Hey ladies,
I am 8 weeks pregnant and just went in for my first OB appt. The nurse midwife did a swab and determined that I had a bacterial infection, for which she prescribed Flagyl, an antibiotic. I had not really been having any symptoms besides some discharge (sorry, that word is so gross, but we all experience it :) I started taking the antibiotic that day, and took three doses before reading the precautions the pharmacy sent home with me. Those precautions said NOT to take Flagyl in the first trimester! I called the nurse midwife on call and she said to stop taking it and wait until my 12 week checkup to see if it's resolved on it's own. I've since heard from other moms that bacterial infections can lead to miscarriage. My question is, has anyone else experienced a bacterial infection in the first trimester, and if so, was it left untreated? If not, what antibiotic did you take? I will call a doctor tomorrow, but I also appreciate the advice of experienced mothers.
Thanks!
Thanks everyone for the great advice. I have since talked to two other nurse midwives who have both reassured me that Flagyl is now considered safe to take during the first trimester, and they felt that the benefits of treating the infection outweighed the risks of contraindication. I have not been able to get the opinion of an OB doctor, as they will not give advice over the phone. Apparently you have to schedule a visit and pay them hundreds of dollars for a little advice! The medical profession can be very frustrating, but it just shows how important it is for us to be aware of what is going on (and what we're being prescribed) at all times! Thanks again Mamas!
Get a second opinion. You need treated for the infection. I lost several babies and had an infection that went undetected. I will never know if that was the true cause of death. If I had known that I had an infection I would have insisted that it be taken care of.
I can't really help you with the infection part but my question is - why is your nurse midwife prescribing drugs to her pregnant patient when she doesn't know the contraindictaions of those meds? That seems like a serious lack of knowledge and you might want to explore that situation a bit. I mean, every medicine basically SAYS to check with your doctor if you are pregnant, but if that one says not to take in in the first trimester, it shouldn't even be on her list of drugs to think about. I would either find a new nurse midwife or at least have a serious conversation with her about how this happened.
Good luck!
First of all, I'm so glad you read your medication sheet. You would be suprised if you knew how many people don't. I know you have had a lot of help already, but I hope this helps. Flagyl is a catergory B pregnancy rating. This means that when extremely large doses where giving to pregnant mice, the fetuses were not harmed (yes, that is cruel, but they can't test on pregnant woman).
Flagyl can also cause neurological problems in adults, seizures and numbness (this is probably the contradindication that you read on your med sheet).
It also crosses the placental barriar (which means your baby will receive some of the medication).
Because, most of the nerological development of the fetus happens in the first trimester AND flagyl can cause neurological complications in adults....the FDA automatically say do not take the chance unless you have to, even though all animal test show that it was safe.
PS. If you have trouble getting answers from your doctor about medications. I would speak with your pharmacist. They can probably give you a better explanation about the medication and help you make a decision.
Hi Amy, I for some reason was super prone to bacterial infections throughout my second pregnancy. I lived on flagyl. I am almost positive that i took it during my first trimester because i was vomiting a lot and flagyl made it worse. i was on it basically through my whole pregnancy because the risk of miscarriage from a bacterial infection. i think the benefit out weighed the risk. My daughter is four now and is healthy and the pregnancy/delivery were great too. Don't be shy about talking with your doctor so that you are comfortable. I am not a big medicine person but had to trust the woman i was paying to take care of me and my baby. Good luck and congrats!!
I was treated for bacterial infections with 3 of my 4 pregnancies. My first child was born prematurely and the doctor thought it may have been from an untreated bacterial infection. For some reason when I was pregnant I would get these bacterial infections. I don't know if it was from the change in the vaginal PH??? Anyway those are my thoughts on your question. Be cautious and if you don't trust one answer from one professional, go to another for a second opinion!
Hi Amy~
I hade one with my 4th baby. I read and seen it can cause miscarrage also... I freaked! I had already had so many problems already and was at a 50/50 of being able to carry him until 20 weeks. I left it alone as the Dr. said and it cleared up on its own by my 12 week check up and I have a very healthy 19 mo. Good luck and with me it was okay to leave it alone and it cleared up.
HI Amy! I agree with Tiffany! Also, when you call a Dr. tomorrow, call an ObGyn.
I am very surprised that she prescribed Flagyl. My experience with Flagyl is that it's prescribed for parasitic infection not a bacterial infection. Hmmmm....
Also, when I was pregnant and had to use prescriptions I checked with the pharmacist each time and TWICE the pharm. discovered that the drug was NOT safe for pregnancy. Asking a pharmacist is a good safeguard. It never hurts to double check!
Congrats on your pregnancy!
HI
Different antibiotics are made to treat different things and only specific ones are ok for pregnant women. You can try the Z-Pac. It is good for nose problems. It might work.
M.
Amy, I had the same thing and was also given Flagyl. I got a second opinion from a different OBGYN. She did not have me take the flagyl, after the exam she said she did not feel the discharge was bad although she did not do a culture. I was never treated for bacterial vaginosis throughout the pregnancy and everything was fine. I was very worried both ways if I don't take anything will I lose the baby, if I do will something be wrong...I just knew it didn't feel right taking the flagyl. The first OB was younger and newer and had said they now feel flagyl is safe, and the second OB was older and had years of experience so that is why I continued to see the second one. Good luck! A.
Hi amy
I think you should be on something for your infection. I also would consider finding a new midwife she is supose to know what is safe take and what is not. if she has made this mistake what else will she mess up on. good luck. T.
