September 2013 Moms

BTDT: Group B Strep

So with DS I was GBS neg and didn't have to deal with this but I just got the call yesterday that this time I am GBS Positive...It's got me a little nervous. I know I have to do two rounds of antibiotics at the hospital before LO is born. I'm nervous that I might not get both doses because I live 45min from the birthcenter and my labor with DS was REALLY fast so the doc thinks this one will be possibly faster....she has sent a note to the birthcenter so they know as soon as labor starts i'm coming in...

I was just wondering if anyone had GBS with their last child(ren) and what their experiences where...

Married the love of my life in 2011

DS born in 2012

DS2 born in 2013

Lil surprise due October 18th!

Re: BTDT: Group B Strep

  • babybird12babybird12 member
    edited August 2013
    past experiences were*...Its too early I need more coffee

    Married the love of my life in 2011

    DS born in 2012

    DS2 born in 2013

    Lil surprise due October 18th!

  • I recently tested positive and this is my first but I thought I would share our plan anyway.

    I am working with a midwife. My plan was to labour at home and deliver at hospital. Now that I tested positive, my midwife ordered me the antibiotic and all the IV material. I had it delivered to my home. So now I have the IV ready to go and I can still stick to my plan

    My midwife explained that you need the antibiotics after your water breaks, you are in active labour and/or at least 4 hrs before birth if possible.

    Good luck!
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  • I had it and didn't get enough time on the antibiotics because I also had a fast labor and didn't show up to the hospital until I was 6cm. I think I got 2ish hours of the antibiotics in, instead of 4. Nothing went wrong in any way. 

    I have it again this time and I'm nervous...just because DS didn't contract anything doesn't mean that LO #2 won't when we get to that point! Another aspect of this that makes me nervous is that we are automatically delayed in going to the hospital this time, because we have to deal with DS first (babysitter contingency, etc.) I also LIKED doing early labor at home last time, but this time it's my goal to do it there. I can't just wait until active labor to head out (even if DS is taken care of) because I'm pretty sure my time from 4cm to delivery was significantly under 4 hours.

    The good news is that I think that if you miss out on the antibiotics odds are nothing bad will happen...but you're still totally at risk of something bad happening! If you go to the hospital when you're in early labor you should have time, but it's obviously a real PITA to deal with your first child at that time, and if you are paying someone (i.e. it's not a family member or whatever) you could be paying them a lot more for that time period. Just make sure your bags are totally packed and you don't forget anything, given you're so far away! We're only 15 min away and I'm still freaked! Last time I was only 8 min away!

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  • Ntymec said:
    I recently tested positive and this is my first but I thought I would share our plan anyway. I am working with a midwife. My plan was to labour at home and deliver at hospital. Now that I tested positive, my midwife ordered me the antibiotic and all the IV material. I had it delivered to my home. So now I have the IV ready to go and I can still stick to my plan My midwife explained that you need the antibiotics after your water breaks, you are in active labour and/or at least 4 hrs before birth if possible. Good luck!
    Oh this is so interesting. So you're allowed to just stick yourself with the IV?? Are you or your DH medically trained in any way? I'd ask for this, but we aren't trained. 

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  • Just had my baby 2 days ago and had group b. they just gave me an iv and it was absolutely no big deal at all
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  • Ntymec said:

    I recently tested positive and this is my first but I thought I would share our plan anyway.

    I am working with a midwife. My plan was to labour at home and deliver at hospital. Now that I tested positive, my midwife ordered me the antibiotic and all the IV material. I had it delivered to my home. So now I have the IV ready to go and I can still stick to my plan

    My midwife explained that you need the antibiotics after your water breaks, you are in active labour and/or at least 4 hrs before birth if possible.

    Good luck!

    Oh this is so interesting. So you're allowed to just stick yourself with the IV?? Are you or your DH medically trained in any way? I'd ask for this, but we aren't trained. 

    Oh no we're not doing it. Since we have a midwife she will be coming to my house to hook me up. She will also be staying with me at my home during the active phase of my labour then going to hospital with me to catch the baby! Maybe I should have mentionned that I am Canadian. So maybe the care being offered is different. The cost of midwifery is also covered. So we don't have to pay her to come to our home and for all of her care. Im not sure if you have this option?
  • I was positive with my daughter and now again with my son. I choose natural birth at a birth center, so I normally wouldn't have an iv or anything. For my first, I got 1 dose of antibiotics, but I have horrible veins and them trying to find a vein really was distracting for me when I was trying to get through contractions. I refused anymore antibiotics after the 1st dose. My water also didn't break until 9 cm, which really lowers risk. For this one, I'm not going to do antibiotics at all. I am taking garlic and echinacea and washing with hibaclens to lower risk. I also anticipate my water breaking late again. The truth is, completely untreated only 1-2% of babies with gbs moms even get it.
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  • As a microbiologist who did research on GBS and is published on this, I would strongly recommend against this to the OP. It is not wise to refuse antibiotics in this situation. Yes, the risks are low that something catastrophic could happen (~99% of untreated moms have healthy babies that don't contract the bacterium) of the 1% that contract it, ~90% are just fine after receiving treatment. Of the other 10% they can end up with sepsis, pneumonia, or meningitis. If it becomes the latter, think lumbar puncture, potential deafness, lasting brain development effects... If it is caught soon enough.

    I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you labor so fast that you can't get it, there really is nothing you can do to prevent it further at that point-don't beat yourself up over it. But if you have the opportinity to take the antibiotics, there are reasons they are so highly recommended; nothing to do with you-all for the health of your baby.

    To me a bit of discomfort or distraction during labor is worth the chance to save my baby from the discomfort of contracting such serious diseases and all of the testing and treatments that go along with them.
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