Anyone TTC with recurent BV?

[BusyMomma]

This is really quite personal and embarrassing, but I've been having problems with developing BV since Ju;y of this year. I went on 2 different rounds of antibiotics for UTI's then got BV which was treated with 2 rounds of antibiotics also. I know now that the actual problem was all those antibiotics, but now I can't seem to get rid of the problem for any real stretch of time.

I have it pretty well under control with probiotics and some other supplements I pieced together through internet research but I still get little symptoms coming back now and then. Last month we had a chemical pregnancy and right around 10 dpo (my first BFP) I started noticing a little bit of BV symptoms. I'm really worried that this is what caused my chemical.

I'm really starting to freak out bc I'm worried that we shouldn't be trying to have a baby when I know BV during pregnancy can increase the risk of preterm labor and I know there's not much chance I'm not going to develop it during my whole pregnancy. If I ended up having a premature baby the guilt would be horrible.

I know something like 30% of women develop BV during pregnancy, and not 30% of babies are premature, but I'm still freaking out a little. This has been such a stresser for me and if it keeps us from being able to have a baby idk how I'll handle that. Anyone else prone to BV? Have a history of miscarriages and think it's related? I need to calm myself down...

 

[Kellysmom]

You're right in that BV can increase the risk of miscarriage. This is because it causes a lot of bleeding. It happened to me in my third pregnancy. It scared the hell out of me because I thought I was M/C and I was actually overseas in Japan when it started! After a full two to three weeks of heavy bleeding, I finally made it to my OB. I did not miscarry, but it was really scary nontheless. But.... I had a history of bartholin gland cysts, and the bacteria building up in the gland was actually causing the recurrent BV. I finally had a successful marsupialization of the infected gland, and have had not problems since!!!

What antibiotic is your doc putting you on? The only one that worked for me finally was Keflex (Cephalexin)... which is REALLY strong and WILL cause a UTI if you're not prepared. But, it did the trick.

It would definately be wise to get the BV under control before getting pregnant... but you might try looking into other reasons for the recurrence other than susceptability. If you haven't had a problem with this before, there's something else going on.

For the UTI's, try dosing heavily with cranberry extract when you feel one coming on. I find I can stop an infection in its tracks if I start therapy early enough... no need for antibiotics. Also, there is an herb you can find at any whole or natural foods store called Uva Ursi which does wonders for UTI... but don't take it if you become pregnant. You also might try a month on, weeks off regime of immune boosting herbs that will help you naturally fight off the infections such as vitamin C, Zinc, Echinacea.... the list is endless actually.

Also...(I'm sorry this is long winded).... the E-coli bacterium is usually the cause of UTI, and in many cases it is also the cause of BV. An overabundance of E-coli can be very hard to kill with just a single round of antibiotics... for many, it takes several rounds. The probiotics are a good idea, and in fact, you can use plain yogurt with acidophilus by applying it directly to the infected area (hehehe... your vajayjay) Also... boric acid suppositories or douches have been a long standing natural remedy for BV for years! Go to https://www.bacterial-vaginosis.com/treatment/home-treatments-for-bacterial-vaginosis/ to find out a little more.... you might have to do some searching on the internet to find how to make a boric acid douche at home... but it works!!

I hope this was helpful.....I wish you the best of luck, and I pray that you go on to have a beautiful child when this is all said and done!

 

[BusyMomma]

That does sound scary! Sorry to hear that but I'm glad your LO was okay! I've never bled with BV. It's really just a pH problem that causes an overgrowth of the bad bacteria (usually gardanella) which then overtake the good bacteria. I've done a ton of research on it and seen several different doctors and it's just hormonal for me. I get it most months right after my period and then it resolves itself during my LP. If I eat a lot of sugar and simple carbs I can feel it starting to flare up a little too. My dr doesn't treat it anymore because a very large body of research on BV has shown that antibiotics are more the root of the problem than the cure. They kill ALL bacteria instead of just the ones there's an overgrowth of, which just ends up exacerbating the problem. So I take probiotics, folic acid, and garlic supplements (which is a natural antibiotic) which seems to work pretty well most of the time but nothing actually gets rid of the problem permanently for me. I've had every test in history done, changed my diet, tried every natural cure imaginable, etc etc but it still comes back most months or has little flare ups. It's just frustrating because I think this is something I'm just always going to be battling..there's not really any getting it under control, I've already tried everything. I am just hopeful it's not going to hurt our chances in ttc

 

[Kellysmom]

The only thing I know is that it makes women more susceptable to PID, which could cause problems ttc. Otherwise, I've heard that BV gets better when pregnant because of the hormones and increase in immunity. If you've, for the most part, got it under control and your doctor knows what to expect, then you should be ok.. Good Luck!!!

 

[katherinegrey]

I have BV, found out last week, it's horrible