Is It Safe To Take Antibiotics During Pregnancy?

Are you an expecting mother who is concerned about your pregnancy? Do you often wonder if taking antibiotics is safe during pregnancy? If yes, then worry not, because we are here to help!

Pregnancy is one of the most sensitive phases of a woman's life, especially when it comes to her health and her baby's well-being.

A pregnant woman's body has to prepare itself for the huge task of nurturing a baby inside and then getting itself ready for childbirth, which is not a simple feat!

So, during pregnancy, a pregnant woman may experience various undesirable symptoms such as morning sickness, bloating, constipation, back pain, weight gain, swelling of certain body parts due to water retention, etc.

In addition to the physical symptoms, most pregnant women also experience mood swings, irritability, anxiety, etc., that may be caused by hormonal changes.

As we may know, antibiotics are strong medications that are prescribed by the doctors in order to help the body fight against microbial infections that can cause diseases in humans.

So, let us find out here if it is actually safe to take antibiotics or not during pregnancy.

What Are Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are medications prescribed mostly for infections and ailments caused by bacteria, virus and other microbes, for example, viral flu, yeast infections, bacterial infections, etc.

Antibiotics enter your body and they either kill the disease-causing microbes or inhibit their growth, thus treating the ailments.

Usually, antibiotics are taken for a set number of days, without skipping even a day in between, otherwise their effectiveness may reduce.

As antibiotics contain strong chemicals, they do come with certain side effects.

Antibiotics During Pregnancy

Now, pregnant women are no exceptions to diseases, just like all of us. They may develop a viral flu, yeast infections or diseases caused by bacteria at any point; and if the level of infection is too high, antibiotics may be required!

So, is it actually safe for pregnant women to take antibiotics?

Well, a research study has claimed that exposing the foetus to certain kinds of antibiotics can increase their rick of developing asthma, after the child's birth.

So, it is extremely important to talk to your doctor while taking antibiotics and also make sure that they are given in low doses, if needed at all.

It is believed that after the third trimester of pregnancy, it is relatively safer to take antibiotics but only as prescribed by the physician.