Treating BV (or maybe yeast) and upcoming GBS test....fast help please!

[DeChRi]

Starting several days ago (cropping up a day or two after DH and I DTD), I had some kind of infection come on. Not for sure if it is yeast related or BV. I have had a couple yeast infections in my life, and BV once in each pregnancy. I don't have much discharge to analyze, and don't notice a terribly different odor. However, I tend to think everything smells strongly in the girls parts when pregnant, so I am bad at assessing. Mainly itching itching and irritation and some burning externally.

Anyway, it got bad while we were staying in the woods 4 hours from home, so we just got back and I planned to call the Dr tomorrow. However, I am 33 weeks pregnant and in 3 weeks have my GBS test. I have been positive my last two and am working really hard with good supplements this time to try and be negative. I know, from my OB herself telling me, that the medicine they give for BV also causes a massive temporary overgrowth of GBS. So I will for sure be positive come GBS test time.

I am pretty rational in that I know it is not easy to tell the difference of BV and yeast and a DR needs to assess. But if it is BV I am nearly surely sentencing myself to a positive GBS test.

So my question....is there anything I can do for 2-3 days, naturally, to see if it helps? And if not, then resign myself to the Dr and meds? Or is that stupid to do in case it is BV? Thus far I have upped my garlic cap and probiotic amount, drink kefir and applied plain yogurt (externally) for comfort.

Any suggestions? if it gets any worse I will go to the Dr, but is there anything I can do to try and help over the next day or two to try and knock it out??

[chattyprincess]

I had bv last summer...once and the antibiotics did nothing and then again with higher power anitbiotics that had horrific side effects. It still didn't go away!!! The ONLY thing that made it go away was rinsing with a peri squirt bottle 50/50 hydrogen peroxide and water. After every time I peed and right before bed. I did not "douche" with it but cleaned the area throughly after each time on the toliet, each shower and right before bed.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14676737
However from what I understand using this type of wash when you have yeast infection and are very "raw" down there will cause burning/pain.
I would recommend trying it in the shower so that if it hurts while doing it you can very easily rinse it away. I never expereinced discomfort or pain when doing it and it was the only thing that "cured" the problem.
I personally don't like the idea of putting anything into your vajayjay but thats just me.

[MonP'titBoudain]

regarding the peroxide wash for BV, my midwife reccomends a *very* gentle douche for 5 days with a 50/50 solution. This will not cure yeast, however. I've always found the peroxide treatment to give an almost immediate relief of symptoms for bv.... but then I'm often asymptomatic so I don't recognize the symptoms til they're gone.

[MaerynPearl]

When I had BV my doctor (whom is very natural-minded... homebirthed her own children and always pushes natural cures over medications if its a reasonable choice) suggested in addition to the antibiotics to do a sitz bath in the tub each night with a cup of apple cider vinegar thrown in.

But then, I tend to do sitz baths nightly anyway (just to help prevent hemorroids/what I usually already have from getting worse) so the real suggestion was just to throw the vinegar in with it.

Peroxide works too... you really want to get your ph level down there more acidic as alkaline is a breeding ground for BV. (there is an actual ph level you want to go for of course, pH <4.5... Ive considered getting the ph strips to test this at home because I do have a tendency toward BV and I think if I spot it heading alkaline and I can switch it around I may be able to prevent it)


ETA - do try avoiding using a douche when you are healthy down there as it can help push you alkaline and cause the BV in the first place. If you already have BV though using an acidic douche (like the peroxide) can be very helpful.

ETA #2 - my BV is usually for the most part asymptomatic apart from the itching that drives me crazy sometimes... my yeast is rarely asymptomatic enough to mistake it for BV, I usually at least have the icky discharge with that.

[JessieBird]

This is what I would do, both to treat the infection and to prepare for the GBS test:

- dilute TTO in olive oil (approx 5 drops to a 1/4 cup), dip tampon, insert vaginally fresh every few hours

- lightly crush and scrape a large garlic clove and insert as a rectal supository once daily (but not right before a BM!)

- Bio K or similar product daily

I researched all of this very thoroughly and worked with my European-trained MW and a naturopath when I tested GBS+ last pregnancy. From what I understand, this "assault" will work very effectively on a wide range of vaginal and digestive tract infections and bacterial imbalances. However, I have been called hard core more than once when it comes to this regimine so do your own research and "self-medicate" as far as you are personally comfortable. Good luck! I hope you feel better soon and that you fail that GBS test.

On the GBS, if you test - you should keep up with Bio K and some garlic or TTO (though daily probably isn't necessary) in order to stay - until your baby is born.

If you test +, you could opt to keep up the regimine and request to be retested two weeks later. You may run out of time for this but it's worth a try. Or simply keep up the regimine as it may make you feel more secure should you choose to decline the antibiotics.

[DeChRi]

Thank you all for the prompt advice. I would simply decline the test and/or the abx, however....I am having a hospital birth and that then requires a lengthy stay (toddler and another child at home) and am not one to check out AMA w/o a grand reason. I actually have no prob with the abx in labor either (I am pretty tolerant to abx...never given me yeast infection/thrush, anything). My beef is not wanting to be at the hospital 4 hrs before birth to get 2 doses (they do 2x doses, 4hrs apart, about 10-15 min to administer via hep lock each time). My Dr also generally won't retest closer to birth once the test ship has sailed.

I did the hydrogen peroxide rinse and feel a bit better this morning actually. I went with an in between solution, mainly because I have something else going on too that I need checked out by the Dr, so I had to go in anyway.....

Called Dr, said have infection but seems to be getting better. Made appt for this Friday. So for the next two days I will keep on with natural remedies and hope when I go in that she decides the strong abx are not needed. She is pretty hands off in general, so i will also have the "worried about GBS test" convo with her and see about an exception to the restest rule, which she may do. Or even just go with the single dose BV treatment, then put off the GBS test a week or so and give me 3 weeks to re-up my good bacteria. She is all for my natural birth process and is generally very good at working with me, within her traditional OB reasoning.

Thanks again for the ideas!