There goes my UC :(

[BanditaMamacita]

GBS came back positive. I'm so upset. it's a deal breaker for dh, and i don't blame him. I personally might still UC and watch the baby extra carefully, but i understand his perspective, and i don't want to push him into something he isn't 100% on board with. It won't be perfect or beautiful without his support. So we'll be headed to our (wonderful) birth center instead. At least we have that... The midwives there are so hands off.

But here's the thing. I have to get 2 doses of antibiotics (uggh, the thought makes me ill. i hate medicine) 4 hours apart in labor. and for most people,, that would be easy enough. But my two previous labors were each about 6 hours, and only about 4 hours were honestly active, painful labor, and i only made it to the hospital in time for 1-2 hours of each. And if i don't make it, they want me to stay in the hospital for 48 hours!!!!! As UCers, i'm sure you can all appreciate how horrible THAT sounds. But the worst part is my kids! They're only 2 and 3, still nursing, and SUPER attached to mommy. Going to the birth center for a couple hours was a stretch... For days is just not even an option. If i can't get both doses, i think i'm ok with signing out AMA and watching the baby very carefully, but i dunno about dh. It's just horrible. I never thought i'd be praying for a posterior baby to slow labor down, but here i am.

I got all of this news today at my 37 week mw appt (that will teach me not to UP! next time...) And all morning I had cxns coming 5-6 minutes apart, painful, bloody show, diarrhea. I thought this was it. But i started to get so nervous about everything that i think i somehow turned it off! And now i still have bloody show, and definitely lost my mucus plug, and STILL have diarrhea.... but no more cxns at all. I'm so frustrated! I've never had a false start like that... I didn't realize how draining that was, and so exhausting waiting for it to start up again! And i'm afraid that my anxiety could hold it up indefinitely. And how could i NOT be anxious with the current situation?? Uggh.

Sorry for the vent. I'm just tired and frustrated and I just wanted everything to be so perfect, and it isn't

[MsBlack]

Do you and your dh know that in the UK they don't even do routine gbs testing on pregnant women? And they don't have worse stats/outcomes than the US.

Do you guys know that *in the presence*, and *only* in the presence of 'risk factors' such as prolonged rupture of membranes, in the UK they use a hibiclens rinse in the lower vagina during labor to help prevent GBS transmission?

If you want your UC then you might want to look into this. It's fine for dh to have his 'deal breakers' but those might as well be formed from thorough information. US protocols on GBS are practiced in no other developed countries as far as I know.

Also, because you are GBS positive and IF there is no time to get those antibiotics into your system prior to birth, then you should be aware that there is some likelihood that the hospital will pull the "CPS Card" and prevent you from taking baby home before they have done what they want to do. Allowing a CBC (complete blood count) on baby, and allowing them to set up a blood culture (in both cases requiring drawing blood from baby), may help pediatrician/NICU staff to feel ok letting you go home w/baby in 24hrs without antibiotic treatment. As long as results of CBC look good, and baby is non-symptomatic, you might be allowed to leave w/baby while blood culture results are still in the works.

You might want to find out from your bc what the protocols are w/respect to this.

good luck!

[Astraia]

I'm not UPing, but I've told DH the stats on GBS infection. Without treatment, especially with no risk factors, the risk of transmission to the baby is INCREDIBLY low.

With antibiotics, the risk of newborn infection drops but the rate of late-onset GBS infection goes up. The risk of ecoli (often antibiotic resistant) goes up, as does thrush with antibiotic use.

I definitely understand your husband being scared of GBS- but being in hospital or a BC and receiving antibiotics does not eliminate the risk- it just modifies it.

I'm still undecided as to whether or not I even want to test. I'm allergic to the two main antibiotics they'd use, and for the other abx most strains of GBS are resistant to them.

I might test just so I can get a hibiclens wash to have on hand.

Also- did you see... oh crud where was it? Rixa's blog, maybe? Er, no, maybe that Australian midwife's blog... I'll look for it and post it here. Anyway, they've done at least 1 study that shows a hibiclens wash is as effective as antibiotics for reducing the risk of early-onset GBS in newborns.

And like Mrs. Black said, the US (and Canada, unfortunately) are the only places I know of that are so rigorous in their testing. I'd just hate to see you lose your dream birth over something that most countries seem to hardly even consider.

[bubbamummy]

I had my son in the UK and had never even heard of GBS testing until I came here. Now im dreading that I too may end up +'ve. Im not intending to UC but we are heading to the BC and my labour with my son was only 7hrs total, so im gussing this one might be shorter.

If I could I would refuse GBS testing (im not allowed though...or the Birth Center wont take me).

Hope you're able to figure something out and get the birth you want.

[gossamerwindweb]

... I respect your decision to go with your husband's deal breaker status. I did a lot of research on GBS when I was pregnant and was SHOCKED at how little of a threat it actually is, and that antibiotics increase the risk of other problems. I wasn't tested but if I had been, I would have UC either way, just using hibiclens after my water breaking. I was planning to do that anyhow. As is, my water broke 15 minutes before he was born, so the prolonged ROM didn't happen and wasn't a concern.

[mama in the forest]

There are plenty of herbal/plant treatments for GSB. I've used them for all of my UC's.

[MyBoysBlue]

I UC'd with GBS. I didn't do hibicleans either. I found out at 37 weeks and did most of the treatments found here: http://www.joyousbirth.info/articles...lapproach.html. My DS's birth ended up being to quick to make it to the hospital even if I had wanted to be there. There was no way I could have had the abx if I had even wanted them.

I had already decided if the test was positive to refuse abx. I was doing back up care with a family doc. The Mothering Article on GBS was mostly what convinced that abx was the more risky option. Unless of course I developed the risk factors as mentioned by MsBlack.

I saw a doctor the next day and we did do a blood draw from DS's heel so that we could rule out infection. She didn't even warn me what to look for, that was how little she was concerned.

[jenneology]

I came to the same conclusion as Astraia and refused to test for its presence. Also remember that when you are tested at 37 weeks, it could be weeks before labor starts and GBS may not even be present at the time. The status can change from day to day too.

[onyxravnos]

you can always retest. just because it's there now doesn't mean it will still be + in 2 - 4 weeks. I would get some probiotics and garlic pills and start taking them everyday. Then have your doc/midwife/whatever retest you in 2 weeks.
You can just go from there with if you want to UC or not. it can't hurt to retest.

I was + GBS with my last son but filled up on the probiotics pretesting for this one and i'm - this time around.

[Sk8ermaiden]

I second everything MsBlack said! It tells me a lot that countries with far better mom and baby outcomes than ours do not think this is a worthwhile test.

And even if you had tested negative, you could easily have acquired GBS by your birth. No one would ever know and you would not have ABX. You may very well NOT be GBS by the time your birth rolls around, and you wouldn't know that either.

I will never UC, and I am not anti-western medicine or anti interventions that have a purpose, but I will be refusing this test next time around. I feel very strongly that it is ridiculous.

I think if your DH actually did a little research on GBS and how it is handled elsewhere, he might come back around. Good luck and keep up posted.

[gabeyho]

Originally Posted by Astraia

I'm not UPing, but I've told DH the stats on GBS infection. Without treatment, especially with no risk factors, the risk of transmission to the baby is INCREDIBLY low.

With antibiotics, the risk of newborn infection drops but the rate of late-onset GBS infection goes up. The risk of ecoli (often antibiotic resistant) goes up, as does thrush with antibiotic use.

I definitely understand your husband being scared of GBS- but being in hospital or a BC and receiving antibiotics does not eliminate the risk- it just modifies it.

I'm still undecided as to whether or not I even want to test. I'm allergic to the two main antibiotics they'd use, and for the other abx most strains of GBS are resistant to them.

I might test just so I can get a hibiclens wash to have on hand.

Also- did you see... oh crud where was it? Rixa's blog, maybe? Er, no, maybe that Australian midwife's blog... I'll look for it and post it here. Anyway, they've done at least 1 study that shows a hibiclens wash is as effective as antibiotics for reducing the risk of early-onset GBS in newborns.

And like Mrs. Black said, the US (and Canada, unfortunately) are the only places I know of that are so rigorous in their testing. I'd just hate to see you lose your dream birth over something that most countries seem to hardly even consider.

I am in agreement with that. I am wary of even getting tested for GBS this time, but because of the stats and the fact that they only do this in the US I would still UC even if it is positive. The whole idea of testing you for something NOW that may not be there next week or in a month when you actually deliver is pretty ridiculous. The risk is SO low that I feel since I am healthy and my baby is, I am willing to take the risk....I think the bacterias and germs and such that my baby is exposed to at the hospital is worse.

I know it's a tough decision to make, so do your research and be confident in whatever you choose.

Good Luck!