Let's talk about GBS...

[ThreeCats]

I tested positive for GBS while pregnant with DS. I had IV abx during labor, and endured an extended hospital stay for "observation" for DS. No fun. I'd like to avoid that this time around, if possible... The first goal is, of course, testing negative when they do the swab (3 weeks from today) - but GBS does scare me, so I don't want to just "trick the test."

I'm planning to start a supplement regimen within the next couple of days (have to go buy the supplements first) - garlic, Vit. C, probiotics, maybe cranberry? I've never bought any of those before - what brands have you taken and liked? Which should I stay away from?

I'm also considering doing diluted Hibiclens rinses. If I go that route, how long before the swab should I start? How often? How often do I need to do them in the weeks following to make sure I'm still GBS- when I go into labor?

And...diet. I've heard it suggested to cut down on sugars etc., and increase protein. Does that actually make a difference?

What are you doing, if anything, to keep GBS away?

[AlexisT]

Nothing. I'm still not sure I'm going to labor anyway (though it's looking a bit more possible since I'm doing well enough to continue past 37 weeks) and I'm not that bothered about abx if I am GBS+. If I have a CS, I get abx no matter what.

[brennan]

I have already tested positive for GBS.  Apparently I'm dropping it in my urine?  Who knew that could happen.  Apparently that means the I have a high concentration of the bacteria, and I am thus assumed to have it at birth.  However as soon as I found out I started taking probiotics, cranberry juice, eating yogurt and increasing garlic.  I might have already be considered GBS positive, but if I can do something to reduce the risk to my baby I will do it.  I have decided not to do anything that involves going up my vagina as some say that baby can be infected before birth.  I am declining all internals, arom and membrane stripping, as a way to help prevent spread of the bacteria.  I do consent to one check when I arrive at the hospital to determine whether or not antibiotics would be a good idea or not.  

I had dd 6 hours from the time my water broke, with 4 hours of contractions.  I'm expected to go even faster this time and I live 1 1/2 hours from the hospital so no one, including my awesome no intervention dr, believes that I will make it in time to recieve antibiotics.  Thus I feel its important to minimize the risk and heck, if I'm able to actually be negative that would be awesome!  I am planning on staying in the hospital for 24 hours which was the biggest change I had to make to my birth plan but that is an amount of time that both me and my dr are comfortable with.  

My husband actually bought all of the cranberry juice, probiotics and yogurt for me, just whatever he could find at the store.  

[emmaegbert]

I have been GBS+ both my previous pregnancies and kind of assume I will be again. I did a high protein low carb no sugar diet with my second pregnancy (diet-controlled GD) and took lots of probiotics. Still tested positive. My HBMW for that pregnancy wasn't particularly worried (her point is that you always have to watch newborns for infection, regardless of GBS status) but we were planning to use hibiclens rinse if I had PROM, long labor, etc. I did not (water broke about 15 minutes before baby was born, whole labor under 3 hours). However, I had no internal exams at all, in order to minimize liklihood of actually introducing bacteria up into cervix. During labor, lol, there was no time for exams anyway. MWs got there, I walked into the other room and literally gave birth right then. They were there for... 5 minutes? Or less? before baby started crowning. No need to check cervix!

new town, new MWs. They do an antibiotic gel if GBS+ (vaginally) and then retest, and they say it almost always clears it up. They do administer ABX during labor if not. I will talk details when we get results of the test. I can post more about what this product is if anyone is interested. (FWIW I am again eating a very low sugar, low carb, high protein diet, and I just ordered probiotics to take until birth, but I do this b/c its good for me and baby for other reasons, not b/c I expect it to change my GBS status. GBS is not actually bad or pathological to have present in the vaginal flora. I think about 1/3 of women have it present at any given time).

oh and with my first- I was not at the birth center long enough to get the IV Abx early enough for their protocols. I ended up staying there for 4 days (with my son, thank goodness) b/c my son was under "observation". I felt he was overtreated and it was a really negative start to my life as a mother. Of course, it could have been much worse, but still. It was part of why I wanted to do HB after that!

[starling&diesel]

I was positive last time. 

Had the IV during early labour, then a saline lock was placed.

This time I've been downing the probiotics and cranberry pills for the last long while.  I'm guessing I'll likely be positive again.  If so, I'll do the antibiotics, but will decline the saline lock.  I asked my mw today what the lock was for and she said just in case they need IV access later on.  Well, I'd rather get stuck again, please.  I hated labouring with that darn lock in.  Had to keep it out of the water in the tub, was constantly aware of it in my arm. 

[not_telling]

I was GBS+ last time, too.  Got to the birth center 4 hours before DS was born (just about fully dilated), but declined antibiotics for the first couple hours (my water didn't break until sometime after I arrived at the birth center).  From time to time the mw would suggest starting the abx.  When I agreed, they put in a saline lock.  I got one dose of abx about 2 hours before DS was born, so this totally didn't follow the recommended protocol and, according to the ped, was essentially like doing nothing.  Of course, at the time we didn't know how much longer I'd be pushing.

I started taking probiotics a couple weeks ago.  I eat yogurt almost every day.  I hadn't heard about the cranberry juice.  Is that to change pH?

If I'm positive this time (which I assume I will be), I will probably accept abx as soon as we get to the birth center.  They want me to come in earlier than last time just because the first part of my labor had been so quick and we all want to avoid baby-born-in-the-car syndrome....so maybe I'll be able to get abx at least 4 hours before the birth...?

Regardless of GBS status, the birth center only allows families to stay for about 12 hours after birth....much to the dismay of our pediatric practice.  The newborn does get checked within those 12 hours by a ped from the hospital across the street...though no actual test (blood test?) is performed to see if they're GBS+.  And if mom or baby has an actual noticable problem, they're moved to the hospital across the street.

[lifeguard]

They didn't test last time but this time they will test in 2 weeks. I really hate having antibiotics in my system - it's pretty much a guaranteed yeast infection for me & I don't like the idea of dd starting life with antibiotics. I have been taking probiotics sporadically for awhile now but am going to stay focussed for the next two weeks making sure I get them in. My friend's midwife said since they started recommending probiotics to their clients the incidence of gbs+ in their practice has gone down 80% - not bad.

[AKChix0r]

I was going to decline the test, then found out that the hospitals here wig out if you haven't had it and you end up transferring. Thus, I'll be testing. If I have to transfer, I'd like it to be as smooth as possible and not be treated as diseased because I declined a test.

I've been taking prominence for months for digestive reasons, so hopefully that will help with this too? I didn't know that was a benefit. GBS wasn't one of the things I really looked into that much. I've been known to carry MRSA (and so has the NICU in town) so I'm way more worried about that level of infection.

[~pi]

I'm not doing anything in particular. My understanding is that there isn't anything that has been shown to be particularly effective at preventing GBS+, just lots of unreliable anecdata. I don't need one more set of Important Things To Do to stress about. If I'm positive (should find out next week) I'll take the IV abx.

Probiotics are the only thing that look promising from a scientific perspective, and I already get lots of probiotics (yogourt, not supplements, though I am probably going to add supplements for extra insurance soon) for other reasons anyway.

[Snugglebugmom]

I was positive the first time around and got the antibiotics. Second time I didn't have the test due to not having an OB yet (we moved to Canada when I was 36 weeks pregnant so I skipped my 36 week check up, and went into labor a week after we got here). They assumed I was positive and gave me the antibiotics. Things must have looked good with DD2 because she and I were both allowed to go home after 24 hours. I just got tested again and I'm sure it will be positive. So again, the antibiotics. I don't really care that much, I've read about what GBS can do to a newborn, and although I know the chance is slight, it's just not a risk I am willing to take. 

[tank]

I voted nothing.

I tested positive for GBS early in my pregnacy because it was in my urine.  I was put on antibiotics that gave me a horrible yeast infection.  I have had reoccuring yeast infections since then and have been taking probiotics off and on.  I will most likely start takeing the probiotics soon, not necessarily to prevent GBS or get rid of it.  I will take them to lessen my chance of immediatly getting a yeast infection if I need to take antibiotics.  I am assuming that I will test positive for GBS.