Anyone had to take tonnes of antibiotics during pregnancy?

[Roo9875]

At 39 weeks pregnant I’m now my third round of antibiotics this pregnancy..UTI, sinus infection and now burst eardrum! I didn’t get ill at all with my first pregnancy and I’ve had three lots of amoxicillin now..also need IV penicillin during labour for group b strep. I feel like my poor baby won’t have any gut flora left :( read scary things about antibiotics linked to long term effects like obesity and diabetes when taking by young babies / in early life so freaking out but I can’t really not have them either..I left the sinus infection 6 weeks to avoid antibiotics and just got progressively more ill.

Anything I can do to help baby 2 after birth? I’ll be breastfeeding again hopefully..wonder if I take probiotics etc it will help

Yes taking probiotics (probably) can help and you can start to take them before birth. They are not sure when baby’s gut bacteria gets colonised - has been the belief until recently that baby’s gut is sterile at birth and it is birth itself that helps gut to be colonised but now they are not 100% sure. Just do a bit of research as to what strains are best. I’ve been looking into this as I need to have the Group B Strep antibiotics in labour.

I feel you! In my first pregnancy I had about five lots of various antibiotics through the second and third trimesters for vicious UTIs - it was awful! The best thing you can do for baby’s microbiome is a) have a vaginal birth; and b) breastfeed. My son has no demonstrable ill effects from my antibiotics (including tooth enamel issues, which scared me at the time of taking the drugs). The only two things I had in my birth plan were that I wanted a vaginal birth and I wanted to breastfeed.

As you say, it’s not like you can just not take the antibiotics because the dangers of infection outweigh the potential risks of antibiotic use. I hope you feel better soon and that this doesn’t play on your mind too much. You’re making the best decisions for you and baby x

Hi! Congrats on your pregnancies! Can you provide me some guidance if your baby was ok, spoke etc even after taking 5 lots of antibiotics? I am so worried I am on my 4th now due to UTI. Really appreciate some info here thanks!!!!!@LabradorFiasco

@JulietteIsabelle happy to confirm that my baby is completely developmentally normal! Now 22 months and speaks, sings, hugs, draws, runs and all the rest. The antibiotics could well have prevented me from going into premature labour (he was born at 38+2), a possible side effect of unchecked UTIs. So I am glad I took them. I also had IV antibiotics in labour so overall we had 6 loads. Am about to give birth to my second child and have had zero UTIs/antibiotics so I think I was unlucky first time round.
I hope you feel better soon and good luck with your pregnancy.

thanks so much for coming back so quickly I am so worried! Congrats on your second baby!!! @LabradorFiasco

@JulietteIsabelle bless you, I remember the worry. For me, the risk of a UTI spreading to the uterus was greater than the risk of antibiotics causing damage to baby. I think I was 24 weeks when I started my first lot and finished the last round at 36 weeks - it was a long slog! Worth it to finally find the one that kicked the infection though. UTIs are awful, really hope the next lot of antibiotics work for you.

Amen thank you so much! Good luck on your delivery xoxo @LabradorFiasco