What is everyone doing about GBS testing?

[Jillerina]

I'm curious what you other mamas are doing with regard to the Group B Strep test.

I was never tested in my first pregnancy and was completely unaware of its existence. And my baby was fine and naver gave me a thing to worry about.

Now I'm leaning toward being tested and accepting the antibiotics if I do test positive. I don't have a problem with the antibiotics as much as I have problems having an IV (even with a heplock). I'm thinking I'll ask the MW to take out the IV altogether in between doses. Does that sound reasonable?

When will you be tested if you decide to take the test?

Would you consider re testing closer to your due date if you do test positive?

[momadance]

I tested positive with Miles. My ob, being completely stupid, stripped my membrames, without my permission at 39 weeks. A week befor my due date, and 1 week 9 days befor I actually gave birth. I guess she was unaware of my positive status with the gbs. God forbid she take a second to read my chart. The stripping of membrames without permission is another thing altogether.

Fast forward to labor: I'm given antibiotics, and they break my water at about 4 centimeters. Inviting gbs to party in the birth canal. Oh, and check me every hour or so.(again giving a free ride to anything that wants up to mess things up)

Miles is born and whisked away for "testing" due to the gbs status, and his "heavy breathing". Turns out he's sepsis, and we're at the hospital Thurs. - Mond. with a nurse coming to our house every day for 2 weeks to give him a shot of antibiotics.

I will not be tested. I will however, do a vaginal wash with hibi-cleanse at the onset of labor, which has been AS EFFECTIVE as anti-biotics in treating GBS. If your concerned at all check into the hibi-cleanse route. My case was completely mismanaged, and I feel myself and Miles were exposed to a butt load of anti. that did us no good.

[gottaknit]

I don't plan to be tested at all. I've heard too many "iffy" stories about it - people testing positive, then negative closer to the due date, etc. It just seems like an invitation for unneccessary meddling. My midwife told us a story about a woman who decided to be tested but then "forgot" to pick up the results until after her homebirth. She was gbs positive but everything turned out fine.

[OakEmber]

I do plan on being tested...I tested Neg. last time. But if I test positive I will only accept antibiotics during labour if I also have other risk factors....or maybe not even then. I don't really plan to have any of the risk factors, not that anyone does...but with Ember my water did break at the onset of labour and she was born 15 hrs later, so if my water were to break again this time I think the baby would likely be born before the 12 hr mark. And I rather doubt that we'd have 4 hrs in which to give me IV unless I knew prior, I don't plan on spending 4 hrs in the hospital before delivery...so I guess that I want to know so that I can look into other possibilities for treatment if infact I am.

Of course every midwife is different, but with mine the choice was not have the testing and get treated if there are risk factors, or get tested and have treatment if there are risk factors. So I'd rather test and in if neg. not have to worry about being treated if there happens to be risk factors KWIM. I think, but didn't ask, that this is just one of the rules set out for her by the BC gov. but I could be wrong.

[krnflwr]

Originally Posted by momadance

do a vaginal wash with hibi-cleanse.

What is this? Where do you get it?

My OB just told me that she would be doing the GroupB swab next visit (36wks). As non-interventionist as her office is overall, this is one test she does require and she is all for the antibiotics during labor and all that. I tested neg with Hannah, so I'm not too worried. But I'd like to have a back-up plan to discuss with her, just in case.

[Soogie]

With my first 2 pg's I tested neg for GBS. For this one, I had seen a different midwife at a birth center for my first appt at 6 weeks. She tested me for GBS , not by doing a vaginal swab, but an anal swab. And of course it came out positive. My mw now gave me the option to be tested or decline. I am still going to be tested, correctly this time and hopefully it will be neg. But if I do end up being pos., then I have the option of a few treatments. I will probably just do some homeopathic remedies and take oral antibiotics for a few weeks and then be retested. If still postive then, I'll continue oral antibiotics and then the babe will get a shot of antibiotic within an hour after birth. No IV for me during labor.

[Wabi Sabi]

My midwife just left a few minutes ago and this is one of the things that we discussed today. Basically, she is fine with whatever I decide to do regarding whether I want to be tested or not, and how I would like to treat it if I do opt to test and it turns out to be positive.

After talking to her about it for a while, I decided to take a fairly moderate, middle-of-the-road approach to it. I'll go ahead and get tested next week when I have my appointment with her backup OB. If positive I'll do the antibiotics but ONLY IF other risk factors are present during labor (water being broken for an extended period of time, etc.).

Although the decision is ultimately up to me and my midwife will support whatever I choose to do, she feels that this is a very reasonable approach. If I do opt for antibiotics during labor, she prefers to give them via intermuscular injection as opposed to an IV. If I really want, she'll set up an IV but would prefer not to do so...all of the tubing and so forth is just a hassle and doesn't really fit into most people's vision of a homebirth.

[Jillerina]

Hmmm, I asked my midwife if there was any way other than IV to receive the antibiotics and she said "no"! Whats the deal? The intramuscular shot would be preferrable for me too as I HATE, HATE, HATE IVs. I'll ask again next week.

[BeansMomma]

This topic came up in my OB appt today as well. I wasn't seeing my regular Dr. but the sub Dr. says that IV is the only treatment as well. Hopefully my regular OB will be a bit more open minded. I'll likely take the test, hope for the best, and be prepared to fight for less intervention if it comes back positive. :

Dr. says to test around 4 weeks before due date since the flora after 4 weeks could be changed. I know that this was a topic of a Mothering magazine a few months back; will have to find that issue again.

[Proudly AP]

we are planning a homebirth with our midwife.

i talked to mw about gbs last week. essentially, i have the choice to be tested or not.

it's true, you can test postivie then be negative a week later, it moves in and out of your intestines where it lives (and is helpful).

the only possible issue we might have was if i didn't test and had fever druing labour, i'd need antibiotics anyway. in the middle of the night, if she doesn't have them on-hand, that means a hospital transfer.

what i think i will do is get tested. if +ve i will ask her to bring antibiotics to my home, but they would only be administered if i had any symptoms or risk factors. a +ve test alone, is not enough to convince me.


i am *very* interested in the hibi-wash mentioned earlier. could you please post more info about it, or a link? tia!

[Court]

I asked my midwife yesterday if she does the GBS test and she said yes. That was pretty much the extent of our conversation, because I really didn't have a problem with it. I was tested last time and it was negative, so I guess that's why I hadn't put too much thought into it. The pamplets I've gotten from my midwife mention doing the hibi-cleanse during labor after every time at the toilet. I guess if the test came back positive, we would figure out what to do from there.

Gosh, momadance - that sounds awful what happened to you and Miles! I definitely wouldn't be testing either if we'd been through that mess.

[momadance]

Yeah it did suck. The thing is too, if you've tested positive for one pregnancy, your treated with IV anti's in a hospital setting, regardless of your current status, and refusal can result in being booted from your current care provider. I don't know if that's a Georgia thing, or all over the place.

[Lucysmama]

I'm not getting tested at all. My MW offers is but does not do it routinely unless a woman asks for it. This is pretty much her policy on all testing - iron, GBS, GD, PKU, etc...her "policy" is that she informs her clients of the risks and benefits and it is up to them. I am comfortable just skipping the swab, as well as the GD test. I'm upping the probiotics in my diet at the end of the pregnancy as a precaution.

[mirthfulmum]

I'm not getting tested either.
Here if you test posistive for Strep B you are automaticaly put on antibiotics during labour. And since there are clear signs that develop if a woman is Strep B positive during labour (high fever for example) I don't see the point in testing a few weeks ahead even though the infection may or not be present during labour. If I show symptoms during labour then I will take the antibiotics. But I do not want to take antibiotics and expose my new born's sysytem to a medicine that'll destroy the very important bacteria that is growing in his digestive tract for no reason.

[aircantu1]

n

[Proudly AP]

Originally Posted by aircantu1

Can't we just use antibiotics if there are symptoms?

that would be my take on it. my midwife mentioned that at mount sainai in toronto, they did a study that showed that only women who were positive and HAD SYMPTOMS benefitted from the antibiotics. can you discuss this with someone in advance (sorry, i didn't notice how far along you are)

good luck!

[aircantu1]

n

[mandalamama]

i tested GBS+ i asked the dr. what are the chances of the baby getting it, she said 1% but that it can be pretty severe if they do get it. but now that i've been reading more about it, i'm wondering if it's a blessing in disguise - being able to argue against internal exams, membrane stripping and water breaking?

i'm going to be laboring as long as possible at home, so i'm wondering if they'd even have time to do the IVs. will know in a few weeks

peace,
meli

[mandalamama]

uhhh ... just found out today, from our pediatrician actually, that they use penicillin or amoxycillin for the GBS IV at our hospital. i'm allergic to both! the "stop breathing" kind of allergy. i called and found out they have only 2 other alternatives, both of which i've also had asthma/hives reaction to. i find out Thursday what's up. i wish i hadn't said yes to the test ... they'll end up treating Willow if i can't be treated, even if she doesn't get sick i'd rather have 1000 needles than her have to have even one.

[OakEmber]

Argh, Meli that sucks : Will they want to treat Willow even in the absence of warning signs/symptoms?? Gosh I would be wishing I hadn't tested too! Hopefully you will get some better news on Thurs! You'd think that they'd also be concerned about her being allergic since you are! Let us know what you find out.