potential infection

[bubblegum02]

Hello,

I am currently nearly 17 weeks pregnant with number 2 and I have done better on the anxiety front this time round than I did with my first child. Until this week. I started getting itchy 'down there' a few days ago.

Googled it and have terrified myself about bacterial vaginosis. I have my 16 week midwife appointment tomorrow but I am not sure if she will do a swab there and then or tell me I need to book a doctors appointment which could take who knows how long.

Can someone help me stop panicking about this!? I don't know for a fact I even have it but it is in my mind now and my mind tends to jump to worst case scenario.

Or has anyone had it whilst pregnant? Was all okay?

Thank you!

Sorry that you're feeling so anxious about this. I've had bv before and typically your discharge is usually a different colour like grey/yellow/green and will have a smell. It doesn't tend to be itchy. It sounds like you have thrush which can be itchy, cause discomfort and sometimes your discharge will be more clumpy like cottage cheese. Most women get it while pregnant. Just make an appointment with your doctor and they'll advise 😊 hope this helps

It’s more likely to be thrush with itching. I’ve had BV and thrush during this pregnancy. When I had BV it was just picked up by chance after I had some bleeding, so I’m not sure how long I had it for as no symptoms otherwise. I had antibiotics. Could you text or call your midwife today and ask if it’s possible to do a swab tomorrow, and then if not you can pick one up from the GP and get it done fairly quickly?

Sounds more like thrush to me. It is a common symptom during pregnancy I am afraid.

Speak to your midwife or doctor and they should be able to prescribe some pessaries to cure the infection.

Also, avoid scented bodywash/shower gel, avoid scented washing powder & liquid, avoid wearing constricting clothing like jeans, and wear cotton underwear, not lacy or anything.

thanks all.

cant say I've noticed any colour difference, its still white but more watery or any really offensive smell.

the itch is driving me nuts!

Thrush is very common in pregnancy and it can be a sign of high blood sugar. Speak to your midwife and they will test your urine for sugar (which they should do at every check up you have)
Avoid any scented products in washing or bath. My symptoms of thrush were always intense itching, I never got lumpy discharge unless it was due to antibiotics.

The high sugar is interesting, I've been really trying to kick the fizzy drink habit recently. Suffered with really bad sickness this time around and full fat fizzy drinks were the only thing that helped so that might be what has kicked it off!

Seeing her tomorrow morning so hoping I will get something to help.

I had 6 months of symptomless BV with this pregnancy (confirmed by multiple swabs at the lab) and was put on several courses of antibiotics that I deeply regret because they did absolutely nothing to solve the problem. Am about to give birth so can't confirm if the antibiotics have had side effects but baby seems fine so far. Stopping the antibiotics and just taking 3 probiotics vaginally every month got rid of the problem. Antibiotics just made me feel awful and killed all the good bacteria, do not recommend!

I just keep getting waves of panic about it which i know is silly because I dont even know I have bacterial vaginosis but it's awful seeing it say that it can cause worse case scenario things when that's the kind of place my mind can go to on it's own, let alone with it being in black and white online!

the rational part of my brain is telling myself I'm seeing my midwife in the morning and even if it is BV hopefully it will get sorted quickly and no harm done but its tough when you alresdy have anxiety :(

It sounds like thrush to me too. I’m 27 weeks and was diagnosed recently with strep b infection from one of the usual urine samples, and as a result was prescribed antibiotics for a presumed UTI (although no cystitis symptoms). I’d been feeling really itchy and horrible down there like you, but when I went for a swab to check the antibiotics had worked and there was no BV, they did find thrush.

I feel much better for a Canesten pessary (annoyingly they told me to buy my own instead of giving me a prescription!) but before that I found switching to La Roche Posay lipikar AP wash (very plain unscented, recommended by Sali Hughes for those prone to cystitis, thrush etc) helped a lot. Going to carry on using that in the hope of fending off further attacks!

Unfortunately thrush is really common in pregnancy as the bacterial balance gets all messed up- it’s incredibly annoying!

I was going to say even with the strep b they will manage it by giving me antibiotics during labour which reduces the risk to baby a lot- so please don’t worry too much.

I think it doesnt help that my discahrge is watery and I've seen that can be a symptom but I also know watery discharge is common in pregnancy too!

there isnt an offensive smell either which is semi reassuring. trying not to freak out too much.

thank you for reassurance, hope all goes well with rest of your pregnancy

Midwife is pretty certain it's thrush based on my urine sample.

Before I told her, she did the little dip test thing and asked if I was having any pain when urinating and I explained about the itching etc.

She said she will send it off and it will be tested to see if it is thrush, bacterial vaginosis or a UTI to be certain.

I didn't realise the urine sample could pick this up, I thought she would have to do a swab bute relieved it is being sorted.

but* not bute

Oh that’s good- hopefully then you can be prescribed the right thing to sort it out.

I work in a microbiology lab and yes, yeast can grow from urine, it sounds like you have thrush, really common in pregnancy, hope you get an answer and treatment soon, its miserable isn't it?!!

it is so itchy but I'm relieved it is more likely thrush than bacterial vaginosis!

she said BV doesnt tend to cause itchiness and soreness and I am, ahem, very swollen too now so all points towards thrush. no horrible smell either.