Have GBS, really bummed, help me feel better? - Page 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[FarmerMomma]

Originally Posted by Loogiejane 


Did you make a slit before inserting?

So, you did the garlic but it still didn't help? You mentioned letting it keep you from a homebirth.

Actually unrelated. I did garlic for yeast infections and did not split the garlic. I tried the yogurt too but was not as successful. The garlic cleared it right up pronto. It was in college and I did a little drawing of things that have been in my vagina. Garlic was a fun one to add to this collage.

I was told somewhere along the line that a homebirth with beta strep positive would transfer me to the hospital in 14 hours. I was doing doctors visits and only interviewed one midwife, was also told that she was the only one that would do a homebirth in my county since a lawsuit had happened so recently. The midwife I have now said a transfer for GBS was pretty ridiculous. Might have been a doc that said about the transfer. 5+ years ago and those details are getting a little foggy. Anyway I didn't want to pay for a homebirth get my hopes up and then have a likely transfer. Obviously the docs said nothing to me about garlic or yogurt. This is where I look back at myself and say duh, you've used this treatment before why not then. But then I remember what a crazy home life I had then and give myself love. I've come along way as a parent, mostly a single parent. I did not get the IV in the hospital anyway I was fully dilated upon entering the hospital so there was no time. I came in and they told me to push and he was born in about 20 minutes. Not what I was expecting as a first timer.

Now let me tell you my son did get sick. His 7 day check up at the peds office was fine 2 days later we were in ICU for 2 weeks. As we left ICU three different very expensive experts said what he had had was three different things. One said it was from GBS and two said something different. WTF? My gut says he picked up something from well baby visit. And I'm never taking a newborn into a peds office for a well baby visit again. Yay midwife well baby checks!

[pastormama]

I don't have first-hand experience, but just want to say that everyone sounds right on.  The active culture/infection is transient - meaning that yeah, your test now doesn't have much bearing on your birth.  I've even heard of people demanding a retest when they get to the hospital (of course this would be for hospital birth, not home birth), and then going from that test to see if they have to have the antibiotics in labor.

In my Bradley class with DD, a few of the ladies had GBS - they had good success using garlic suppositories, just smearing yogurt all over the private area (more effective than eating it), and doing the hibiclens thing (I don't know exactly what's involved in this - there are places online that will tell you exactly what to do).

All of that to say - this is super-common, and not a cause for changing birth plans I don't think.

[Loogiejane]

Originally Posted by pastormama 

I don't have first-hand experience, but just want to say that everyone sounds right on.  The active culture/infection is transient - meaning that yeah, your test now doesn't have much bearing on your birth.  I've even heard of people demanding a retest when they get to the hospital (of course this would be for hospital birth, not home birth), and then going from that test to see if they have to have the antibiotics in labor.

In my Bradley class with DD, a few of the ladies had GBS - they had good success using garlic suppositories, just smearing yogurt all over the private area (more effective than eating it), and doing the hibiclens thing (I don't know exactly what's involved in this - there are places online that will tell you exactly what to do).

All of that to say - this is super-common, and not a cause for changing birth plans I don't think.

Thanks. And sort of reassuring to hear it's common. I am just afraid because I've had problems getting rid of BV in the past and feel like I get it so easily and hold onto it for a long time. But I'm going to treat the GBS more aggressively than I ever have with BV. I'm just hoping it doesn't come back.

I should probably just continue to take probiotics my entire pregnancy. Anyone know of that being a problem to take them without a break?
 

[MarieWalter]

Thought of one more thing to recommend - Sarah Buckley's Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering. She is very holistically/naturally-oriented but also scrupulously research-based. There's at least a handful of pages in that book about GBS, your options, etc.

You are sounding a little more optimistic which is really nice to hear! 

[Loogiejane]

Originally Posted by MarieWalter 

Thought of one more thing to recommend - Sarah Buckley's Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering. She is very holistically/naturally-oriented but also scrupulously research-based. There's at least a handful of pages in that book about GBS, your options, etc.

You are sounding a little more optimistic which is really nice to hear! 

Well the way I generally work is the first day I hear about negative news I am really depressed and the next day I rebound :) I mean, still bummed about it but I am now trying to refocus my mentality and think about all the wonderful ways I can try to fight it.

[Trisha Kalous]

Originally Posted by Loogiejane 

Thanks. And sort of reassuring to hear it's common. I am just afraid because I've had problems getting rid of BV in the past and feel like I get it so easily and hold onto it for a long time. But I'm going to treat the GBS more aggressively than I ever have with BV. I'm just hoping it doesn't come back.

I should probably just continue to take probiotics my entire pregnancy. Anyone know of that being a problem to take them without a break?
 

Probiotics won't cause any harm :)

[Loogiejane]

Alright well I got my fem dophilous, grapefruit seed extract, im back to my vinegar rinse (though i really believe that's more for outside relief and can't help if the GBS is more internal like in my intestines) and I am open minded to trying to garlic cloves (which also not sure how much itll do for if the GBS is more internal)

My HB MW did say if I test pos at 35-37 weeks and I want antibiotics during labor she will give them to me via IV. I just know my body and how it holds onto unhealthy bacteria and I am not the most hopeful. Actually no....I am very hopeful, just not so optimistic knowing my past with bacterial infections before.

It's confusing too to read such differing info online....how some peolel swear that home remedies got rid of their GBS and how other say no matter what you do it will come back or you can't fully get rid of it....that no probiotic will rid it.  Some women say they had GBS during labor with no antibiotics and no harm was done to baby, other women I've read did the same thing and their babies died hours after delivery due to GBS in the lungs....how's a girl to make up her mind with such info out there?

I'm still bummin (especially because I am sooooooo itchy right now and practically scratched my yaya off last night, ouch!) but hey, who knows, maybe at 35 weeks I'll test neg. I have to remind myself it's possible.

[Quinalla]

I'm glad your midwife will be able to give you an IV if you decide to get one, that's got to be a load off your mind! I hope you are able to clear things up before labor!

[Loogiejane]

Um...I'd just like to update anyone who cares....so I've used garlic cloves up my you-know-what for 2 nights now and all I can is WOW, hello garlic stank. Garlic taste in my mouth AND the smell of it down south even the whole day after removing the clove. Combined with my vinegar rinse I do morning and night? I feel like a walking bottle of vinegrette! 

I'm pretty certain I have GBS AND a YI. It's beginning to depress me with the discomfort I have and the overall yukky feeling. Also of course the threat of GBS not going away. 

[BabySmurf]

Ha, vinaigrette, lol! Yeah, garlic is pretty potent.  I've taken it a couple of times to ward off a cold, and I wreak of it...but it does the trick!  I would say definitely get on a good probiotic...but start slow and work your way up to a higher dose
 

[Loogiejane]

Originally Posted by BabySmurf 

Ha, vinaigrette, lol! Yeah, garlic is pretty potent.  I've taken it a couple of times to ward off a cold, and I wreak of it...but it does the trick!  I would say definitely get on a good probiotic...but start slow and work your way up to a higher dose
 

I started taking fem dophilous last week every day. The dosage says to take one a day for maintenence and 2 if otherwise directed. So I'm taking two. I hope it's not too much to start off with two a day. 

What I also REALLY need to do is cut out most bread and sugar but I'm being really super bad about it. 

[BabySmurf]

Originally Posted by Loogiejane 

I started taking fem dophilous last week every day. The dosage says to take one a day for maintenence and 2 if otherwise directed. So I'm taking two. I hope it's not too much to start off with two a day. 

What I also REALLY need to do is cut out most bread and sugar but I'm being really super bad about it. 

It's so hard to cut out the bread and sugar....but worth it! If you aren't feeling crappy (head ache, groggy), then the dose isn't too high....when I started with trying to get my gut better, I had massive die off symptoms...you just want to be careful that the toxins aren't being dumped into your bloodstream at a high dose.  I hope it works for you!

[Loogiejane]

Originally Posted by BabySmurf 

It's so hard to cut out the bread and sugar....but worth it! If you aren't feeling crappy (head ache, groggy), then the dose isn't too high....when I started with trying to get my gut better, I had massive die off symptoms...you just want to be careful that the toxins aren't being dumped into your bloodstream at a high dose.  I hope it works for you!

What does feeling crappy have to do with a high dose of probiotics? That's not a sarcastic question, I'm really asking. And I've heard of die off symptoms but what does it mean? That you take too much of the probiotic and it stops working? And which toxins being dumped in my system? Elaborate, woman!  As you can tell I like details an dI always have lots of questions. 

[BabySmurf]

Originally Posted by Loogiejane 

What does feeling crappy have to do with a high dose of probiotics? That's not a sarcastic question, I'm really asking. And I've heard of die off symptoms but what does it mean? That you take too much of the probiotic and it stops working? And which toxins being dumped in my system? Elaborate, woman!  As you can tell I like details an dI always have lots of questions.

Oops! Sorry I didn't catch this last night! When you take probiotics to help balance your system, it will usually cause a "die off" off pathogenic bacteria and yeasts...when they die, they release toxins into your body, which could manifest as headaches, feeling groggy, diarrhea, moodiness, cravings, etc.  If you have those symptoms it's really important to continue with the probiotics, but it's a sign to adjust your dose to a lower level so that there aren't so many die off symptoms...it's just that it's too much for your body to process at once.  And with being pregnant, if the toxins are too much for your body and they are in your bloodstream, then they are being passed to the baby as well.  (Or breast milk, if you are breastfeeding, as I was at the time).  If  you are feeling weird, just drop down to one pill untill you feel normal again, then up the dose to two pills.  My son has my gut issues and he has worked up to 15 billion cfu's...he's two and 35ish pounds.  I need to work my way up to at least 50 billion, and it's slow going.  My mom has taken my probiotics with absolutely no adverse effects though, so it's very individual.  HTH!

[Loogiejane]

Originally Posted by BabySmurf 

Oops! Sorry I didn't catch this last night! When you take probiotics to help balance your system, it will usually cause a "die off" off pathogenic bacteria and yeasts...when they die, they release toxins into your body, which could manifest as headaches, feeling groggy, diarrhea, moodiness, cravings, etc.  If you have those symptoms it's really important to continue with the probiotics, but it's a sign to adjust your dose to a lower level so that there aren't so many die off symptoms...it's just that it's too much for your body to process at once.  And with being pregnant, if the toxins are too much for your body and they are in your bloodstream, then they are being passed to the baby as well.  (Or breast milk, if you are breastfeeding, as I was at the time).  If  you are feeling weird, just drop down to one pill untill you feel normal again, then up the dose to two pills.  My son has my gut issues and he has worked up to 15 billion cfu's...he's two and 35ish pounds.  I need to work my way up to at least 50 billion, and it's slow going.  My mom has taken my probiotics with absolutely no adverse effects though, so it's very individual.  HTH!

Ahhhhh, got it! That's very helpful, thanks. Never would have thought of that!

[Loogiejane]

50 billion, damn girl! I just looked at mine and I'm only taking 10 billion a day. Why do you need to work up to 50? That must get expensive!

I'd really like to test for the GBS again next month but I'm sure my MW will want to wait til 35/37 weeks. I'd like to know in the event I should be upping the probiotic. 

[BabySmurf]

Originally Posted by Loogiejane 

50 billion, damn girl! I just looked at mine and I'm only taking 10 billion a day. Why do you need to work up to 50? That must get expensive!

I'd really like to test for the GBS again next month but I'm sure my MW will want to wait til 35/37 weeks. I'd like to know in the event I should be upping the probiotic. 

we have pretty severe gut issues here, so we need to do an intensive version.  Once things are normal, then I should be able to drop down to a maintenance dose.  I try to supplement with probiotic foods and drinks (which are pretty easy to make) so that I'm not always taking pills.  The food is better to do, but I feel like the pills help at times when I'm not proactive with ferments :)

you can always experiment with the probiotic dose.  there are some good 'healing the gut" threads on here that may be helpful to read that will give you a ton of info. 

[Loogiejane]

Are probiotics also supposed to help with yeast? I've got that going on too. So, so, so frustrating not just to have both infections but to have them while pregnant. It's been a while since I've both at once, this is such a bummer. And to be honest if I wasn't pregnant I'd probably get an Rx out of frustration. 

[augustashley]

Probiotics are VERY helpful for yeast!  I had GBS in my second and third pregnancy. In the 2nd I actually had a UTI with GBS early on. :(   I had an unplanned HB and he was detained in the hospital for antibiotics for 48 hrs (which was way overkill, his blood cultures were negative after birth).  I tried to do the garlic thing and probiotics to reverse my status in my third pregnancy, with no luck, still a (+) test at delivery and they kept us for 2 days for monitoring.  Major hassle.  A friend recently tried only the probiotic method and also remained (+).   However, in my fourth preg I did a regimen with probiotics, oral garlic (lots of it,I tasted garlic for weeks), vit C, echinacea, and was able to become (-).  I wrote it out on this thread, I would try it if I was you!  I'd probably start now, and then repeat again for the 4 weeks prior to your test at 36weeks, and then again at delivery, personally.

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1364899/if-you-are-gbs-consider-this-protocol#post_17210541

^supposedly that protocol was tested by a MW in 4 patients, and all were able to revert from (+) to (-) status-they measured their levels/counts and they declined each week, finally to negative levels in the 4th week, for all patients. 

[Loogiejane]

Originally Posted by augustashley 

Probiotics are VERY helpful for yeast!  I had GBS in my second and third pregnancy. In the 2nd I actually had a UTI with GBS early on. :(   I had an unplanned HB and he was detained in the hospital for antibiotics for 48 hrs (which was way overkill, his blood cultures were negative after birth).  I tried to do the garlic thing and probiotics to reverse my status in my third pregnancy, with no luck, still a (+) test at delivery and they kept us for 2 days for monitoring.  Major hassle.  A friend recently tried only the probiotic method and also remained (+).   However, in my fourth preg I did a regimen with probiotics, oral garlic (lots of it,I tasted garlic for weeks), vit C, echinacea, and was able to become (-).  I wrote it out on this thread, I would try it if I was you!  I'd probably start now, and then repeat again for the 4 weeks prior to your test at 36weeks, and then again at delivery, personally.

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1364899/if-you-are-gbs-consider-this-protocol#post_17210541

^supposedly that protocol was tested by a MW in 4 patients, and all were able to revert from (+) to (-) status-they measured their levels/counts and they declined each week, finally to negative levels in the 4th week, for all patients. 

I actually saw that post of yours when I was looking up threads on GBS :) Thanks for giving me the link though!

So you think if I should do this regime for 4 weeks NOW, stop, and then again before the 36 week test? I actually have grapefruit seed extract so I'll probably keep taking it til the bottle is gone. 8 Bill of acidophilous seems like SO much!!!! Since last week I've been taking 2 bill a day.