I just tested GBS + :(

[ccasanova]

I can't believe it! This is my fifth pregnancy and I've never been postitive until this one! I almost thought it was a wast of time to do it but went along with the testing anyway. So now my birth plans have been changed. I had hoped to not go into the hospital until last minute. Preferably with only a half hour to go before baby comes into the world. But now, I'll have to be there with a lot of time beforehand so that I can be on antibiotics for at least 4 hours before baby comes thru the birth canal. And if my water breaks before I go into labor (which thank goodness has never happened) I'll have to be there right away so I can get on antibiotics right away.

I so wanted to stay out of the hospital as long as possible. Because I'm a VBAC, they have too many protocols like having me hooked up to IV's, more monitoring, no eating, etc, etc. I wanted to go epidural free this time and it would so have helped to not be at the hospital until baby was almost out. Now I'll be there, with interventions galore, on my back in bed, making my contractions harder to deal with, etc, etc.

Well that was my rant. So dissapointing...Oh well. I guess one can never be sure of how ones birthing will go.

By the way, and I hope someone can answer this. Is a homebirth possible if someone is GBS+? I was planning one, but because of a change of plans, I had to give up my homebirth and go with hospital birth. If I had still wanted a homebirth would it be no longer possible because of the need for antibiotics?

[justme77]

Oh mamma, I am soooo sorry. Have you considered staying home and doing your own hibiclens (just as effective as antix)? Yes! Homebirth is still an option if GBS+!! Read up on it, really. Especially w/ a hospital VBAC; I would just hate to add ANY interventions - let alone longer time spent in hospital... Here's where some of us were talking about this a few days ago...

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=957313

[ccasanova]

thank you for the link to the thread! I did a search on GBS and it didn't come up. I'm off to join you there!

[whalemilk]

The homebirth midwives I saw offered either IV antibiotics in labor (yep they can do IVs at home), naturopathic treatments before/during labor, or to decline treatment entirely.

Good luck with whatever you decide. GBS is one of those I am never sure what to think of, it's scary on the one hand but all the intervention sometimes seems like just so much on the other hand.

[immamama]

Praying all goes well. Sorry about this!

[VeganCupcake]

My homebirth midwife advises acting like you could be GBS +, so definitely she would do a HB with a GBS + mom. She doesn't do abx, but she offers hibiclens washes during labor/birth if her clients want, and also recommends some preventative options.

I've been doing some preventative measures and may choose to do the hibiclens, too. Like whalemilk, it's hard to know what to think of GBS--it can be serious when it's serious. But the abx across the board seem to cause other troubles sometimes.

[GriffsKat]

I will find out friday if I am GBS+ or not. I wasn't with my daughter and was really freaking out about it. But I discussed it with my midwife (we are planning a homebirth) and she can do antibiotics, but after seeing the difficulties it can give mama's and babies afterwards, trush, she, herself, would never do antibiotics, but rather try to get rid of it. In all her homebirthing experience she's never seen any typical beta strep show up in a baby to a mama who was positive. I say typical, because there was one baby who became infected with a strep, but it wasn't the group b, or whatever it is they test for, so...

If a mama is GBS+ she looks for the factors that could make it worse, preemie baby, fever in the mama, long water breaking, stuff like that. She is more proactive than reactive. And I am in the camp of, lets see what we can do to get rid of it, rather than just throw drugs at it. So I have been taking probiotics along with eating plain yogurt, eating more garlic, getting more sleep (hah, that one is a hard one), practicing good hygiene, stuff like that. I do my part and let the Lord do the rest. That's all any of us can do. But education is the key. Good for you for doing that! Best to you!

[Azryel]

I fortunately tested negative this time around, but was positive last birth and thought seriously about what I would do if had tested positive. Given I've had very fast L&D, I think I would have declined the antibiotics barring additional risk factors (prematurity, a long time with ruptured membranes, fever, etc.). My homebirth midwife can do antibiotics at home, so it only would have been a question of whether to get them or not, and not whether to transfer, but I think I probably would have gone a similar route with a transfer (i.e., plan for a homebirth, but be a little aggressive with a transfer if additional risk factors presented themselves).

Sorry you came back positive. Bad deal.

* Jaime

[honeybee]

I don't even test for GBS, so it doesn't affect my hb status.

[Norabella]

My midwife gave me reading materials about GBS, including the CDC info, and an article from Mothering. After reading the research, my DH and i cameto agree that even if I was positive, we would only consider antibiotics if there were additional risk factors (fever, long time w/ water broken, etc).

I did test positive, so we reread, and came to the same conclusion. In addition, at my midwife's suggestion, I am treating with garlic, eating lots of live culture food (yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese,) taking acidophilous and Vit C. We may retest next week if I haven't had the baby before then, but either way, in the absence of additional risk factors the research doesn't actually seem to support the use of atibiotics.

In regards to HB and GBS: My midwife will have the antibiotics w/ her so if should we decide they are needed, we would not have to transfer.

[Love_My_Babies]

NAK-
Chiming in from the August board. I had/have gbs, and had a homebirth. Search the homebirth board for hibiclense. It is a popular option in Europe to temporarily remove or reduce the colonized gbs from the vagina during labor and delivery, thus reducing the chance that the baby may get it. My ds was born in his amniotic sac and never came in contact directly with the birth canal, so it ended up being a non-issue for me!

[tanyam926]

I just found out today at my 38 wk appt. that I tested GBS+ too. I was surprised bc this is my 3rd baby and have tested - w/ both my other kids.

I am having a homebirth and will be doing garlic vaginally until delivery, tons of probiotics, and the hibiclens during labor as long as my water doesn't break.

It is one of those confusing ones but w/the research I have done I feel confident that all will be fine.

[ConsciousMama]

I am in the same boat. I am 39 weeks tomorrow, with my 3rd babe, tested - with both of the others but + just 2 days ago, and this is a VBAC. I was hoping to get to the hospital with as little time to labor there as possible because of all of the procedures. I'm referencing Avivva Jill Romm's herbal pregnancy book, and am doing sitz baths with thyme, rosemary, calendula, yarrow, lavender and sea salt. Nightly suppositories of goldenseal (a natural antibiotic) LOTS of garlic, good probiotics and cultured foods. I'm going to look into the hibiclens as well. I'm going to check out the other thread.
Blessings to everyone going though this!

[trayls]

Ughh! I just had a conversation with my OB. Not pleasant. He wasn't real interested in an exchange of ideas : or even in acknowledging my concerns about antibiotic use. His argument was .. SCIENCE ("you may not like science", umm, excuse me??) ... THE ENTIRE WESTERN WORLD (he started with "We're not a third world nation") ... statistic statistic 50% death... etc. It was so hard to listen while feeling talked down to. I explained my concerns and why I was asking about alternatives and he ended with "you can do what you want but you have to take ownership of it." Alrighty then, thanks for the discourse! He told me hibiclens will create hideous irritation to my vagina. He also kept pulling on his gray hair to reference his many years of experience. It was somewhat comical to see such a stereotypical doctor-ego attitude exude forth. He was clearly annoyed/offended that I would question him at all and was soooo defensive.

But, I will get a retest which I want although their protocol would still be antibiotic use. The restest is information I can use to make an informed decision, so I'm glad about that. And ultimately, I can "do what I want" and he can say "he told me so" if things go south.

I am happy though that I was able to sit there, listen patiently, make my argument and leave with the decision in my hands. Good practice for the hospital birth!

(He really is an annoying little man, I hope he's not on when I deliver)

[ccasanova]

Originally Posted by trayls

But, I will get a retest which I want although their protocol would still be antibiotic use. The restest is information I can use to make an informed decision, so I'm glad about that. And ultimately, I can "do what I want" and he can say "he told me so" if things go south.

So are you saying that even if you retest negative, they would still want to do antibiotics?

I have my appointment today so I'm going to also have my discussion with my OB about retesting, antibiotics, hibibclens, etc. We'll see how it goes.

[trayls]

Originally Posted by ccasanova

So are you saying that even if you retest negative, they would still want to do antibiotics?

I have my appointment today so I'm going to also have my discussion with my OB about retesting, antibiotics, hibibclens, etc. We'll see how it goes.

Yes, the protocol is once you test positive you should get the antibiotics. I *believe* that is consistent with or is the official CDC protocol at least as recommended for women who previously had GBS+ delivery. Once positive, always positive.

[The office I'm at is very strict with official protocol. They are basically the last stop for maternal-fetal medicine in the State. Hopefully other offices have a more flexible outlook]

Hey, good luck today! Let us know how it goes.

[VeganCupcake]

Tracy, first of all, you deserve some serious props for having that conversation with your OB and persisting.

Originally Posted by trayls

He told me hibiclens will create hideous irritation to my vagina.

I asked my midwife about this when we were having a discussion of our GBS options (I'm not positive, but she doesn't test so we just assume I might be and go from there--but she doesn't do abx). She said none of her clients have ever mentioned irritation in the vagina from the hibiclens--I specifically asked this. But the protocol is only one wash per four hours of labor, and we're not talking about vigorous scrubbing or something . . . .

Good luck to you!

[Ilovelife]

I tested + last time with my twins. I refused the abx because I was not up for starting a double nursing relationship with thrush. I did not have any further risk factors (fever, PROM, prematurity, etc.). The pediatrician backed me up at the delivery (it really is the peds issue moreso than the OB--at least when there is a ped present, like with twin delivery). I did retest--myself through my mw and was able to get a negative test for the records. I also did hibiclens wash myself at home when labor began. This time planning a hb and we did not test for gbs. I will probably do the hibiclens again when labor begins because it can't hurt. FWIW I have sensitive skin issues around my vagina, and the hibiclens didn't irritate me anymore than I would have already been irritated by delivering babies! Good luck with whatever you decide. But remember it is YOUR decision. Read the stats closely. Without PROM, etc., the risk is quite miniscule (although the infection is serious if it does happen).

[*~Danielle~*]

We had friends who did a home birth after being GBS+ and their baby died. It was really, really sad. She totally refused antibiotics. You have to do what you think is best, not what you think you'll be judged by.

[srneda78]

Originally Posted by VeganCupcake

She said none of her clients have ever mentioned irritation in the vagina from the hibiclens--I specifically asked this. But the protocol is only one wash per four hours of labor, and we're not talking about vigorous scrubbing or something . . . .

My mw also uses hibiclens. I, too, tested positive. She said I can retest, but I'm just going to stop stressing about it and do hibiclens. She said it's a simple rinse and although it can cause irritation, it usually doesn't. I don't think it would be so widely used in Europe if it caused severe vaginal irritation.