Another GBS thread

[parkermgg]

I am 38 weeks pregnant and just found out I tested positive. I have been negative with my 2 previous pregnancies. I am planning a hb and have the option to take oral zythromax rather than the standard amoxycilin. The other threads I have read through are very informative, but don't make any mention of this as an option. My midwife suggests the z-pack because it treats soft tissue infection and would pass less to the baby. I would take it 10 days prior to my due date, would be neg within 48 hours and it would last for 2 weeks. I certainly prefer that to abx directly to the baby. Does anyone have any experience with this? I did try hibiclens prior to the GBS test with DD2 and found it to be very irritating, leaving me uncomfortable for several days. I certainly prefer my own discomfort to affecting the baby with unnecessary abx however. Can anyone give me any advice on this? I have been taking probiotics regularly throughout this pregnancy and I feel like I am running out of time to try other more natural remedies and for a retest.

[Sweetiemommy]

Just wanted to mention that GBS is often present in the rectum, but not necessarily also in the vagina. If your practitioner swabbed both your rectum and your vagina, maybe you could see if they would just swab your vagina separately to see if you have the bacteria there. Obviously there is the possiblity of transfering the bacteria, but my midwife usually only swabs the vagina to see if it is present there. You might have to pay for the test out of pocket since you already had the test performed once, but it might be worth it to avoid unnecessary interventions.

[parkermgg]

I just wanted to update. I was able to do 2 things, first screen the urine (it came back negative) and 2 run the GBS again with the specificity. This used to be routine but is no longer done for insurance liability reasons. Anyway, it defines the level of colonization as scant, low, medium or high. High is really the only one with real risk of transfer. So my plan was to go with a Azythromycin prior to labor if med or high and not worry if it was low or negative. It came back scant!!!!! So, no antibiotics seem indicated. If they still did the scale as they used to, antibiotics would be used less often in yet another case. . . .