Home Birth & GBS Positive

Sbrown721

I am currently awaiting results on my GBS test. Has anyone done a home birth while GBS positive? Could you please share your experience with that? 

TIA!

cafedisco

Following.  I'm only 9 weeks but I recently had a trip to the ER for a high fever and (unrelatedly) found out I was GBS positive. 

schweitz

I had GBS and I delivered at a birthing center but I would assume it's the same. They'd just bring the IV thing over to your house I assume. It's not a big deal, honestly, if they handle it. They run the antibiotics through an IV and that's that. @cafedisco what I understand about GBS is sometimes it's in your body and sometimes it isn't. I's not even a bad thing except when you are delivering the baby. It's perfectly normal and a lot of women randomly have GBS. Doesn't hurt you or affect you, it's just bad if the baby gets that in his face as he's coming out. But also, you may have it now but that doesn't mean you will have it when you are say, 36 weeks (I think that's when they check you for it). If you have it close to the end of your pregnancy they will have you on an antibiotic IV during labor, but this early there's no way to know if you'll have it then. I think there are ways to kill the bacteria(?) if you wanted to ensure you don't have it later. I heard swimming (from the chlorine?) throughout pregnancy can keep you from having it. Also doing a rinse with a (TINY) amount of bleach in water (I don't know amounts so DON'T do it without someone clearing it first and telling you what to do) can also get rid of it/keep it from coming. 

Good luck though!

Sbrown721

Checking back in...I ended up being GBS negative, but my friend that is doing a home birth is GBS positive. Her midwife will be giving her a pill form of the antibiotics. For whatever reason, she won't do the IV. Doesn't seem to be a big deal at all as long as you get the antibiotics. As @schweitz said, you may not have it later in your pregnancy. I have heard probiotics (yogurt is a great source) can be really helpful for this.

cafedisco

I am still GBS positive and am able to receive IV antibiotics at home, but only via a prescription from a dr. In terms of the recommendation to get the IV whether you later test negative for it in pregnancy is that there is no way to no if baby has been exposed to it in utero while you were positive.  It's not a problem while they are inside but when they are born, they lose your support system and it could make them sick.  Even if I tested negative at 36 weeks, I think it's prudent to follow the guidelines of getting the IV antibiotics in labor.