Would you take antibiotics in this situation?

[Caz10]

I am 29 weeks pg. My toddler Dd has had a horrendous chest infection all of last week, a horrible cough, no sleep, lethargic etc. I thought I'd dodged it till the night before last when I spent a good deal of time coughing, felt that horrible heaviness in my chest etc. Same again last night although have felt reasonable during the day. Am knackered and achey all the time anyway so it is hard to tell what is what! Anyway called to get docs apt hoping they could listen to my chest, no apts all this week of course, but they are happy to leave me a prescription for antib's!
I found this a bit weird when I might not even have anything...would I be mad to take them? Or mad not to take them?!

I think the docs tend to give you antib's anyways! I have seen consultants and midwives and they have given me 4 courses of antib's over my pregnancy for suspected UTI. I find this a bit weird my self really. They seem to hand them out like sweets! I have worked in microbiology and I would say if its a chest infection and could get nasty maybe its worth taking them? I can think of nothing worse than looking after DC and being poo your self. I dont know what they have prescribed you. They will give general ones that should clear things up and are safe in pregnancy. Good luck hope your all feeling better soon!

I had bronchitis over Christmas following the flu. I took monster antibs becuase I honestly thought I was going to die (at one point I was hoping I might as I felt so rough!).

However, I'm not normally one for taking anything if I can help it so I would advise insisting on an emergency gp appointment or contact your MW or hospital ante-natal clinic.

Thanks! Spoke briefly to MW and she said probably to take them BUT pointed out possibility of thrush, oh joy! They were absolutely unwielding on emergency appointment, will be end of week before I get one. if I wasn't Pg I'd be soldiering on tbh, but a bit more wary now.

I am currently coming to the end of an almighty chest and throat infection. Still on the antibiotics until Wednesday. Take them is all I can say. Considering rough I still feel now and I suffered for a week before I went to the doc so can't imagine just how bad things may have got if I hadn't got them.

I personally think the practice of prescribing medication without being seen or examined is terrible and open to huge errors, i'm amazed GP's put themselves in this vulnerable position. I've seen some tragic errors with the 'self diagnosis' of swine flu last year where you could collect tamiflu without being seen by a health professional only for it to be meningitis with awful consequences. Have you got any walk in centres near you, they're a great alternative to gp surgeries, no appointment required. Gp's, by the way are obliged by goverment targets to offer an appt within 48 hours - try quoting this or making out you're worse than u are to get emergency appt. Hope you feel better soon x

Yeah i agree with doodledee i would be straight to the walk in center, i have had to wait a couple of hours to be seen before at ours and its a fair way from my house but worth it to see a professional who can give you a definate answer. if it is an infection though, i would not bat an eyelid at taking them tbh.

Hiya I agree that finding a walk in centre is a good idea bur if you can't and things get worse, it might be worth a visit to a and e. Are you coughing up gunk? Green colluded phlegm is an indicator too.
I have just been discharged from hospital with nasty chest infection and partial collapsed lung. I did start anti b's at home but needed iv ones for a few days and k think if I had started them earlier I would not have needed to go i to hospital.

I hope you feel better soon xx

Thanks again ladies. Quite rural here so no walk in centres, but luckily I managed to get a cancellation for tomorrow pm. Either that or they were sick of me phoning and just squeezed me in! Yes gunk has been coughed up, oddly solid little lumps of brown stuff, grim!

Oompaloompa are you Pg too? That sounds nasty, hope you are better now

Just been prescribed penicillin for a sinus infection, 29 weeks pregnant and am so desperate for it to go away I would take anything right now.

Though not delighted that the amoxycillin tablets are luridly coloured with sunset yellow and carmoisine food colouring though...

Hiya, yes i am 24 weeks with our first. They wanted me to go to maternity unit but there was no room at the inn so was on a medical assessment unit, 3 hours sleep during thr whole admission!
I hope your appoint,ent goes ok tomorrow, let us know.

It's amoxycillan they've given me, unless I take a turn for the worse overnight I think I will hold off until tomorrow afternoon to take them.

Being thick sorry, but what does colluded mean in terms of phlegm? (lovely convo, sorry)

When i was pregnant with the twins i got a chest infection. I resisted the antibiotics until my coughing nearly brought on labour (i was about 30 wks i think). I ended up in hospital on antibiotics and steroid injections (incase babies came early). I was also given oral steroids to get rid of the infection. Wish i had taken the antibiotics in the first place. Of course it could be that i was having twins so there was extra pressure down there anyway. Not trying to scare you but i ended up getting a few courses of antibiotics in the end

oh my lord I am scared to cough now starshaker!! My pelvic floor is already non-existant after pushing for what felt like several weeks with DD1...worst I had worried about was weeing myself!

I didnt mean to scare you, and like i said i had twins in there. I was told when i coughed kinda hold my bump up that way it wasnt putting pressure down there. My twins stayed put till 36 weeks and were perfect. I would take the antibiotics though.

I've been holding my bump instinctively actually when I cough! Sure there is no chance of baby shooting out but glad I am seeing doc tomorrow anyway!
Congrats on your twins btw!

Forgot to post back sorry! I do indeed have a chest infection, but glad I waited to see the GP for confirmation. Baby still in the right place!

Just off o the drs this morning with awful suspected chest infection, so fed up as I have managed 6 months of pregnancy without even having to take a paracetamol!! Very nervous about taking any antibiotic, although all research seems to say that penicillins are safe!? Fingers crossed!

I am off to the Drs this morning with a suspected chest infection, started as a cold and thought I had dodged the dreaded tight chest, but not so lucky, as now have what I feel like a sumo wrestler sitting on my chest.
Really fedup as I have maanged 6 months of pregnancy wihout taking as much as a paracetamol! Not happy about the prospect of antibiotics, although all the research I have done seems to support penicillins being safe?! Fingers crossed!

My friend is an obstetrician (spelling?!) and said that taking them was FAR safer than not taking them! I am the same, 30 weeks now and not had a thing, seems silly taking antib's and not even a cough sweetie! But they seem to be safe and the alternative could be getting seriously ill. Feel better soon!

Thanks caz10. It is a throat infection and I am on penicillin for 1 week and boy am I glad that I am, as I have been feeling sooo rough! Next problem is my cough that I have developed, sounds really stupid, but really worried about destabalizing cervix etc through coughing so hard!! Had to sleep sitting up last night as cough was so bad! Anyone else suffering the same?

I didn't have much in the way of pelvic floor before coughing for a week...now...oh lordy...

I am the same and got a second opinion and they said amoxycillan is considered safe in pregnancy so to have theat title they must have done some research.

Hope you feel better soon x