So embarrassing- bacterial vaginosis

ashleighhughes

Well this is certainly embarrassing. I believe I have bacterial vaginosis- called my doc and she said she will test me at my appointment on Monday. My husband will be at this appointment and I will be so mortified talking about it in front of him. So anyways- the smell is horrid.. Sometimes I can smell it through my clothes it is so bad. I read that sex can cause BV and I'm assuming this happened when hubby and I were TTC... I think the cure for BV is antibiotics? I have also read that BV can cause low birth weight and premature labor. I'm hoping this won't cause any problems with my pregnancy but I've got to get this under control. I can't even be intimate with hubby because the smell is so bad

Anyone going through this now or have ever dealt with this?

Also- on a side note- my gag reflex is EXTREME. I mean brushing my teeth could make me vomit. Anyone else's gag reflex on high alert?

adkcat0105

I had BV twice this past year and they prescribed metronidazole. It's no big deal, something that just happens! My pH tends to get off so I started taking probiotic and prebiotic supplements for feminine tract health.

DarkCat

I had BV has a teenager and was prescribed antibiotics. During my pap a few weeks ago I had some BV on my cervix but I wasn't "symptomatic" so my doctor didn't seem worried. These things happen and it's nothing to be embarrassed about.

lcking82

Don't be embarrassed---it's incredibly common. Treatment is a pretty short course of antibiotics.

LaurenAsh23

When I was KU with dd and I had the worst yeast infections ever. Pregnancy can cause flare-ups and it's nothing to be embarrassed by! Your Dh is going to be hearing a lot about your vagina in the next year...

pourmeanothermocktail

@ashleighhughes I have had BV a few times, I'm usually non symptomatic but nursing practitioner noticed during routine pap. Simple (ha-ha) antibiotics solve it. Shouldn't be a health concern for your baby if it's treated, so soon-to-be-solved. I'm sure this is not the most embarrassing thing DH will see/hear in the coming months.

And yes, my gag reflex is so high that even though nausea has pretty much left the building for me, I have vomited out of nowhere from brushing my teeth. Felt fine in the 5 min before and the next several hours, just hit my tongue the wrong way apparently.

BostonBaby1

I've never had BV but agree that it's nothing for you to be embarrassed about. You'll treat it, and in the meantime, I would imagine you can probably use a warm washcloth with unscented Dove gently between baths.

victoria98

I also might've had this like two years ago. I remember being suuuuper insecure about the smell and just using tampons (probably not the best way to "fix" it considering everywhere you go it specifically says DO NOT USE if you're not on your period) but I'd do either that or continually change a panty liner all day.

DobbysSock

Don't be embarrassed! It's super common and while it often occurs after sex it's not considered an STI, it's just an imbalance in the normal bacterial flora of the vagina and can be caused by multiple things. 

You can always tell your husband in advance that you're having some pregnancy symptoms you're feeling embarrassed/self-conscious about and don't really want to share with him, and either ask him to wait in the waiting room for the first half of your appointment or step out towards the end to give you a private moment with your doctor. I don't think there's anything wrong with not sharing every single symptom with your DH (just like there's nothing wrong with being an open book and sharing everything), it's all about your/your DH's comfort levels. There are certain  parts of pregnancy (*cough* hemorrhoids *cough*) that I choose not to share with DH, and I think that's ok.

LinzerBinzer

Totally agree with @DobbysSock I'm a pretty private person about my body, even with DH. For example, at my first appointment I had him stay in the waiting room while we went through the whole exam thing, then he came in for the ultrasound. Everyone has different levels of comfort with this. He knows what he needs to know and what's relevant (it was torture, but I told him I cramp after an orgasm bc I wanted him to know why our sex life has been affected). Yes, at the end of the day he'll probably see me poop on the table, but he doesn't need to know and witness every little detail about my vagina.

You do you.

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tripledaggerWed95976

I've never had BV- but I wanted to just say that it's nothing to be embarrassed about!! It's very common

PugsandKisses

BV is very common and you have no reason to be embarrassed. It is not a STI, nor caused by you being 'dirty'.

Also, UNTREATED BV can cause issues like you said. 

dolewhipper

I don't mind telling my H everything. But I have a different POV; let's say something bad happens, like you faint or something worse that lands you at an ER unconscious. Drs. are going to need/want to know what kinds of meds you're on and for what. Now, I don't tell my H everytime I take a dump, but if I'm going to be on meds for something he's going to know why.
I also believe H wants to "cut the cord" where he's going to be seeing everything in 7 months, so a regular check up (or even one with BV) should be a walk in the park for him. 

MotherOfDucks

They'll probably give you the antibiotics that you apply vaginally. They work in about a week. It's no big deal. I had a particularly stubborn case this summer. And my midwife said you can use boric acid capsules (not sure if that's a pregnancy safe one... so don't just jump on amazon right now) and if you're dealing with reoccurrances, to take a probiotic like femdophilos.

DobbysSock

dolewhipper said:

I don't mind telling my H everything. But I have a different POV; let's say something bad happens, like you faint or something worse that lands you at an ER unconscious. Drs. are going to need/want to know what kinds of meds you're on and for what. Now, I don't tell my H everytime I take a dump, but if I'm going to be on meds for something he's going to know why.
I also believe H wants to "cut the cord" where he's going to be seeing everything in 7 months, so a regular check up (or even one with BV) should be a walk in the park for him. 

But it's also okay to say "Hey babe the doctor started me on antibiotics today" and not explain exactly what infection is being treated. It's also easier for some people to say after the fact "By the way I have bacterial vaginosis and I'm on this antibiotic" than to discuss odour and symptoms in detail with their DH. You can still take safety precautions so DH is aware what you're on and why, should you have an adverse reaction to the med.

There was also a huge difference, for me, during labour - I was in pain and in the zone and honestly didn't really care what was hanging out and who saw what. Compare that to right now when I'm in my normal state, and I feel more modest and private about certain symptoms.

taboullio84

I'd just warn him. " got this going on with my lady parts..might get deep..stay in if you want or step out "

Or just tell to step out after they check baby's heartbeat and stuff.

ashleighhughes

Thanks everyone. You guys are great!

Will update after my appointment on Monday!

betheliz

i had a group b strep vaginal infection during my first pregnancy.  it was easy to treat with a round of antibiotics that were perfectly safe for baby.  definitely nothing to be embarrassed about.

BUT I do want to warn you that, at least for me, the antibiotics put my system out of whack and caused a yeast infection which i delayed treating because I thought it was the first infection.  watch out for one just in case!

dolewhipper

DobbysSock said:

dolewhipper said:

I don't mind telling my H everything. But I have a different POV; let's say something bad happens, like you faint or something worse that lands you at an ER unconscious. Drs. are going to need/want to know what kinds of meds you're on and for what. Now, I don't tell my H everytime I take a dump, but if I'm going to be on meds for something he's going to know why.
I also believe H wants to "cut the cord" where he's going to be seeing everything in 7 months, so a regular check up (or even one with BV) should be a walk in the park for him. 

But it's also okay to say "Hey babe the doctor started me on antibiotics today" and not explain exactly what infection is being treated. It's also easier for some people to say after the fact "By the way I have bacterial vaginosis and I'm on this antibiotic" than to discuss odour and symptoms in detail with their DH. You can still take safety precautions so DH is aware what you're on and why, should you have an adverse reaction to the med.

There was also a huge difference, for me, during labour - I was in pain and in the zone and honestly didn't really care what was hanging out and who saw what. Compare that to right now when I'm in my normal state, and I feel more modest and private about certain symptoms.

That's exactly what I meant! Thank you for putting it more eloquently than I.

I always suggest your SO know what's up, but definitely doesn't need to know the in depth symptoms if you don't want to share. If he wants to google it, he does so at his own risk

soberkfell

I had BV after a vacation - hot tubs and I don't get along very well. DH and I were still dating at that point, so I wasn't to the point of being comfortable sharing, "Oh yea... that rotten fish smell? Totally my vag." Coincidentally, our dog has trouble expressing his anal glands, and when that stuff builds up, it gives off a very similar "essence." So at one point, DH got in my car and said, "Oh... what's that smell? Was Baxter in your car today? I think he got his stinky stuff on your seat..." I totally went along with it... Once I talked to my doctor about it, though, and was taking antibiotics, I did end up fessing up. Like PP's said, nothing to be embarrassed about - it doesn't have anything to do with hygiene, and it pales in comparison to what's in store in the next several months!

juliaL13

I've had BV many times in the past...it was an embarrassing recurring thing for me. (Not that you should be embarrassed, just that I completely understand feeling that way!). What helped me the most to stop getting those and yeast infections was taking a special women's probiotic regularly...cvs has one. Don't know if that would help during pregnancy or not; I'm sure crazy pregnancy hormones make things worse. Anyway like everyone else said, you don't need to be ashamed, very common, and antibiotics should help.

lillebowski23

Aren't vaginas just the best?! Hope it all works out, BV is very common and the treatment is pretry straightforward.