells accumulate in the area. Sometimes a boil may itch, but in most cases the only symptom is a mild to sharp pain, usually only when the boil or the surrounding area is touched. The body usually takes care of boils on its own; it fights the infection naturally, and the boil disappears within a week or two. The best treatment for a boil is a warm compress with a clean, soft cloth. Simply dip the cloth in a bowl of warm water, squeeze out the excess water and then gently press the folded cloth against the boil for a minute. You can continue this for five minutes, and repeat the process several times through the day. This greatly helps reduce the pain, and it also seems to speed up the recovery process. Hygiene is also particularly important when you have a boil. Allowing bacteria to multiply on your skin can not only worsen the boil, but it can lead to the formation of more boils. You should therefore gently wash the affected area with warm water and soap a couple of times a day, and also wash the cloth that you use for the warm compress each time you use it. If after ten days, the boil does not seem to be getting any better, you should visit your doctor for treatment.
answered by M W