Penicillin

This is probably a silly question but all this is new to me.. Is penicillin ever used for any part of a labour or hospital stay??

hey good question! personallyt I don't know but would love to I 'm allergic to it so would be handy to know.

I am as well, and can't find any information on the internet about it..

If you have an infection it could be used. It might also be used if you have group b strep, they use antibiotics for this but I am not sure if it would be penicillin based. get your doc to write it on your notes and make sure everyone who will be with you in the hospital knows. Also no hard to say "I am allergic to penicillin" every time you see a needle, tablet or someone adding something to your IV. In my experience of hospitals (not for maternity, this is baby #1) they always ask if you are allergic to penicillin before they give you anything. I have no idea if the allergy would be passed to baby but I would also mention it if anyone needs to give baby any medication. My midwife told me that antibiotics would not be used routinely, only if they know you have an infection (CUMH), it might be worth asking you midwife what the routine in your hospital is.

i gave birth 4weeks ago and just told them every time they produced a needle or drip, etc.they all knew though, as they said it was written on the front of my file!

Thanks girls,, I assume so it's only for infections that you receive penicillin. Epidurals etc don't have any in it?????

QuennyBee, no epi does not have any anti-biotics in it. The only reason they would give you anti-biotics in labour would be if your waters have been gone for too long or if you have strep-B (don't know about c-sections procedure). If it is playing on your mind discuss it with your consultant at next appt, he/she will put your mind at ease.

Thanks hu101. I think you have cleared up my questions.. Will definitely mention it at next appointment esp regarding the c-sections as I'm very likely to have a c-section. Thanks again..

Hey QB, yeah I agree with the others, I know on the front of my file they have that i'm allergic to penicillin. Make sure your DH remembers to mention it too when you go in, just in case you're not in any state of mind. Its something i'd be careful about, I was in hospital before getting my appendics out, and it was written in bold writing on the top of my file and a nurse told me later that the doc presribed my an antibiotic with penicillin in it and she had to get him to change it She said she would've gotten the blame if she hadn't realised it. How mad is that. Anyways, just wondering on a different note, do any of you's wear a bracelet or anything that has the info on your allergy?? I never have, always make sure if i'm going away that people are aware of it but keep getting told I should carry something on me for it?

bambam - i was told you only get a bracelet if your allergy is life threatening. if like me, your allergy is something like swelling etc, then they dont give you one as in a medical emergency (car crash etc) where administering it could mean your survival, then that is worth the allergic reaction (swelling) happening, if it saves your life. if any of you have heart conditions, even something as common as a heart murmur, please mention it, as i had to have 2 x antibiotics administered by drip 1 hr before c-section (& if i had given birth naturally). the cons forgot, thankfully my DH mentioned it to the midwife just as they were wheeling me in...they turned me around straight away & rescheduled me for an hour later! don´t know what they´d do in an emergency section!