Antibiotics during pregnancy?

dd99

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Hi all, my wife's second pregnancy has been cruising along well. She's about 10 weeks pregnant now, eating quite Peatish, apart from sourdough bread.

She got a letter today from her doctor saying she had streptococcus group B in her urine, so had to take a course of penicillin now to clear it up (and prevent a possible UTI) and then an IV drip with antibiotics during labour. Does anyone have any experience with or know anything about GBS (strep group B)?

I would really appreciate any advice. I'm quite worried about the impact of antibiotics during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, and on my wife's gut health. Could it even be a beneficial thing, rebalancing her estrogen and progesterone ratio? Are there any risks of genetic abnormalities caused by penicillin?

Thanks for your help.
 

Blossom

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It's part of the normal flora in the vagina and rectum in 25% of women and usually causes no problem to the mother but if the baby picks it up during childbirth it can lead to sepsis or lung infections (other things too that I can't remember) in the baby. That's why they want to decrease the number of bacteria now and also before she delivers.
I'm just going off memory from working in a neonatal ICU years ago. Your wife will have a much better chance tolerating the antibiotics than your newborn baby would if he/she were infected. This is just the little bit I know from the medical perspective. Hopefully others will add additional information.
 
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dd99

dd99

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Blossom said:
Your wife will have a much better chance tolerating the antibiotics than your newborn baby would if he/she were infected.
Thanks, Blossom, this puts it into perspective for me.
 
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dd99

dd99

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We've just had an update from the midwife. Despite the fact that my wife isn't testing positive for Group B Strep anymore, they will still give her antibiotics during labour. If she doesn't get 4 hours' worth of antibiotics into her before baby is delivered, then baby will also get antibiotics. If she takes longer than 4 hours to deliver, then baby will be observed and only given antibiotics if infected with GBS.

I'm concerned about the impact of antibiotics on our baby. I know it's better than him/her contracting meningitis or pneumonia from GBS. But, what are the long term impacts on gut health? Is it such a big deal, in the context of a Peatish clean gut? My wife will breastfeed for about 12 months, so would that repair any 'damage'?
 

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