Every time I go to my doctor appointments I am asked if I have any complaints. To this question I have always been lucky enough to respond…No! As lucky as I felt to be able to honestly say that I was feeling good, I also started to get nervous that something was bound to go wrong. I didn’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but I just knew I had to have at SOME worry at the end of my pregnancy, and finally I am sad to report the other shoe has finally dropped. With less than 2 weeks to my due date, I can now worry.

I am extremely prone to UTI’s and always have been (you can read more about that background here ). Throughout this pregnancy, I have had a UTI probably 4 times. Which is a lot if you ask me, but thus far I have been told that the Macrobid medicine given to me was perfectly safe (even though this study about the dangers of UTI medication came out). Three weeks ago I mentioned to the doctor that I felt some of the normal UTI symptoms, but couldn’t tell if it was just pregnancy or really a UTI. I was told that the test stick they used in the office showed negative, but they would test my urine anyway. Low ans behold it came back positive. I was prescribed Macrobid….fine. Fast forward to last Tuesday’s appointment and the same thing happened. Test stick showed no UTI, but I mentioned that I was up peeing at night about 5 times and the doctor wanted to get it tested.

I hadn’t heard from him, so I decided to call the office. When I got a call back this is what I heard.. “to be honest the reason I haven’t called you back is because I don’t know what to do with you.” WHAT? He said that Macrobid is no longer safe this far along in the pregnancy, and he can’t give me anything with Penicillin due to my “supposed” allergy (boy do I have to look into this after Pooh bear is born). Long story short, there is nothing to treat my UTI till AFTER the baby is born. Just wonderful….

What can I do? He said to drink lots of fluids, up my vitamin C, and take cranberry extract. Not exactly a cure, but something I guess. But what now? A UTI left untreated can cause kidney infections, and be very dangerous. Will they want to induce me should it get worse, and baby doesn’t come on his own? I have another appointment Wednesday, so I will ask these questions in person.

I have now officially given little Pooh Bear an eviction notice. Mommy now has an infection and needs him to come out (should he be ready of course), so that she can be treated. So yes, the other shoe has finally dropped and I have started to worry. What would the end of pregnancy be with out a little bit of worry right?

Last November I wrote a post about a new study that connected some UTI medications and birth defectsOnce I found out that my doctor prescribed me Macrobid I was LIVID! I hunted that on call man down. Isn’t that what “on call” is for? Once I got him on the phone we had a long conversation. Basically, I was screwed. Here’s a little background. When I was 18 I got hives when I took penicillin, and from then on I told all doctors that I was allergic to penicillin to be safe. And one of the safest drugs to take when pregnant is…wait for it….penicillin. And erythromycin. But it turns out that erythromycin won’t cure the strain of bacteria that I have. So that leaves Penicillin…which I can’t take…and Macrobid. Do you see the dilemma? My doctor told me that I didn’t have much of a choice because the Penicillin could kill me, and if I didn’t treat it with Macrobid then I could get sepsis from the UTI. On a better note it seemed that the doc wasn’t worried about the Macrobid. He told me that he prescribed it to women for years, and that I shouldn’t lose sleep over it….ya right!

The doctor told me that he usually recommends to his patients that if they “think” they are allergic to penicillin that they should go to an allergist and get tested for sure. It sounded like a wonderful idea to me. I mean why not? At least if I found out for sure, I could have peace of mind. Well that sounded all wonderful and great till I actually had that appointment with the allergist. Actually, you almost have to laugh at the outcome of this….ready? They CAN’T test me to see if I am allergic to Penicillin because it could be harmful to me and baby. WHAT? That’s right. The test includes taking different doses of the Penicillin to see if any reactions occur. BUT..if a reaction does occur then I could lose the baby!? Therefore, the test isn’t safe.

So where does that leave me? Back to where we started. I am now finishing up this round of meds, and I just get to hope and pray that I don’t get more UTI’s. Not the best course of action but there is really no other option for me. It’s amazing how my body is no longer my own. Every choice I make for myself will now affect our baby. It’s amazing and scary at the same time. I guess the worrying will continue for the rest of my life when it comes to this kid….don’t worry. I am up for the challenge!

Studies Suggest Increased Risk of Birth Defects With UTI Treatments

Based on the article in the Morning Call

The new study is the first large analysis of antibiotic use in pregnancy. It found that mothers of babies with birth defects were more likely than mothers with healthy babies to report taking two types of antibiotics during pregnancy: sulfa drugs (brand names include Thiosulfil Forte and Bactrim) and urinary germicides called nitrofurantoins (brand names include Furadantin and Macrobid).

I personally have been taking Macrobid to PREVENT UTI’s. I have been doing this since my senior year in college, and it really has prevented me from getting them. When I was pregnant this past summer I was told that they prescribe this type of medication to pregnant women all the time, and it was completely safe. I honestly thought my doctor would tell me that the article meant nothing and to continue on my course. But that was not the case. He confirmed what I read in the article!

Birth defects linked to sulfa drugs included rare brain and heart problems, and shortened limbs. Those linked to nitrofurantoins (ny-troh-fyoor-AN’-toyns) included heart problems and cleft palate. The drugs seemed to double or triple the risk, depending on the defect.

Double or Triple the chances??? I certainly don’t need to raise the odds! So I will no longer be taking the medication. My doctor recommended daily cranberry pills and lots of water. I have tried that in the past but it hasn’t worked. I just hope it does this time.

My friend told me that getting this news now was a sign from God to stop me from putting pills that could potentially harm my future baby. I think she is right. So if you are trying to get pregnant, or plan to in the future please keep this information in mind and talk to your doctor. I’m glad I did!