Lingering chest infection, feeling anxious - reassurance please!

[saucypan]

hi, I'm just coming up to six weeks pregnant and have had a slightly mysterious chest infection for a number of weeks on and off. The latest is my blood test shows "several non=specific abnormalities consistent with infection" - I'm on antibiotics but they may be the wrong ones although they do seem to have helped with my fever.

I'm just feeling very anxious about the baby and pregnancy. I was so healthy during my first pg and it's bringing me down plus I know only dribs and drabs about what's ok and what's bad so inevitably I'm worrying about how bad this is at this early stage.

Would just welcome a bit of a pep talk if anyone feels up to it!

[loulabell07]

Hello saucypan,

I'm here to try and give you that pep talk! I can empathise as I have had this crazy cough which has been coming and going since november, and have just come off Ceflaxin anti biotics to get rid of the chest infection it caused. As I'm hoping to be pregnant - but not certian I am; I too was worried about the effect on the (possible) baby, but my GP was able to reassure me that on the right medicine, all would be ok!

Hope you manage to get the nasty infection under control. And give yourself a bit of pampering to help feel better - I'm sure you will soon

[WonTon]

Saucypan - My first pregnancy was the healthiest I have ever been! And it was also a winter pregnancy with a spring baby. This is my fourth and I have had consecutive colds/viruses this wintertime which has been a complete drag. I put it down to having three carrier children to bring extra infection into the house (plus all their associated friends) and also this dreadfully cold winter we are having this year. It sounds as if the chest infection is being treated so take heart from this and try not to worry about it - ask questions of the professionals if you need reassurance. And of course try to stay calm for baby's sake as those worry hormones can be passed on to it. Hope you recover soon.

[saucypan]

thanks loula, i guess my thing is i'm not sure they have found the right medicine yet. still have a cough tho not feeling ill, which is somehting...

WonTon, yes having a child already is a hotline to all new viruses. I guess it's just exacerbating all the usual anxieties that come with the first trimester. Roll on that 12 week scan!

[jasperc163]

Saucypan,
If it isnt going away you need to ask for a sputum sample to be sent away so they can check the exact bacteria and what it is sensitive to. For some reason my doctor didnt suggest it but my midwife did. In my case for example it showed I had the hib bacteria which is treated with the basic amoxycillin but by this point needed to be at double dose. By this time I had had an infection for 3 months (from about 15 weeks preg) and had been given 3 different lots of antibiotics (so in the end I had to have 4 which i am far from happy about and I wish they had checked earlier!).

One thing though - if you just have a cough but feel otherwise fine, this could just be normal as I was told that my cough could carry on for a few weeks afer the infection was cleared (however certainly not at the level that makes you feel unable to function etc).

hth

[jasperc163]

ps meant to say - i was the same - fine in first pregnancy, been catching everything from DD1 in 2nd - sitution isnt helped of course that your immune system is already compromised by the pregnancy, before you get exposed to the viruses!

hope you feel better soon....