How to avoid positive GBS swab...

[nia82]

I know you guys have discussed this before! Here is my situation: with DS, GBS was negative. This time it is a concern as the birthing center I will be having our second baby at is forced by local law into treating GBS positive women with antibiotics. It is either abx or the hospital. They have to deny me if I am GBS positive and refuse antibiotics... This is very much a dilemma!
What can I do around the time of the swab to avoid a positive swab? I was planning on hibiclens in case of a positive swab - but that's out of the window with the protocol... So I need to do something preamptively to avoid a positive swab... Please spam me with your recommendations!!!

[MaerynPearl]

I suggest just getting tested.

While I do not agree with treating everyone for GBS the same (antibiotics as a precaution is not good), they need to know it is a risk and to treat it as though its not... if you do have GBS... could be risky.

Personally I have been pregnant three times and have never once tested positive for GBS.

[Sihaya]

Here is a post I made back in February that has a list of things I plan to do because I would like to test negative in case of a planned home birth that results in a hospital transfer.

The truth is that the GBS test result at 36 weeks has no true bearing on your GBS status at the time of birth, so I have no problem with "cheating" the test and I also will continue treatment after testing to prevent overgrowth at the time of birth. HTH!

Originally Posted by Sihaya

For different reasons, I need to test negative on my GBS test as well. I recently looked at a lot of different threads and developed my own protocol which I plan on using this time around. As a disclaimer, I have not used this or known anyone who used it. I did a couple of preventative things last time around, but not an in-depth regimen, and I tested negative for GBS. My regimen is meant to both help me test negative and to keep GBS away for the birth as well. Hopefully, this can be a place for you to start in developing your own protocol.

What I plan to do:
Starting at 34 weeks (or 2 weeks before GBS test), begin taking powdered probiotics orally daily and continue until birth. At 34-35 weeks (or 1-2 weeks before GBS test), start taking Vitamin C to bowel tolerance and continue until birth. Starting at 35 weeks (or 1 week before GBS test), increase oral intake of garlic, at least 2-3 cloves/day, raw if possible. Also aim to eat 1 cup of yogurt daily for 1 week prior to test. Drink 1 cup Echinacea tea daily for two weeks starting at 35 weeks (or 1 week before GBS test). Five days before GBS test (approx 35w2d), insert halved garlic clove dipped in tea tree oil vaginally overnight three nights in a row.

After GBS test, continue aiming for at least 1 garlic clove/day orally, raw if possible, until birth. Aim for 3-4 cups yogurt/week until birth. Also repeat vaginal garlic dipped in tea tree oil once weekly until birth. At 39 weeks, begin drinking 1 cup Echinacea tea daily again for two weeks or until birth, whichever comes first.

A few other options:

• Elderberry (to boost immune system)
• Grapefruit seed extract (taken orally)
• Tea Tree Oil: Take a tampon or cotton ball and roll lightly in olive oil and then in a few drops of TTO. Insert vaginally and leave overnight.
• Yogurt: Get a rubber glove and fill the fingers with yogurt and tie/rubber band them off and snip off your little yogurt pops. Freeze. You could also put a few drops of TTO in there. Unwrap and insert vaginally. Wear pantyliner/pad as it may get messy

Hope that helps you!

[Comtessa]

You can do the Hibiclens treatment for a week or 2 before taking the test (1 part Hibiclens to 20 parts water in a peri bottle), and make sure you do a Hibiclens wash right before testing -- don't forget to wash the entire area with Hibiclens, as the HCP will often "dip" into the anal opening as well when testing for GBS.

I was GBS+ with my first test and bullied my OB into giving me a second test. I was able to test negative on the second test by using the Hibiclens for the 2 weeks between appointments. In my case, the negative test cancelled out the positive, and I was treated as GBS- when I ended up as a homebirth transfer.

Hibiclens is not precisely a "natural" treatment, but it is definitely effective! I felt strongly enough about the risks of forced IV antibiotics in labor that I wanted to be sure I did everything I could to ensure that I had a negative test on file. I'm VERY glad I went to the trouble.

[WifeofAnt]

Is it likely that someone could be GBS+ if they are ALREADY on antibiotics? Because of a kidney infection I had at 23 weeks I'm supposed to continue taking keflex until 6 weeks PP.

[sewingsparklz]

Originally Posted by Sihaya

Here is a post I made back in February that has a list of things I plan to do because I would like to test negative in case of a planned home birth that results in a hospital transfer.

The truth is that the GBS test result at 36 weeks has no true bearing on your GBS status at the time of birth, so I have no problem with "cheating" the test and I also will continue treatment after testing to prevent overgrowth at the time of birth. HTH!

Wow! NOTHING could live in that yogurty, garlicy, ttoily environment! Awesome!

[Just1More]

Well, who does the test? Because some providers give you the swab to do in the bathroom.

My midwife pointedly said, "I really don't care where you stick it."

So, I took it out of the package, and put it in the test tube. Then I walked back out and gave it to the nurse. When I checked in to the hospital, my midwife went over my records and said, "Your GBS test was negative, as we knew it would be..." with a slight grin in my direction...

[nia82]

Thanks guys sounds great! I will do the swab, the midwives give it to me and send me to the bathroom... so if you don't swab, does the lab not get suspicious if there is no specimen at all on the swab?

As for the gbs risk to baby - hibiclens is perfectly effective while abx pose many risks, I would never want the abx!

[Just1More]

Originally Posted by nia82

Thanks guys sounds great! I will do the swab, the midwives give it to me and send me to the bathroom... so if you don't swab, does the lab not get suspicious if there is no specimen at all on the swab?

I asked about that, too. She said the only thing they are testing for is GBS, so a lack of something else wouldn't be noticed.

I just remembered, when it was time for the test for my third baby, she just put it from the package into the tube thing while making small talk with me, lol.

[pregnant@40]

deleted

[MegBoz]

Originally Posted by nia82

the birthing center I will be having our second baby at is forced by local law into treating GBS positive women with antibiotics. It is either abx or the hospital.

Really? I mean, REALLY? Wow!
I guess maybe the theory there is that if you refuse ABTs, the BC isn't as equipped to handle caring for the baby in the rare event he becomes infected? Is that why? That seems so odd to me that it's law! Not just odd, but frightening!!!!! Very, very frightening! I understand that a HCP can't recommend a course of treatment that goes against a "standard of practice" such as ABTs for GBS - which is a CDC recommendation. Then they open themselves to legal liability for deviating from the official "standard." I get that. But when it's LAW and a mam can't refuse what goes into her own body, again . Slippery slope...

Conversely, my HB MW doesn't like to give IV ABTs at home because of the risk of the ABTs themselves! (mama having an adverse reaction.) it's all so absurd.

Fermented foods! My MW said since she started recommending that, 90% of her clients test negative in the first place! (She has a protocol for those who do test + to help retest negative, which she said has worked for everyone but like 2 or 3 people in over a decade!)

In your case, in addition to lots of fermented foods, I would do hibiclens before the test too just to be sure.

I was going to recommend getting tested anyway, refusing ABTs unless you had 2 or more risk factors (that's how they do it in the UK). I want to know because I would want the ABTs if I had a 2nd risk factor emerge, but since that's absolutely not an option for you & if you were + & refused ABTs you'd be kicked out to the hospital, then I say go with the above.

Really sux that so many women in America are forced into birthing decisions we don't want because of stupid rules & regulations (VBAC bans, MWs unable to attend births post 42W come to mind.) Makes me .

Originally Posted by Comtessa

I was GBS+ with my first test and bullied my OB into giving me a second test. I was able to test negative on the second test by using the Hibiclens for the 2 weeks between appointments. In my case, the negative test cancelled out the positive, and I was treated as GBS- when I ended up as a homebirth transfer.

The OB nurse in the office of my MWs (MWs & OB practice combined) said, "They will still treat you as positive even if you retest negative, so there is no point retesting." I hated that chick (not just for that.) I didn't bother to argue with her on the fact that I don't give a how "they will treat me" it's MY BODY, MY CHOICE, and if I REFUSE THE ABTs, then I will NOT BE GIVEN THEM. But, ya know, she just worked in the office, so I didn't bother to yell at her.

I suspect that is more the norm - when you have both + and - tests on file, they'll want to consider you +. Ya know, the whole "better safe than sorry," "CYA," "reduce legal liability" thing.

[nia82]

There is a whole list of things that risk you out of the birthing center - it is not their choice, but the rules made by the medical board of the state which is of course heavily influenced by obgyns... all 'high risk' business goes to them, yikes... that is why I have to submit to an HIV test (again!), GD testing and GBS testing. Even my MD sister finds GD testing totally senseless... but anyways... I might either opt for hibiclens or just not swapping... i drink water kefir at home anyways

With DS I had the swab at 36 weeks and went into labor at 37 when the results weren't back yet. The hospital wanted to hook up abx right away which I refused... I made them call the lab and they faxed the negative result over. If I hadnt been adament, they would have just pumped me full of abx for no reason!

[MegBoz]

Originally Posted by nia82

There is a whole list of things that risk you out of the birthing center - it is not their choice, but the rules made by the medical board of the state which is of course heavily influenced by obgyns...

Ah, yes, I got you. And I understand there are conditions that "risk you out" - I mean, even the HB MWs who are CPMs & thus practicing illegally here in Maryland have ideas in mind of what they think should "risk you out" of HB. So that makes sense.

I guess it was just that she wrote "forced by law to give ABTs" instead of "you're risked out if you refuse ABTs" that got me up in arms. Ha! I suppose, in essence, the 2 phrases are communicating the same thing, but the original phrasing got me all up in arms at first! The phrase "legally required" being applied to anything medical makes me a little nutty.

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

Where do I buy hibiclens?

[nia82]

It's essentially a rule, but the birth center cannot do anything about it - their hands are tied by the board, who watches them closely anyways... one gets the feeling they are just waiting to find a mistake to shut them down!

@ pp: they sell it on amazon even.... different small companies.

[javilu]

Originally Posted by ILoveMyBabyBird

Where do I buy hibiclens?

I have seen it at Rite-Aid in the first aid section. If you don't have Rite-Aid, I imagine anyplace like CVS, Walgreens or a local drugstore should have it or at least be able to tell you who near them does.

[Erin77]

My birth class instructor suggested vitamin C starting two weeks before the test, at 2000/mg day. I drank two of those Emergen-C drinks in water every day for 14 days and tested negative on the swab. However, this is my first child and I've never tested before, so who knows if it would have been different for me to skip the vitamin C. It's a pretty easy supplement, though.