GBS Question « Back to Group Discussions

[musicmama08]

The midwife group I'm delivering with either recommends getting the test, and then doing the antibiotics as indicated with a positive.  However, one of them said to me that if I were going to refuse the antibiotics, it would be easier for them if I just refused the test.  (I assume she's referring to hospital politics.)  If I did refuse the test, they would go with the old standard which was to watch for symptoms.  So, without the test, they would push the use of antibiotics if I got a fever in labor or had water broken for 18 hours or more.  Our current ped. who delivered babies for 30 years both in hospital and home settings said that is a safe set of standards to go by.  My only concern is that I can't find anything that says if you are GBS positive if waiting 18 hours after water is broken truly helps rates of infection go down.  Studies I've seen say that rates of infection to the baby go down significantly for GBS positive women if antibiotics are given before delivery, and that seems to be all.

Basically, I'm not really comfortable with having antibiotics if I test positive, but I also don't want to risk the baby's health.  We had some traumatic early times with our first son, so my husband would be really upset if this kid were to have a GBS infection and I had refused the test.  So, has anyone read anything about the rates of infection when the symptomatic standard is used (fever or 18 hours after water breaking)?

Thanks for any input!

[jbk21]

http://www.healthychild.com/birth/treating-group-b-strep-are-antibiotics-necessary/

That site has some great info as well as a slew of studies and research in the footnotes.   I would refuse the test.  The risk to your baby is SO small.  (0.5%.  It doesn't get much lower than that.)

You could also ask your midwife if they'd be willing to do hibiclens rinses during vaginal exams just as a preventive measure in case you had GBS.  

You could also try to eliminate the chance of any GBS bacteria between now and delivery.  Grapefruit seed extract is the treatment my MW recommends. 

But still, I wouldn't be concerned.  

[musicmama08]

Thank you thank you!  This article and attached references help a lot.  Regarding hibiclens, my midwife says the studies on that are inconsistent and do not show that it is effective.  Regardless, I think I will refuse the test, but accept the antibiotics if the symptomatic criteria are met.  Hopefully they're not!

[willsmomm]

I've just been researching this and found this article my midwife did on the subject: http://www.nurturingheartsbirthservices.com/blog/?p=790

We've decided not to do the test.

[Ajbaby]

I am doing the test just in case of transfer, that way the baby won't be put through the ringer. My midwife doesn't require antibiotics if you dont want them if you are positive, she goes by the guidelines you mentioned.

[MrsKatie]

I got the test, mostly because chances were that I'd test negative anyway (I did), and I knew that if I got a negative test then I'd get to stop thinking about it altogether.  I also had the option to decline antibiotics if I tested positive, so I knew I'd have choices if that happened, too.

[Code Name Mama]

My midwife and I were just discussing this, b/c she recently had to transfer a baby to the hospital for unrelated reasons and they gave her tons of grief about not doing the GBS test (the parents had obviously refused it). She said "I don't want to practice in an "in-case-of-transfer" way, but I know that the hospital would not have given the parents so much trouble if they'd simply had a negative test."

So that's what I laid awake thinking about last night - testing and refusing antibiotics if it was positive. Thanks to everyone for sharing your perspectives!

[crazykittymomma]

I'm planning on taking the test and refusing antibiotics if positive as well (unless we encounter water broken for more than 18 hours or a fever during labor). I will also use hibiclens if positive and am planning on limiting vaginal exams anyway.

My doula/student midwife recommended that I start taking some immune boosters a while back as she's had some really good luck with them resulting in negative GBS tests. Her protocol is 10,000IU vit D a day, probiotics, and garlic capsules. I also threw in an extra 500 mg of vit C just for good measure (and cell integrity, since I've read that vit C can help reduce risk of PROM).

[Code Name Mama]

Sarah - do you know offhand how long before you take the test that the vitamins can help? I remember doing the same thing for Kieran, but I don't remember how long I took the supplements before we took the test.

[Jaimee]

You can take WAY more than 500mg of vitamin C.  I take upwards of 2g a day (separated into 2-3 doses a day) as an immune booster and I know others that can handle many more grams.  You know when it's too much when you get diarrhea.  A megadose of vitamin C in your system simply doesn't allow most viruses to live, so it's a great preventative as well as anti-viral in an already infected system.  I use sodium ascorbate powder and dissolve it in juice.

I would imagine most anti-virals would be effective quite quickly- cleaning out infection in a matter of days.

[crazykittymomma]

She suggested it I think for 36 weeks? I can't really remember since she told me around 28 weeks and I just started then. ]

I guess I'll up my vit C! I figured between the prenatal (I take rainbow light) and the extra I was good. lol

[LiLStar]

I'm going the vit c, garlic, and probiotic route. I also take 10,000 iu vit d but I didn'tknow that could be gbs preventative. I take it because i'vetested deficient, and this time of year in seattle, I'm not getting any vit d unless I eat it! I decided that if I tested and it was positive, it could be a potential cause of stress. And in case of transfer, I won't fight the abx. I know from experience that if I'm transferring, my birth preferences are so far gone that I pretty much won't care :\

[Jaimee]

What vitamin D supplements do you all use?

[LiLStar]

I take NOW brand 5000iu. Its pretty inexpensive and the little capsules are teeny tiny. I give the kids rainbow light 1000iu sunny gummies (2 a day) not as cheap but they love 'em!

[Jaimee]

Bummer, the RL gummies have gelatin in them. 

[crazykittymomma]

I take Natrol 10,000iu tablets. I get them from amazon through amazon mom subscribe and save for $5.12 a bottle.

[MrsKatie]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

Bummer, the RL gummies have gelatin in them. 

Ugh, isn't that infuriating? Gelatin needs to get the heck out of supplements.  I get so frustrated trying to find/paying extra for pills without dead animal parts in them!

[Jaimee]

I know, especially when it's easily replaceable and their other vitamins are actually VEGAN.  I mean, come on!

[birdhappy85]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

What vitamin D supplements do you all use?

I take the nutraMetrix Isotonix Vitamin D with K2 powder. I love it. It mixes with water to make liquid, so I mix it with my nutraMetrix Isotonix prenatals at the same time. http://www.nutrametrix.com/index.cfm?action=shopping.nGoShopProducts&prodID=1329808

[jbk21]

Amen.  I've heard great things about Deva supplements.  I'm sure vegans already know this but D2 is vegan, D3 is not. 

Originally Posted by MrsKatie 

Ugh, isn't that infuriating? Gelatin needs to get the heck out of supplements.  I get so frustrated trying to find/paying extra for pills without dead animal parts in them!