Found out last Friday (2 weeks and 3 days before EDD) that my GBS test came back positive. 
I just knew that it would because the whole trying-to-get-pregnant thing was filled with so many little "hitches" that now I expect there to be "hitches" (sad, I know...).
Midwives at my birth center recommend following the standard antibiotics protocol, but already gave me a waiver in case I decide to opt out. I feel really torn. I've read SOOOOO much about why doing the antibiotics could not be a good thing, and, of course, I also understand that there is a risk if I don't use them.
I was very interested to read about studies from Yale and Ohio State that say that the CDC's protocol uses way more antibiotics than is really needed to be effective. CDC says 3 grams penicillin to start, with 1.5 grams every 4 hours after. Ohio State did a study that seemed to show that just using 0.5 grams every 4 hours (including the first dose) is completely adequate. I was thinking of asking the midwives if they could just give me less antibiotic than what the CDC says. Has anyone here ever tried that?
What would you do? What are your stories? I know lots of people here would not use the antibiotics...and I know some people here have had friends (or themselves) whose babies had bad GBS experiences.
I just knew that it would because the whole trying-to-get-pregnant thing was filled with so many little "hitches" that now I expect there to be "hitches" (sad, I know...).
Midwives at my birth center recommend following the standard antibiotics protocol, but already gave me a waiver in case I decide to opt out. I feel really torn. I've read SOOOOO much about why doing the antibiotics could not be a good thing, and, of course, I also understand that there is a risk if I don't use them.
I was very interested to read about studies from Yale and Ohio State that say that the CDC's protocol uses way more antibiotics than is really needed to be effective. CDC says 3 grams penicillin to start, with 1.5 grams every 4 hours after. Ohio State did a study that seemed to show that just using 0.5 grams every 4 hours (including the first dose) is completely adequate. I was thinking of asking the midwives if they could just give me less antibiotic than what the CDC says. Has anyone here ever tried that?
What would you do? What are your stories? I know lots of people here would not use the antibiotics...and I know some people here have had friends (or themselves) whose babies had bad GBS experiences.
the standard protocol is still to go ahead with antibiotics. A homebirth midwife I talked to here neither gives the test to everyone nor does anything about it if it's positive...no herbs, immune-boosting...nothing. Basically, what it seems to come down to is that there is some amount of risk in everything...not a lot of risk, mind you, but risk if you do nothing and risk if you follow their advice. I don't have pushy, interventionist care providers and everything has been very hands off and respectful so far, so I'm not planning to fight the antibiotics. It sucks, but I suspect I'll get through it. On my end, I'm juicing a lot of greens and eating very, very well and will of course start on probiotics.
