Has anybody experienced Bacterial vaginosis during early pregnancy? Did you take antibiotics for it or did it clear up by itself? Is it ok to leave it untreated without risks of miscarriage in second trimester?
I was diagonised with it last week and have been prescribed antibiotic Metronidazole for 7 days. I haven't started the medication yet as the package itself says NOT TO TAKE it during first trimester. I am in my 12th week now. I looked up online and see lot of reports for this medicine suggesting possible birth defects in the child. The pharmacist asked me to call up and confirm with the doctor again but I clearly remember her mentioning that it's ok to take during pregnancy. (I had to see a different doctor in the same clinic as my ob/gyn was not available thanksgiving week)
I got this as a result of taking antibiotics for Urinary tract infection. I am worried if I take antibiotics again , I may end with the same problems again and again.It's like antibiotics are the cure and also the cause for my problems :( Also it's difficult for me to handle the nausea while on antibiotics. The doctors tend to recommend medicines for any infections but I want to know if this is something that can be left untreated (atleast for sometime)? I want to get some opinions so that I can talk to my doctor about it.
Also I am up for trying probiotics as long it's not harmful for the baby.I will discuss that too with my doctor. I am not able to take any yogurt (milk products) as of now. Please let me know if I can try anything else. Also , if I am able to start eating yogurt shortly is there a particular kind I have to purchase and where can I find it?
Also, is there any way to avoid these infections. I am drinking cranberry juice regularly now. Also drinking lot of water. I wash with water and soap (Dove).Is it better to stop doing that?Thanks!
I didn't see this in the posts altho I didn't read them all. My first bb was born early and noone knew why so we are treating for everything- BV, GBS in each trimester etc. She recommended I use acijel (v** supp @ night when symptomatic for BV) to get the pH balance back to where it needs to be after antibx treatment for other things.
Hi! I used to get BV all the time, too. I have since stopped using soap and I now use Summer's Eve feminine wash for sensitive skin (it's fragrance free). That seems to be very mild and I haven't had BV for almost 2 years now.
I've had to infections during my current 15 week pregnancy. I took amoxacillian for both infections and they cleared up. If you keep getting them (this is what my ob said) they might talk about putting you on an antibiotic all the time throughout your pregnancy. The antibiotic is far better than the infection! I was told if untreated it could easily lead to miscarriages. If you don't feel comfortable taking the one they gave you, call and get a different one. They should give you what you are comfortable with taking.
I had BV during my first trimester and took the medication with no complications. I recommend taking the pills with milk instead of water; when I took them with water the pills dissolved on my tongue (and boy do they taste awful lol).
As for washing, just use water and a wash cloth. Soap dries out the vagina and leaves residue which causes irritations and infections. Also, check what the ingredients in your lubricant are. Make sure it's a water-based lubricant with no alcohol, sugar or yeast in it (glycerin and silicone-based are also ok). Alot of women don't realize what's in their intimate products and it can cause a lot of issues for pregnant women.
If you're experiencing discomfort/irritation after the antibiotics, there are "yogurt pills" you can take. Basically it has the same active cultures as yogurt but won't upset your stomach the way milk products can during pregnancy. They worked wonders for M. and I was right as rain after only 2 days. Ask your OB about the options.
When you are pregnant, you tend to get yeast infections easier. Do the yeast treatment. Having yeast infection can be harmful to the pregnancy. Ask your doctor about a probiotic. It shouldn't be any big deal. There are studies that show yeast infection can lead to misscarriage if left untreated.
I had BV as well in my first tri and was prescribed Flagyl. I started taking it and then read the info that came with it. It specifically said NOT to take it during the first tri! I called the doctor and a nurse told M. to stop taking it. Then I called again for a second opinion (from my original NP that prescribed it) and she said that it is an old school of thought that said to not take it. She said she feels it's more important to treat, because of the risk of preterm labor later on. But she left it up to M.. I chose to treat. Although I had a little yeast infection after the antibiotics, that cleared up and the BV never came back. I did, however, have preterm labor (6 weeks early), but I think it was unrelated to the BV - I got a fever that most likely came from enterovirus. Anyway, I think doctors go both ways on this one, and if you are anti-meds, you might try something more natural. I am semi-anti-meds, if that makes any sense, but I still chose to take it.
Best of luck,
Amy
I have never had BV, but I do know that you are not supposed to wash with soap down there because it changes the natural PH balance and irritates the skin and can actually cause infections, including Bacterial Vaginosis. That goes for every woman, not just those who are pregnant. Here is a site for teens that actually explains it really well:
http://www.helpingteens.org/articles/general-health/washi...
Definitely take a look at that! Or search "wash vulva soap" on Google and you will see plenty of sites that say the same thing
I am currently 21 weeks pregnant and was diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis when I was also 12 weeks along. Because of the risks of many antibiotics during that first trimester, my doctor decided not to put M. on any medications. She, first, wanted M. to try eating at least 1 yogurt a day to clear up the issue. The healthy bacterial culture in yogurt will combat the unwanted bacteria in the vagina and clear up the infection. Needless to say, I never needed medications and the problem was all cleared up in about a week. I'd try that route first. There's no use in putting yourself or your baby at risk when it's just not necessary. Good luck.
I am not sure if this is too late, but thought I would respond just in case you haven't made a decision yet. I was diagnosed with BV as well during the first trimester and was given the same meds. I felt very uncomfortable so I consulted another OBGYN and she said not to take it, and that it could clear up on its own. It did and everything went fine. Good luck!
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I had VB during my pregnancy as well. I did not seek treatment because I had sought treatment in the past and had taken the prescribed medication, only to have it return. Prior to getting pregnant, I was able to successfully get rid of it using an Acidopholus pessary (and it went away overnight). I was nervous about using this method while pregnant, so I was extra-cautious; however, it worked just fine and baby seems perfectly healthy.
Hi!
I was on antibiotics for bronchitis and after I got done taking them, I also ended up with bacterial vaginosis! I had never had BV before, so I thought I had a yeast infection and tried to clear it up on my own. After about 3 weeks of trying,I ended up going to the dr. because the itching and rawness was unbelievable! It is not curable without antibiotics they told M.. Since you are pregnant, I would double check with your Dr. I strongly suggest trying to get it cleared up ASAP because as I said the itching is unbelievable!! I hope this helps! Good luck!
Hi SK. I had the BV throughout one of my whole pregnanacies. She said that for some reason they are more common for some women in pregnancy. It is unnerving to be taking antibiotics the whole time. My doc explained that the risk of preterm labor was higher with the infection than the risk of taking the meds while preg and having defects. I am always cautious about meds. I tend to lean on the natural side of things so I asked a lot of questions and decided that I needed to trust my doctor. She had delivered my first (this was with my second or third). I did take acidolpholus (probiotic) while taking these. (It helps the good bacteria not be killed at the same time as the bad bacteria). (One responder mentioned maybe only taking acidolpholus. That could work depending on the severity of the infection. I take it now whenever I start to feel dry and itching and it does help overnight.) It is frustrating because most of the time I coudln't keep the antibiotic down. I kept throwing it up. It does dissolve as soon as you put it on your tongue (the meds I was given). Yuck! Which prob why I had a hard time getting rid of the infection. My kiddos are perfectly healthy, no defects. Good Luck! I know it is hard to look at the packaging and wonder if you should be taking these meds. Maybe asking some more questions of your doctor could put you at ease.
I don't know about the antibiotics, but I can tell you that taking probiotics now won't hurt the baby. If you're not eating yogurt, there are probiotics in pill form that you can take. Acidophilus is what you want, it will be kept in the refrigerated compartment. I personally take Flora (something), I can't remember. Come take a trip to Valley Natural Foods in Burnsville, they have many choices, and very knowledgable staff
Good luck!
BV is a constant problem for M. and I did have to take the Metorgel(Metronidazole) during early pregnancy. For M. there were no side effects and the benefits of using it far outweighed the risks. The risks of harm to the baby are very minimal. There is a gel over the counter called Rephresh used for BV. I would ask you doc if you could use that.
probiotics are a-ok for the baby. but make sure you get a good one. you want one that has to be refrigerated. Floragen is what I take. Talk to your pharmacist. and if you have any questions about your meds CALL YOUR DOCTOR. asap. that's why they are there.
