Antibiotics in pregnancy?

[bethski]

I saw my midwife yesterday having had lots of backache and tummy pains the previous afternoon. She tested my urine and muttered something about me needing to drink more water as it was concentrated but carried on with the rest of the check up as though everything was OK. It was only at the end, when I persisted that I really had felt funny the day before and that my Braxton Hicks, although not painful, are frequent and lasting for quite some time, that she said, "I wonder... it could be that you have a UTI". She then disappeared, came back with a specimen pot to be sent off and a prescription for antibiotics. From what she told me, the results of the test won't be back until next Monday, so she wants me to start treatment straight away, but I'm not sure I'm happy with this unless I actually need to. Then again, I don't want to do anything that could harm the baby. I am 37 wks. Does anyone know anything about any dangers of taking antibiotics in pregnancy?

I took 3 courses .. certain ones are fine

you should drink more it will help flush toxins out of your system

your midwife doesn't sound that on the ball .. why would you take abs with no diagnosis ... I'd go see my gp about the other things tbh

The midwife has just been assigned to me after my other one went off work with back trouble, and I have seen so many different ones in the meantime. She isn't the most helpful - apparently the baby is posterior as well but she keeps dismissing this although I want to get as much info as possible about it as my firstborn was posterior and I ended up having quite a bad labour, ending up in a c/s so i would like to try to remedy the situation beforehand really. She keeps telling me that if th baby wants to turn, it will do in labour... I'd like to sort it out before that really!

I've taken a course of antibiotics for a UTI in this pregnancy. My Dad's a GP and I checked with him first. He said the risk to pregnancy of having a UTI is much greater than the risk of taking antibiotics - as long as the person who prescribed them knows you're pregnant (which your midwife clearly does!). If you're prone to UTI's like I am, try to drink lots and lots of water (at least 1.5 litres every day), and cranberry juice. DON'T take over-the-counter remedies for UTIs - they're not safe in pregnancy. Prevention is the best thing, the more water you drink, the more you flush water infections out of your system. Get well soon - I'm a veteran of lots of UTIs & kidney infections, so I definitely sympathise

I've taken antibiotics for UTI's during both my pregnancies. With ds I took them early on, before I even knew for sure that I was pregnant, and with dd I had 3 courses between 7-9mths.
As already said, the risk of an untreated UTI is far greater than taking the antibiotics.

Bethski - This happened to me 6 times in my last pregnancy, right from 5wks to 32wks!

The worst was at 24wks where I ended up in hospital with the risk of going into early labour. So AB's were definitely the safest option!

When dd's teeth came in the enamel was stained yellow on the front ones. The Dentist has told me that this could be the AB's I had round about the time the teeth were developing. Its not that bad though and the teeth are still healthy..... just discoloured slightly. And there's nothing to say its affected her adult teeth.

A small price to pay to avoid giving birth to a 24 wk prem.

So should I take the ABs even though I don't know for certain yet that I have a UTI? I feel fine, apart from the back and tummy pain day before yesterday - is this a symptom of a UTI?

Bethski - 2 of the courses I had were deemed unnecessary. But yes that is a symptom and a UTI can become very painful rapidly! So my advice is to take the AB's.

Thanks SackAche - will do as I'm told!!