Hey ladies :)
I am 20 weeks preggers today, and I'm having a bit of a dilemma that is not pressing enough to call the OB on their day off but is enough to do some more research on. The thing is, I never take medicine. Usually I don't take anything because either I know nothing will work (like with a headache), or I know the medicine will make me feel worse than better (like cold medicine). While I'm pregnant, I'm especially adamant about not taking meds because one day something is completely safe, the next day, the 1-800-dial-a-lawyer is on TV talking about lawsuits against a drug company that was wrong.
This past week I've been really sick and the doctor gave me antibiotics, and for fevers, I took tylenol. I know that tylenol in moderation is completely safe and is the one thing that can always be trusted. I've had a problem with my hips hurting unbearably when I sleep for the last several weeks, and the tylenol actually made them feel better. I almost went outside in the rain and did cartwheels out of excitement because I've been waking up every hour or so every night having to shift positions.
My question is this: does anyone have any experience with taking tylenol more than just intermittantly during pregnancy? Does anyone know if its safety long term during pregnancy has been studied? A good night sleep is so incredibly important, but its more important that my baby be safe and healthy.
My next OB appt is Tuesday so I'll get to ask them then, but I'm bad at waiting for answers like this :) Thanks for any help you can offer!
A.
Thank you ladies so much for your responses! I decided over the last few days to take tylenol at night only if it became unbearable, and luckily it didn't get too bad. At my appointment today with my OB, he said that as long as its taken as its recommended, daily use is actually considered safe.
I totally appreciate all of the feedback I've been receiving. The reason I chose not to call the OB over the weekend as soon as the question arose is because I knew that for as little tylenol as I was taking (just two doses Saturday, one dose Sunday and none yesterday), it was a question that could wait. Saturday's was actually for the fever. Generally speaking, when something comes up, I call. I've had many panicked phone calls to the OB over stuff that turned out to be nothing =)
As for the visit itself, everything is progressing very well, and we found out that we're having a girl!
Hi A.,
I completely agree with Shannon. The only thing I'd add is that I would have called the on-call doc with that question. I don't know how long you've been taking it, but I'd rather be safe, too.
D.
A.,
Tylenol is about the safest drug on the market today,taken according to product directions, of course.
When I was pregnant the only things that I was told I could take safely for illness, over-the-counter, was Tylenol, the occasional Advil, and Sudafed for colds. As far as Sudafed, they now have psuedoephedra- free (PSE-free) options that are safer to take today.
Antibiotics should always be taken as prescribed. I was on Trimox for three months during my first pregnancy and my daughter was in perfect health at birth.
Just remember, your doctor is there to help you and would never prescribe something that would harm you or your baby. If you are ever unsure about medications that are prescribed or OTC then always tell your OB-GYN about your concerns. Better to be aware and comfortable about what you are doing for yourself.
Hello, I have had three. As far as I have been told about tylenol, the only real thing is that your body can start to get a resistance to it, just like with everything else. Other than that, no doctor has said it is dangerous at all. I have never had the situation you have though, so of course ask your doctor first. Congrats!
A., I had a similar problem when I was pregnant. The baby got too long for my frame and actually caused bruising and alot of pain. My OB (cause I called him, since I wouldn't take anything) said that Advil was by far the safest choice, he prefered the liquid gels (thought they worked better and were less likely to upset my stomach). He said that to take them in moderation, but following the label, so no more than recommened, but less if I was feeling better. It's always okay to call your OB and at least talk to a nurse and if they don't like that, get a new one, but here's what mine said. Hope this helps and you feel better. It's always nice to see a mom really care about the baby they're carrying!
I'm 26 weeks and I was going through the same thing you are. I even went to L&D because I wasn't of what it was. If you are experiencing what I was then it is completely normal and the actually does subside after a couple of weeks. I was told that the pain is caused by the ligaments in your hips stretching and expanding. I took tylenol and it did absolutely nothing for me.
What worked was sleeping in a more upright position, propped up by pillows and using a heating pad in the evenings. The cat's pose from yoga also helped with the pain. I would try those before going back to the tylenol.
i took tylenol every so often with my pregnancy and my son was fine. i even used a heating pad on my back towards the end b/c my back hurt so bad. tylenol is the safest thing you can take. you and the baby will be fine. only take it if you really need to though.
I would imagine Tylenol taken properly is absolutely safe. I had to take Percocet my entire pregnancy, which I was told was safe...but you always have your doubts, but when the pain's unbearable you'll do whatever it takes. Needless to say, we had a very healthy baby at birth. There were no side effects and the drugs did not cross the placenta and so in no way affected him. On another note, I had some of these pains during pregnancy as well, and the thing that helped the most, was something by Leachco called a Snoogle, it's 49.99 at BabiesR'Us but absolutely worth it, and was the only way I could get any sleep. I hope this helps and you're feeling better soon, and congratulations for your upcoming birth!
A.,
You might try hot rice bags before bed for your hips. I broke a rib when I was preg with my last one and that helped as much as any meds. Just take a cloth bag, fill it with rice and microwave until it's comfortably hot. Something about the rice has always worked better for me than a traditional heating pad. As far as I know, Tylenol is perfectly safe to take during pregnancy. Just don't go over the recommended dosage and let your OB know next time your in.
Good luck!
According to the info my DR gave me, the tylenol is perfectly fine for 1-3 doses a day! So if your taking it at night to help with your hips you should be fine.
I had asked about it because my son was so far down in my pelvis that his head was rubbing against all my bones. At that point I still had more then 2 months to go. So she suggested/ told me that the Tylenol was perfectly fine to take!
