Staph and Pregnancy: What Expecting Parents Should Know

Carrying staph while pregnant is common

If a test shows you carry staph, try not to worry. About 30% of people carry Staphylococcus aureus in their nose, and most of them never have a problem from it.¹

One U.S. study of pregnant women found staph in about 17% of vaginal-rectal swabs. MRSA, the type that resists some common antibiotics, turned up in about 0.5% of the women screened.² Carrying staph without symptoms is called colonization. It is not the same as an infection.

What matters is knowing the few places where staph can cause trouble around pregnancy and birth, and the signs that mean it’s time to call.

Where staph can cause problems

Staph causes infections when it gets past the skin. Around pregnancy and birth, there are three main places to keep an eye on:

• Your skin, where staph can cause boils or infect a cut, just as it can at any other time.¹
• A C-section incision or other surgical wound.³
• Your breasts while breastfeeding, when bacteria can enter through a cracked nipple.⁴

If you’ve had MRSA or repeated skin infections before, tell your obstetric care team early in pregnancy so they can plan for it.

After a C-section

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of surgical wound infections.³ The CDC estimates that 1 to 3 of every 100 people who have surgery develop an infection at the surgical site, so most incisions heal without a problem.³ When an infection does happen, signs often appear 3 to 7 days after surgery.³

Watch your incision for:³

• Redness or warmth that is growing
• Pain when you touch the area
• Thick, cloudy, white or cream-colored drainage
• A bad smell
• Fever

If you have a planned C-section, don’t shave near the incision area beforehand, and ask your surgeon whether you should wash with a special antiseptic cleanser.³ Afterward, follow your surgeon’s wound care instructions, ask visitors to wash their hands, and try not to touch the incision.³ For more, see our guide to staph after surgery.

Breastfeeding, mastitis and MRSA

Breast infections, called mastitis, are usually caused by staph that lives on normal skin and gets in through a crack or break, often on the nipple.⁴ Signs include a painful, swollen or lumpy area of the breast, wedge-shaped redness, fever and flu-like aches, and tender lymph nodes in the armpit.⁴

Breastfeeding or pumping usually continues during treatment, because it helps relieve swelling.⁴ If an abscess forms, your provider may ask you to pause breastfeeding for a while.⁴

Moms with MRSA can usually keep breastfeeding or feeding pumped milk, too. The CDC says any open infected area should be fully covered with a clean, dry bandage, the baby’s mouth shouldn’t touch drainage or infected skin, and hands and pump parts should be cleaned well.⁵ If your baby is in the NICU, the team may test your milk or use donor milk for a short time while you’re treated. You can keep pumping to protect your supply.⁵ Your provider will tell you what fits your situation.

When to see a doctor

During pregnancy and for up to a year after delivery, the CDC lists a fever of 100.4°F or higher as an urgent warning sign that needs medical care right away.⁶ Call your obstetric provider or midwife if you have:

• A fever of 100.4°F or higher⁶
• A red, swollen, painful or pus-filled bump anywhere on your skin
• An incision that is red, warm, painful, draining or smells bad³
• A breast that is red, hot, swollen or painful, especially with a fever⁴
• Tender or swollen lymph nodes in your armpit⁴

Get emergency care right away, and call 911 if you need to, for trouble breathing, chest pain, a fast-beating heart, or dizziness or fainting.⁶ Don’t squeeze or drain a bump, and don’t start any medicine or home remedy on your own. Your care team will choose treatment that is safe for you and your baby.

Simple habits for pregnancy and the newborn weeks

• Wash your hands often, and ask visitors to wash theirs before holding the baby.
• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered until they heal.
• Don’t share towels or razors.¹
• If you’re breastfeeding, mention cracked or sore nipples to your provider or a lactation consultant early.
• Keep your postpartum checkups, and bring up anything about your skin, breasts or incision that worries you.

Once your baby arrives, our guide to staph in babies and newborns covers the signs to watch for in your little one. Knowing a handful of warning signs, and calling early when you see one, is what makes the biggest difference.