How to conceive when I'm so prone to cystitis it puts me off sex?!

I had this, all the drinking water, cranberry, loose trousers blah blah doesn't help.

I had it on and off for years, and eventually saw a FAB Gp who sent me to the hospital, gynea/urinary. I was put on a low dose of Cefalexin (SP?) , an antibiotic,daily for a year. I conceived, and took it during my pregnancy. In fact I my follow up appointment was booked for my due date! Only one bought of cystitis during the pregnancy and I was monitored closely as apparantly it is dangerous to have cystitis during pregnancy

I wouldn't suffer the misserywith home made remedies or even 7 day courses of antibiotics, I would see a specalist.

Well this month I decided to risk it and not have a wee after sex.
And do you know, I've not had cystitis!

One thing I was told for good lady garden health was to not wear knicker at home. When you get in put on a long skirt and knickers off!

Just adding to this. A GP directed me to a book by Angela Kilmartin. I had cystitis every couple of months and it really was making me so unhappy. In the past 10 years I've had it once. A lot of the info is repeated here but it was a revelation to me and I always tell people about it. I also found g strings to be most unhelpful so don't wear them anymore. There is also a herbal remedy called Potters Antitis which I found really good. Hope it goes soon. Don't grin and bear it!

Hi Moggin. I used to get cystitis loads and the GP was never very sympathetic. From trial and error, and lots of research on the internet I found the following ideas worked for me and I didn't get it again:

• Boost your good bacteria in your body by taking Acidophilus (holland & barrett sell the tablets that you take once a day. Probably only need a 2 or 3 month course then you get back on track with decent levels of good bacteria again. They help protect your bladder from bad bacteria settling in there and causing an infection.)

• Whilst you're trying to make changes to your normal routine to avoid getting it again, have sex with your other half entering from behind (no friction anywhere near your entrance to your bladder that way! It's a bit unromantic but if it's your best conception day, at least you can still conceive). And or / start out like that then move to missionary at the end - you're trying to keep missionary position down to the minimal time possible really as that's meant to be one of the most likely positions for causing friction that leads to infection in the bladder. We tried this for a couple of months and things cleared up and can now have sex in missionary again. Just needed to avoid missionary for a while.

• Go for a wee immediately before sex, so there is no urine in your bladder that can get contaminated with bacteria. If there is no urine to carry bacteria then it doesn't settle in there. Then go for a wee again straight after sex also. Then a shower! Bit of a routine to go through each time, but it definitely helped me. Again, I don't need to do this now, but I was religious about it for a few months to get through it all.

• Cranberry juice is ok, but it's got sugar in it which can aggravate the bladder at the time you have cystitis, so the robinsons barley water is what Holland & Barrett kind lady assistant told me to take. And it did ease it more than cranberry juice.

• Also, try drinking fizzy water (plain not flavoured). It is more alkaline than plain tap water and so when you have an attack of cystitis, it helps to neutralise the acid from the infection and flushes the acid out. I found this eased the pain more than plain water or barley water or cranberry juice.

• One last thing, I also got told to keep a record of what days in the month seemed to trigger cystitis. When I did this, I found out it was always the last few days in my cycle before having a period. Apparently, there is a link to hormone changes. When I knew when it was, I avoided sex during that window of a few days or, was super careful!

Once I got into a habit of doing all these things I was fine and haven't had it for about 4 years.

Not sure if you believe in the body reflecting what's going in the mind, but at the time when I was getting cystitis every month, a herbalist once told me that cystitis is also the body's way of telling you that you're literally 'pissed off' with someone or something. I did a bit of soul searching and reckoned I was pissed off on a daily basis with my male boss who was a total c**k. In time, I changed jobs, worked for a nice manager and that all helped too! Might be a bit of an old wives tale, but perhaps there is some truth in it.....

Forgot to say I had terrible recurring cystitis 10+ years ago, went to gyne, got treated, and had it only once since then (many years ago).

You probably have a vaginal infection that reinfects the urinary tract during sex.

Get treated for both infections simultaneously (will need to see gynaecologist) and you will never have to worry about cystitis again. Do it before you get pregnant.

Not sure peeing straight after sex will help with TTC

hi moggin. I suffered really badly for a few years and got to the point where I wasn't testing positive for infections, yet I'd be bent over double. I always drank a lot of water, peed after sex etc etc. In the end I was referred to a consultant and had a cystoscopy and they actually (TMI alert!!) stretched my urinary tract as it was very thin. I don't want to sound alarmist at all, I just don't want you to think it is psychological when this awful thing is absolutely not!! I'd say see how you go and maybe consider seeing a urologist if this persists.

Other than that I religiously take cranberry capsules every day, and I also know that pear juice is very good for prevention.

Good luck x

I also used to suffer after sex and I totally sympathise Moggin. But I can tell you that taking an antibiotic after sex worked and I would urge you to ask your GP to prescribe you some. My cystitis often showed up as being non- bacterial, which is so frustrating but still the ab's did the job for me. It's worth a shot isn't it?

Also, make sure you have a wee, no matter how little, after you've done the dance. It makes a difference. Good luck and fingers crossed for your pregnancy

Sorry - not very together this evening. Also forgot to say that I'm pregnant at the moment and it's totally gone away. Apparently this is quite common, and something to look forward to when you do get pregnant!

Also, forgot to say - it is v. stress related for me, as well as the other triggers. Bit pointless to say you should try and relax about it when obviously you are ttc which is stressful in itself, but maybe worth giving yourself a month 'off' while you try all the dietary/lifestyle stuff? I also forgot to mention fruit juice I think - v. acidic and a bad trigger alongside coffee, alcohol, Coke etc.

Moggin I think recurrent cystitis with no actual infection is called interstitial cystitis. Something like that anyway. I looked into it properly once when I was really fed up and the description fitted me but I find it very manageable with lifestyle stuff as described so didn't really follow it up. Worth a google though.

I've heard that Barley water works too, not tried it though.

So sorry it's been so rough for you :( I remember it being a vicious circle and I'd spend the half the time I didn't have it worrying that I'd get it!
I didn't find cranberry juice helped much either but a large jug of water poured over my bits when I went to the toilet cooled things down!
Another mumsnetter sent me a pm ages ago with something that really helped her - I'll check my inbox and if I still have it I'll forward it.

I get cystitis a lot and have done since childhood. Like a lot of women who have it often, when I have it it's not an infection so antibiotics do no good (and just give me thrush!). It's caused by irritation rather than infection, which might be true for you too if sex always brings it on nearly immediately. Hot weather, not drinking enough, tight clothes are all also triggers for me. Drinking lots of water is good because it dilutes your pee but even better is drinking lots of something that makes your pee alkali rather than acidic, so that it won't sting. Robinson's lemon barley water works, so does bicarbonate of soda in water (though tastes disgusting), both of which are cheaper than the sachets you can get in the chemist which do the same thing. I just drink a big glass of the barley water pretty much every day, and more often if it's hot/I feel it's coming on/I've been wearing tight clothes etc. It's nice diluted with cold sparkling water.

I have never had any joy with the cranberry juice/tablets thing. Maybe that works better for people who have repeat infections.

I used to get it all the time too. Haven't done though for about 2 years now.

My top tips are:
Make sure you have a bath rather than a shower at least once a week.
Cranberry juice DOES work but only Ocean Spray as all other brands have too low a percentage of actual juice.
Wee sitting upright rather than leaning forward. Also, sit on loos rather than hover.

*other

Arf @ you trying to have sex while practically not touching each another!

I'm like this. I always go for a wee straight after, and if it takes hold I take neurofen. All the other cures have never worked, except antibiotics. But neurone prob takes the swelling down and stops me thinking about it. It is a PITA, and sorry for your MC Moggin. I've had 2 they are shit!