# Had a stitch on Monday and now Infection!



## KrystalDawn

Hi, Im new to this website so im still finding my way around.
I had a cervical stitch (mcdonald) on Monday and i have had signs of infection (been swabbed awaiting results) i have been given anti - biotics and am now taking them 3 times a day for a week. I really would like to speak to any ladies that have had stitches or experienced infections with stitches as this is my biggest fear happening. Thank you x


----------



## CelticNiamh

You might find checking out this thread would be of help https://www.babyandbump.com/gestati...rclage-threatened-labour-103.html#post9416237

great group of girls there who have been there with stiches and may be able to advise

Best of luck and hope you heal well and can enjoy the rest of your pregnancy with a brilliant out come :flower:


----------



## mafalda2005

I had infections and doctor gave me antibiotics, then I had another type of infection and she gave me another antibiotic. After that everything went well.

If they found it and gave you antibiotics, you can be quiet, you are doing all you can do, I think.


----------



## KrystalDawn

Thanks for your replies!
Mafalda did they tell you what infections you had and how soon after your stitch did you have them? I had infection with my twin pregnancy (loss) without a stitch so im just very anxious x


----------



## mafalda2005

I had a streptococcus (that is bad) and the second time mobilincus. The first one (if I remember well) was urinary, the second vaginal.

My very first pregnancy ended at 19 weeks for PPROM (without any control of infections) and this could be provoked by an infection. So I was very glad that my doctor controlled me very well and gave me antibiotics. She can have save my LO (and the successive too).

I don't remember after how much time she controlled me again, but not immediately after (maybe after 2 weeks).


----------



## KrystalDawn

Im not familar with those infections. Did you have symptoms and do you know if they were brought on because of the stitch? Sorry for lots of questions! My heads full of them right now! lol

My twin pregnancy - i had pprom at 23 weeks and went into labour 5 days later due to infection. Infection was never identified but there was bacteria found from the b.v family on one of my placentas. 

How many weeks were you when you had the stitch put in place? i had it at 13 weeks and 5 days im now 14 weeks and 3 days. Im just so worried Thanks for your help! very much appreciated! x


----------



## mafalda2005

I had ho symptoms, nothing nothing nothing. This is the worst thing. Mobiluncus was around 14-15 (I found documentation) STrepto I don't find the documentation. Tho control was made exactly a month after I made the stich.

She made me do stitch because of my first experience. For the PPROM I don't know if the cause was an infection, because in hospital they give me antibiotics *before* make stitch (fox!) and after 4 days of antibiotics I hadn't infections. However the biopia told corioamnionitis (that can be caused by strepto).

I can imagine your fear, I proved it. I remember I didn't tell anybody that I was pregnant (If I didn't meet personally) even to my relatives. I was terrified. It's a pain too big.

Here (in Italy) pregnant women make the analisys with antibiogram of urine 2 or 3 times during pregnancy. 

BUT I think that your doctor control you and you can only be quiet. I wish you all the best, I'm with you.


----------



## Sarah&Ady

Hello, I just kinda stumbled across this post... I had a sticth at 13.5 weeks also and had multiple unidentifiable infections thoughout my pregnany. I gave birth to a healthy boy on the 5th Jan :) I had the stitch because I lost my daughter at 21 weeks .. incompetant cervix/infection. 
I was given broad spectrum antibiotics and when they didnt work I was given a targeted antibiotic which seemed to work for a while. Obviously I was advised to not have sex, swim in public pools or have baths. I guess it is because of the risk of infections. I stuck to all this and it turned out ok.
I also had Group B Strep in my 1st pregnancy and it could have been a contributing factor. Because I had it then they treated me as though I had in the 2nd and I Jamie was kept in SCBU for 5 days as a precaution xx


----------



## KrystalDawn

Thanks again for the replies - im actually writing alot of your replies down! Im scared that after this infection happening so soon from the op that i will have constant re-current infections. How oftern were you all tested? I have my own vaginal testing infection gloves that flags up infections but doesnt identify them which help me alot to stay on top when the nhs dont. I feel its so early on for me and ive already come to a hurdle. I lost my twins last July/Aug so its still all very raw for me so im trying to do everything in my power to prevent losing this baby. Thank you all for your help!!! x


----------



## Susanah

Hi
Read our posts on the incompetent cervix thread.
I lost my first baby due to infection after stitch. 
I had a course of antibiotics for a chest infection - when i actually had swine flu - and got candida albicans (thrush) and lost the baby at 22 weeks due to thrush.
Now pregnant second time and had stitch at 14 weeks. 
for the insertion of the stitch I took oral fluconazole and had IV antibiotics with my stitch and again 4 weeks later. I also have GBS (group B Strep)
I have had vaginal canestan every week throughout the pregnancy, semi-bed rest and no baths/swiming etc.
This topic is very well covered on the IC thread so please join us! 

Susanah


----------



## Susanah

ps to answer your question I was swabbed whenever I wanted to be and every 3-4 weeks or so minimum throughout the pregnancy so far.


----------



## KrystalDawn

Hiya,
I seem to get lost on that thread but wow ive been lookin back at some of the posts and ive already learnt so much! I now have a 2 page essay written out for my cons all just based on what you all have written in the thread!
My concerns right now is that i have lost 2 babies due to infection/i.c so i dont want to take any chances. My cons doesnt seem to be very pro active when it comes to the ifection prevention side of things. I was never given anti biotics after my op which i know alot of woman routinely are given them but they refused saying sometimes they can do more harm than good. The most worrying thing is that i am a constant thrush sufferer i didnt realise i could lose my baby due to this. I had thrush all through my loss pregnancy and i have thrush all through this one :-( Cons hasnt said anything about the negatives with thrush. Im panicked all the time in this pregnancy. Thanks for your help! x


----------



## Sarah&Ady

hiya, all my infections were picked up by urine tests every 2 weeks. I refused all internal examinations and swabs through out the pregnancy... basically nothing was going up there at all! i didnt want to risk contamination. x


----------



## KrystalDawn

Oh i didnt realise you could test for vaginal infections with urine! They just use the strips in my hospital and that always comes back clear. Do they test a different way ie at the labs if you wanted more indepth testing? x


----------



## Susanah

You cant test vaginal infections through urine.
Some MAY be detected from urine but you need swabs.
I did some of mine at home and gave them into the hospital.
Others my consultant did during my examinations. 
Thrush with a stitch MUST be treated. 
It loves any foreign body, grows very quickly and causes major problems for baby. Please demand it is treated.
You get thrush when given antibiotics so both antibiotics and anti-thrush treatment need to be given to clear infection. Then you need to be reswabbed a few days later to make sure you are clear, and keep being swabbed throughout.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
I know a hell of a lot about this now and have been through it all. Will try to help if I can.


----------



## KrystalDawn

Hi Susanah, 
Oh gosh if i pm you ill be messagin you every day lol! Are you on Sands?
I just wanted to ask as i do have a thrush cream pessary. Is it best to wait till the day i finish taking my anti biotics if they cause thrush? Or should i use the pessary mid anti biotic taking? I get thrush all the time and no one has told me it is a problem. I do think i lost my twins due to b.v travelling up so i do know how important clearing bacterial infections are. Doctors dont educate me its women like you that have. Doctors havent given me a list of anything i shouldnt be doing just gave me a stitch and sent me on my way (without any anti biotics) and told to come back in a month - not even earlier to be swabbed! Im way to stressed to allow that so i booked an appointment to see my cons 3 weeks early which is next week and as you might know from the other posts. Ive been checking myself with my own tests at home which is why i found out i had an infection. Did you do anything different to prevent infections? Ive got a list but im open to adding anything that you think is worth it - anythings worth it in this case. Thanks soooooo much xx


----------



## Sarah&Ady

You can test for some infections via urine samples... Mine were picked up this way because I refused all internals that was the only way they could keep an eye on me. 
I also never have had thrush through antibiotics. But yes, thrush should be treated asap with a cerclage in place. 
KrystalDawn... I find it crazy they never gave you preventative antibiotics after the op! I would certainly ask your doc why that was .. xxx


----------



## Susanah

Krystal - Im sorry your doctors have let you down. You will see from reading the forums that care is different for every woman that is coping with IC. This is because there is no standard treatment. Every woman is managed differently. 

I am a doctor, married to another doctor (who's speciality is OBGYN) and am also 37 weeks pregnant with my second pregnancy and have had two stitches. The first one got infected and I lost the pregnancy, this one has not and I hope to be having a c section soon. 

I have read a huge amount about the subject and don't pretend to know it all - not at all - but I can try and offer you what I have learned in the process. 

Firstly, you cannot tell exactly what infection may be in the vagina and cervix from the urine sample. 
The vaginal tract (area) and urinary tract (bladder, kidneys, ureters,urethra) are two separate areas but share some of the same bugs.
Some infections may contaminate the urinary tract and bladder as well as the vaginal tract - but you cannot say that the vaginal tract is free from infection by relying on urine samples. Yes, you can detect some infections via urine - but dont rely on this method. You can get infections in the vagina that dont show on urine culture. 

In some cases, Urine samples can be used to see if a specific infection needs treating during the pregnancy. For example, with Group B strep - if you are a carrier, it is usually present on vaginal swabs and needs no treatment until delivery. If however it is detected in urine, it will need antibiotics as thought to be more invasive and has spread into the urinary tract. This shows the infection is becoming more aggressive. 


I would start taking the vaginal pessary now and continue daily for 3-6 days. 

This is how I managed my second pregnancy:

I took oral fluconazole prior to getting pregnant.
My husband did also.
My husband has continued to take it through this pregnancy. 
I had an elective stitch at 14 weeks with IV antibiotics.
I took oral fluconazole (one dose only) 1 day after the stitch. 
I have had vaginal canestan pessary tablets weekly since the stitch.
I have not had any baths/gone swimming etc 
I have tested my urine at home with sticks every week and sent a sample off every 6 weeks for culture. 
I have had swabs every 6-8 weeks.

Sarah&Ady - Sorry i think didnt phrase my last post well. was in a bit of a rush. Im not saying testing urine is a waste of time - because its not at all. But If you want to make absolutely sure that you are infection-free, it is necessary to do both urine culture and vaginal swab culture. This can be repeated regularly or earlier if you develop symptoms.

Of course not everybody gets thrush with antibiotics - but people who are prone to thrush do have a tendency to develop thrush when the normal bacterial flora of the vaginal tract is eradicated by the antibiotics. I am one of these people and its quite common. 

Every woman is different and treatment plans vary a lot. But its really important to get as much information as possible from different women and from different doctors - and also have the balls to say that you are not happy with the current plan and want to be swabbed etc.


----------



## Sarah&Ady

Susanah said:


> The first one got infected and I lost the pregnancy, this one has not and I hope to be having a c section soon.

... Excatly what happened to me :cry: I had a c-sec with Jamie... had to have general though as they couldnt find a way through my back for an epidural :( 
You are right that the care differs on the topic of IC... Angelika was born in Germany and the thinking / care was very different to here.
Just to throw it in there.. I have severe hypermobility in my joints ... since seeing a specialist consultant I have been told that this can also cause IC. I wish I had known a long time ago.. maybe things would be different :cry: xx


----------



## Susanah

How strange - so do I ! 
Probably not severe but I am very hypermobile.
Never heard that before but its a really interesting thought. 

We had losses about the same time, with the same thing. Its so very sad. 
My section is on Friday... am nervous and very excited. 
Congratulations on the birth of Jamie... Hope its all going well :)


----------



## KrystalDawn

Hi Susanah,
THANKS SOOOOO MUCH for your indepth reply i literally have written it all out in my stitch handbook! Im going to see my consultant on Wednesday so ill have alot to say to her! Its disappointing that alll the information on my stitch has come from women like you and not my consultant. Id be lost without your kind of help. I am going to ask her to prescribe the pessary tablet form as ive been using the internal cream. Once a week sounds about right for the amount that i get thrush. I hope you dont mind me asking but i wondered if you could explain when the thrush becomes a problem for the stitch? I didnt realise thrush can cause those sort of problems i thought it was just b.v. Im learning so much and i hope its good timing as im just 15 weeks on Wednesday.
Congratulations on making it to your milestone c-section date - i wish you all the best for then and a nice screaming baby to greet you!  Thanks again x


----------



## Sarah&Ady

Susanah said:


> How strange - so do I !
> Probably not severe but I am very hypermobile.
> Never heard that before but its a really interesting thought.
> 
> We had losses about the same time, with the same thing. Its so very sad.
> My section is on Friday... am nervous and very excited.
> Congratulations on the birth of Jamie... Hope its all going well :)

I suffer with it so bad that I ended up in a wheelchair in pregnancy :( It still is so bad that I cannot lift Jamie out of the bath safely! I have had special insoles made for my shoes to try and stop my ankles going over and to try and realign my legs.. my knees pop out all the time :( My hands are bad and I have carpel tunnel too.. falling apart!
The rheumatologist I am seeing has been fab .. I have steriod injections in my feet just to walk without pain. Unfortunatly there is not much that can be done :( 
Here is a very interesting site abut it all ... https://www.hypermobility.org/


----------



## Susanah

Krystal - thrush loves foreign bodies - so if you had a coil in for contraception or a stitch in for IC, thrush could live there and grow there. It can do so without causing a problem, BUT if your immune system gets weak for various reasons, the thrush grows rapidly, can cross the membranes and infect the baby. The baby is very vulnerable to these infections.
Pregnancy in itself weakens the immune system and so does other infections. Also the use of antibiotics can cause the thrush to overgrow.

I take the 200mg canestan vaginal tablets once a week before bed. You should wash your hands and put them in gently as far as possible rather than use the Applicator that comes in the packet once the you have a stitch. this is a preventative dose rather than a treatment dose. I wasnt prepared to go the pregnancy without preventative thrush treatment after losing my last baby.

good luck on wednesday. you have to be proactive. infections can cause major problems with stitches but once they are treated and under control, stitches are very good. 

Sarah - that sounds awful. sorry you suffer so badly. mine is more that im very bendy and have problems with my feet at times. also have a few long term injuries from sport etc, but nothing that causes a major problem. thanks for the link.


----------

