How do you do a hibiclense wash?

[AllyRae]

I just tested positive for GBS+ a couple weeks ago, and my OB suggested doing a hibiclense wash (along with taking acidopholis). She didn't know how to do a hibiclense wash--she said she just heard midwives talking about it. So, I bought some hibiclense...now what on earth do I do with it?

Thanks!

[LoveChild421]

I did the Hibiclens wash- you just fill your peri-bottle (or something around the same size) with about half and inch- and inch of Hibiclens and fill the rest with water- then when labor starts you squirt the mixture in your vagina (don't do it forcefully, there is no need to "douche" with it since the GBS lives in the lower part of the vagina)

do a wash every 4 hours after labor starts.

this site tells more about it
http://www.gentlebirth.org/Midwife/gbs.html#Lavage

I felt so much better about doing this than doing IV antibiotics! But, you probably will still need to give the babe probiotics/ acidophilus since the Hibiclens kills most of the bacteria in the vagina that would normally colonize the baby's gut.

[LizD]

Yes, kind of like a gentle douche. Diluted, of course. I also washed with it straight on the outside when showering. It helped tremendously. On my midwife's advice I did this every other day as soon as I got the result. She bases her treatment on the level of colonization; she says GBS will break one's water early so it must be treated before labor begins. I did nothing during labor, but all internal exams after the test result (at about 35 weeks; she does it early so there is time to treat and test again) were done using straight hibiclens as the lubricant.

My baby and I did not get abx because my water was broken for a short time. All was well.

[dynamohumm6]

I was GBS+ as well. I did the external wash during every shower, but never did the peri-bottle wash. I would coat my finger with it and just do a quick "wipe" just inside.
Rinse well!

We were totally fine, my water didn't break until my son crowned, and he was perfectly fine. I had no problems with the hospital or my midwives in refusing the abx.

[NoraB]

Yay to your OB! It seems that most OB's just automatically recommend abx.

[MamaChel]

I did all the above plus I used the hibiclens to rinse after using the bathroom. We retested me 2 weeks after my + and got a - result but I kept up with it anyway. We were both fine, no abx, no complications.

[LoveChild421]

Originally Posted by LizD

she says GBS will break one's water early so it must be treated before labor begins.

I never knew that! I wonder if that's one reason my water broke right at the start of labor at 38 weeks

[AllyRae]

Oh, she's recommending the antibiotics as well. But I think she's really concerned about it causing an infection inside too (hmmm....I'm wondering if there's something she's not telling me about how high the level is....)

So, the fact that the bottle says "do not apply to the genital area" shouldn't worry me, right? :LOL What exactly is it going to do to me that would warrant a warning? Or is it fine if it's diluted?

[mamaverdi]

It could burn the tissues....

I'm not sure I would want to use hibiclens. The home health nurses never wanted to use it on themselves or use it on my son's tender areas. You might choose something a little less harsh.

Surely the gentlebirth site has some other suggests as well.

[nabigus]

I used Hibiclens in a 1:20 mix with distilled water as a preventative measure (my birthing center requires GBS testing and then antibiotics if you test +), and it didn't burn or cause me any grief. I was also taking taking LOTS of probiotics, drinking kefir, and eating yogurt.

[jerawo]

I was GBS+ with heavy colonization, and my water didn't break until 20 minutes before I pushed my son out. My MW also thinks she accidentally broke it, so it could have stayed intact even longer.

I did the hibiclens wash before testing and I still tested positive. It can help reduce the GBS but it won't get rid of it all the way. I didn't treat mine at all since my water didn't break until the end and my MW arrived an hour before ds was born. I also went into labor the morning of the day of my appointment to get antibiotics, so needless to say I didn't make it to the doctor.

[AllyRae]

Um yeah....it definately burned last night... : I think I may need to dilute it even more.... :LOL

[mamaverdi]

Originally Posted by AllyRae

Um yeah....it definately burned last night... : I think I may need to dilute it even more.... :LOL

I'm so sorry. Why don't you try tea tree oil or lavender or something like Grapefruit Seed Extract. I know Grapefruit Seed Extract is used to clean bird cages---who are very sensitive to harsh chemicals. And it's very disinfecting.

Garlic and yogurt applied locally may also be good. The garlic thing: use an un-knicked clove whole.

Good luck.

[KrissMiss]

solution strength

This is just an update in case any curious woman finds this thread from a search engine.
The studies I read, linked through gentlebirth.org, used a solution of .2% (.25% max) chlorhexidine. Hibiclense (available at Walgreens, CVS, etc) comes in a bottle with a 4% solution, so you have to dilute it accordingly.
Keep in mind, for those of us who are not math geniuses, that .25% is not the same thing as 25%..we're talking a less than 1% solution here.
Also, keep in mind that the studies used chlorhexidine in sterile water, and hibiclense contains fragrance and alcohol, so irritation may come from those...use the lowest dose and not too often.
You don't really need it until labor anyway, since the danger with GBS is the baby ingesting or aspirating it during it's travel through the birth canal. The pros of chlorhexidine are that it rapidly kills the bacteria and has the same effect as ampicillin, without effecting your whole body, just the vaginal tract.
Some women may use it before labor just to get a negative result on their GBS test, but I do advise anyone to be wise in their use because it will kill the good flora too, so you might just want to hold off until active labor.Then, every six hours (four if you want to do like the docs do with the abx).
And you can also politely refuse manual vaginal/cervical exams if you are postive or unsure with GBS, because this can deposit bacteria into the cervical opening.

[mwherbs]

the proper dilution from the European studies is .2% and if you buy a 4%bottle of hibiclens typically available in the US you will need to dilute it 1-20 one part hibiclens and 20 parts water. which is a small amount - you put it in a peribottle and use it as an external rinse- you could rinse a bit inside the labia but don't do an American style "douche" .
the good thing about hibiclens is that it leaves lactobacillus in tact- but the other thing is that women who have GBS are low in lactobacillus particuarlly H2O2 producing lactobacillus so you would need to supplement with lactobacillus, and eat fermented foods to recolonize yourself - you could also directly instill active culture yogurt into your vagina-

in the case of hibiclens more is not better- you really need to dilute because full strength can cause some tissue breakdown- so not what we are aiming for at all--chlorhexidine is another name for hibiclens
-------
to be a bit more clear how much
it roughly works out to about 2 Tablespoons to 20 oz of water
a typical peribottle is 12 oz so maybe about 4 teaspoons then fill with water

[mwherbs]

I also want to comment here that GBS is considered to be intestinal flora - that moves in to the vagina- so the intestines are the reservoir -- this is why dietary changes and eating live culture foods is important- just treating topically can be temporary and yes you could do just topical treatment repeatedly and you may still need to for this pregnancy, and to re-seed the vagina with live lactobacillus periodically - beyond this pregnancy - to improve your overall health.
because GBS is found most frequently in the intestines- you need to be careful not to cross contaminate- so I say toss out your thongs and don't wear them or just wear one briefly. also be sure to wipe front to back after going to the bathroom and staying with that theme sexual practices should be front bits first- then working to the back for the so inclined

one way to apply live culture yogurt vaginally is to have yogurt sex--
also consider rinsing toys with a hibiclens solution and maybe sprinkle on some lactobacillus to colonize them.
GBS likes an alkaline environment 4.5 and greater and keeping your vaginal pH at 3.8-4.4 will help keep it at bay---