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? about group b strep and delivery...

mstroud23mstroud23 member
in Natural Birth

Hello! I've been lurking a little but decided to come out of the shadows. I recently met w/my OB to go over options and make sure that when we do get pg she will support a natural labor&delivery. I love my OB anyways, but she was really supportive on everything except at home birth. At birth, I tested + for group b strep and everytime I get tested for it I come back +. As a result she said I would most likely have to have IV antibiotics at delivery and newborn has to stay in hospital for 48 hours. 

She did say that during pregnancy she would test me for group b and if negative I wouldn't need the IV and we all could go home after recovery. However, she said I will most certainly test positive for it. I understand the concerns, and she said if she has to deliver me in a hospital she will make sure that it is completely natural in all other aspects.

My ?: does anyone have experience with this? Or advice on how to explain to hospital staff that once the antibiotics are done the IV has to come out?  

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Re: ? about group b strep and delivery...

  • MamasaurusMamasaurus member
    I have group B and my midwife says we can try a couple things--oral antibiotics, hibiclens, and there may be another. We haven't talked in-depth about it yet because my last appointment ran long for other reasons, but she basically said there's no reason to freak out or cancel my planned home birth. I would guess that means you don't need to freak out either.
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  • mstroud23mstroud23 member

    This is good to know! My appt ran over and this was the last thing we talked about so it got cut a little short and she finished with a "don't worry, we have some time to figure out will work best for what you want and babies health". I think that she will do everything she can to give us a natural birthing experience. Before she knew that I test + for group b she would tell me that whenever I was ready for kids she would come to our home and deliver me. 

    I she is my favorite dr and is totally willing to work with her patients for what they want for their pregnancy and labor/delivery.  

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  • aliskaaliska member
    I had group B.  I delivered at an out of hospital birth center...so you'll have to check the hospital's policies.  I went in to the BC at noon, got a hep-lock (sp?), got the antibiotics, they took the IV out of the lock, and I went home.  I came back to the BC at 5pm, delivered at 6:47pm, and went home at midnight.  I didn't need to get the IV back in because the antibiotics were for every 8 hours (the typical ones are every 4 hours, but I am allergic).  GL!
    www.minegoes2-11.blogspot.com


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  • barnwifebarnwife member
    I was GBS+ and had a homebirth without antibiotics. I tried Hibiclens and was retested but was still GBS+. Then DH and I did lots of research and talked to my midwife. She only insists on antibiotics if you have prolonged rupture of membranes or a fever during labor (there may have been a few other cases as well).

    Anyway, we decided that if none of that applied we didn't want antibiotics. To us (after our research and talking to the midwife), it seems crazy that all GBS+ women in labor are treated with antibiotics when only a very small percentage develop issues. We decided that we were fine with my midwife's protocol.

    And since none of the conditions applied, I skipped antibiotics.
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  • mstroud23mstroud23 member
    Thanks ladies! This makes me feel so much better about the IV thing.  I will definetly do some research and talk to my OB about all the options. It's funny, I work with Hibiclens everyday in my job and it never occurred to me it could be used for GBS. I appreciate all the info! Thanks.
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  • Erica92Erica92

    I BIG time ditto the hibiclens. I was GBS + with my first VBAC and HATED being hooked up to the IV the whole time- So this time I was determined to test negative this is what I did:

    - daily probiotic, 1000 mg vit c, and the week before my GBS test I rinsed with a solution of Hibiclens (you can get it at the drug store) I mixed 1 TBSP with 10oz of water and squirted washd my vaginal area with it once a day every other day the week before my GBS test and in the bathroom right before doing the swab.

    My test came back negative but b/c I somewhat "cheated' the test by using the Hibilens I also used it every 4 hours durring labor and my midwife did it once right before I pushed just to make sure-

    Google hibiclens protocol for GBS and you'll get lots of info to bring to your dr--- My midwife was totally supportive of this protocol and laboring w/o an IV was SO much better and my lo is perfect

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  • Hollygirl7Hollygirl7 member

    My experience with this is limited, as I didn't test positive for group b strep, but you had mentioned home births, and someone mentioned this the other day, so I thought I'd respond to it.

    I don't know if all midwifery practices are the same but with my midwives, if I tested GBS positive I could still deliver at home (which was my plan) but I would need to have the IV set up there. They have all the gear for that sort of thing with them when they do home births, so if it's a homebirth you're looking for, you could always try shopping around for a MW who would be supportive despite the possibility you might be GBS positive. 

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  • elizxuelizxu member
    I talked to my OB about this yesterday and found out the policy at the hospital where I am giving birth. I was told that, if positive, I have to receive IV antibiotics every 4 hours, which takes about 30 minutes. Once the antibiotics have been received I can be unhooked (I'll have a heploc (sp) in the IV) and can be off the IV for 3.5 hours. I'm sure all hospitals have different policies. GL!
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  • flyer23flyer23 member

    In most women, GBS colonization comes and goes. So women typically aren't tested for GBS until around 36 weeks. The thought being that if you test any earlier, the colonization could come (or go!) before you deliver.

    BUT, if you test positive for GBS in your urine at *any* point during your pregnancy, it's a sign that you're VERY heavily colonized and have a higher-than-normal risk of passing GBS on to your baby. Most doctors will consider you to be GBS+ at that point and won't even bother re-testing at 36 weeks -- they'll just give you antibiotics during labor.

    It *sounds* like you will likely fall in the latter category. Given that, personally, I would want the IV antibiotics, even if that meant no homebirth. (And I say this as a homebirther...)

    The IV really isn't a big deal. I had it with my daughter, who was born in a hospital. Admittedly, I was induced, so I had a constant IV for Pitocin anyway. But they just hooked up the antibiotics for about 15 minutes every 6 hours. When it was done, they disconnected them. No big deal, even if I hadn't had the IV already.

    Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)

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