Hi, Sorry this may be a bit long, but it is my ordeal with testing positive for GBS.
I went through a midwife and had a water birth at home.
A week before my baby was due, I informed my midwife that I believed I had a UTI -- which I had earlier in my pregnancy.
I decided to get tested, at my local clinic; however, they were hesitant about my choice to go through a midwife and give birth at home. They informed me that I should have a culture done for Group B Strep, since I was in the last few weeks of the last trimester. (My midwife doesn't routinely check for GBS because of inconsistent data and she believes watching for the signals would be just as effective.) Anyway, I received the results back--and I tested positive. At the time, I wasn't too informed over the subject. But, I swear-over the next couple of days, I did everything to educate myself. I was alarmed at what the clinic informed me. They said I would have to give birth in a hospital with antibiotics dripping through me. I was so horrified! I desperately wanted a natural birth with as little interventions as possible. I was told that after I gave birth, my baby would be taken away and be given high dosages of antibiotics to kill any bacteria.
I didn't want it to happen-I didn't want it to interfere with the bonding time and breastfeeding relationship.
(By the way, I also tested positive for the UTI-so I was on antibiotics anyway!)
I decided to talk to my back-up doctor over the situation. He informed my husband and I of the protocal the CDC had established. (Which of coarse, I was informed of when we met with him.) He reinforced my belief that foregoing intravenous antibiotics during labor and instead, watching for the signals/symptoms of the baby after birth was a good option. My midwife agreed with the decision, and reinforced that I was already on antibiotics for the UTI, so it would almost certainly kill all other bacteria (and of coarse killing the good bacteria, as well). So I took acidopholus supplements to conteract the antibiotics killing the good bacteria.
By the way, almost everyone tests positive for GBS at one time or another in their life. I believe also, that in a random sampling of women, around 20% will test positive for the bacteria. Also, there seems to be a higher porportion of women with GBS than men. (GBS is a bacteria found on the external skin between near the anus, in women they sample it by swabing the skin between the vagina and anus.)
So--exactly a week after I found out a was GBS positive I went into labor! Natural labor started at 2:30 a.m. I called my midwife at 5:30 a.m. (after I relized it would be quite soon) I had the urge to push at 8:45 a.m., got in the birthing tub with my husband at 9:00 a.m. and my DD was born at 9:30 a.m.
I didn't have antibiotics dripping through me or any interventions --totally natural. My DD latched on beautifully within 30 minutes of her birth. My DD didn't have any eye prophylaxis done on her, but was given a natural oral Vitamin K supplement, which my midwife has on hand. We watched for signs/symptoms and nothing occurred!
After, the whole ordeal at the clinic-I promised myself to believe in my body and nature's way. Afterward, I realized that my midwife was actually doing me a favor by not testing-so I wouldn't get stressed out weeks before the baby was do.
Also, my DD weighed 5 lbs. 15 oz. at birth and had quite a bit of vernix on her--my midwife believes she was about 2-3 weeks early!
So, the whole ordeal of testing positive and being high-strung possible placed enough stress on me to go into labor a bit early!
We are all doing well know, DD is 20 pounds at 10 months and was totally breastfed for the first 7 1/2 months, now she eats some solids, but enjoys the pleasure of the breast.
I went through a midwife and had a water birth at home.
A week before my baby was due, I informed my midwife that I believed I had a UTI -- which I had earlier in my pregnancy.
I decided to get tested, at my local clinic; however, they were hesitant about my choice to go through a midwife and give birth at home. They informed me that I should have a culture done for Group B Strep, since I was in the last few weeks of the last trimester. (My midwife doesn't routinely check for GBS because of inconsistent data and she believes watching for the signals would be just as effective.) Anyway, I received the results back--and I tested positive. At the time, I wasn't too informed over the subject. But, I swear-over the next couple of days, I did everything to educate myself. I was alarmed at what the clinic informed me. They said I would have to give birth in a hospital with antibiotics dripping through me. I was so horrified! I desperately wanted a natural birth with as little interventions as possible. I was told that after I gave birth, my baby would be taken away and be given high dosages of antibiotics to kill any bacteria.
I didn't want it to happen-I didn't want it to interfere with the bonding time and breastfeeding relationship.
(By the way, I also tested positive for the UTI-so I was on antibiotics anyway!)
I decided to talk to my back-up doctor over the situation. He informed my husband and I of the protocal the CDC had established. (Which of coarse, I was informed of when we met with him.) He reinforced my belief that foregoing intravenous antibiotics during labor and instead, watching for the signals/symptoms of the baby after birth was a good option. My midwife agreed with the decision, and reinforced that I was already on antibiotics for the UTI, so it would almost certainly kill all other bacteria (and of coarse killing the good bacteria, as well). So I took acidopholus supplements to conteract the antibiotics killing the good bacteria.
By the way, almost everyone tests positive for GBS at one time or another in their life. I believe also, that in a random sampling of women, around 20% will test positive for the bacteria. Also, there seems to be a higher porportion of women with GBS than men. (GBS is a bacteria found on the external skin between near the anus, in women they sample it by swabing the skin between the vagina and anus.)
So--exactly a week after I found out a was GBS positive I went into labor! Natural labor started at 2:30 a.m. I called my midwife at 5:30 a.m. (after I relized it would be quite soon) I had the urge to push at 8:45 a.m., got in the birthing tub with my husband at 9:00 a.m. and my DD was born at 9:30 a.m.
I didn't have antibiotics dripping through me or any interventions --totally natural. My DD latched on beautifully within 30 minutes of her birth. My DD didn't have any eye prophylaxis done on her, but was given a natural oral Vitamin K supplement, which my midwife has on hand. We watched for signs/symptoms and nothing occurred!
After, the whole ordeal at the clinic-I promised myself to believe in my body and nature's way. Afterward, I realized that my midwife was actually doing me a favor by not testing-so I wouldn't get stressed out weeks before the baby was do.
Also, my DD weighed 5 lbs. 15 oz. at birth and had quite a bit of vernix on her--my midwife believes she was about 2-3 weeks early!
So, the whole ordeal of testing positive and being high-strung possible placed enough stress on me to go into labor a bit early!
We are all doing well know, DD is 20 pounds at 10 months and was totally breastfed for the first 7 1/2 months, now she eats some solids, but enjoys the pleasure of the breast.
