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Natural Birth
katylady09
member
Son 4/27/12, Son 10/15/14, Daughter 9/29/16....Baby #4 due 10/09/19! Apparently we get really bored in January
Another GBS Question
katylady09
member
I just found out that I am GBS + and can't get out of a slump thinking about it. My doula is determined that we can still labor at home as long as possible and ask for a retest-the rapid test while I'm in labor (My OB has not okayed this yet). I've already been taking probiotics/doing the garlic thing, and cut sugar from my diet as much as I can.
From what I've read from you ladies, it seems that many of you didn't mind getting the antibiotics via hep lock....which I am honeslty fine with to make the hospital happy (dumb) and ensure baby is okay BUT I have a couple of concerns.
1. Does it really burn the whole time? I have this fear of medicine and needles (hospitals and mean doctors as well)...hence the going natural in the first place. Does it burn the 20-30 minutes is takes to put it in, or is it literally the whole 4 hours? If it's the whole time...I will probably start crying. I know that's nothing compared to the pain of actual labor...but I am prepared for that because it's something my body is meant to do. Medicine just freaks me out.
2. How many of you and/or your babies had problems with thrush because of it? I was in tears all night last night after my doula freaked me out by basically telling my that my baby is going to get thrush now. I really want to breastfeed and I don't want it to be hard on either of us. How did you handle this?
Please help me and thank you in advance!
Son 4/27/12, Son 10/15/14, Daughter 9/29/16....Baby #4 due 10/09/19! Apparently we get really bored in January
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Another GBS Question
1. Does it really burn the whole time? I didn't think it burned much at all. It felt a little cold at first, but I stopped noticing after a couple minutes.
2. How many of you and/or your babies had problems with thrush because of it? We have not had to deal with thrush.
1. No, it doesn't burn at all. At least not for me. I had it both times at two different hospitals. Quite frankly I loved the IV. It felt cold all through my body and it gave me a boost of energy because I was so dehydrated. I have no problem getting the IV. The only issue I have had is that I have short labors and never got the second round, so that is what has complicated things for us (although it should not have).
2. DS2 had problems with thrush but that was not due to the initial antibiotics, it was from the antibiotics his little body was injected with for the next 2 days because of the hospital's lab error. They told us that he was GBS+ but he wasn't. Their test was contaminated. Meanwhile, they admitted him to the NICU and pumped him full of antibiotics. He did end up developing thrush.
9 angels in heaven-3 in my arms and 1 in the NICU
Mono/di twin girls: Josephine born to heaven and Evangeline born Earthside at 25w
1. I didn't experience any burning at all and it probably took less than 15mins for the midwife to administer the antibiotics. I had a heplock and was left to labor as soon as the antibiotics where given, so I wasn't stuck to an IV pole. I am terrified of needles and was a bit worried about it initially, but I was so deep in labor that I didn't even notice. Looking back I can't even remember the heplock being there other than for the administration of the antibiotics (I got 2 rounds), but I think that's b/c I made it a point not to look in that direction. Only thing is she didn't put it in right the first time, so I ended up with a nasty bruise on my arm.
2. We haven't had any thrush issues to date.
1. To be clear, it takes a few minutes to put in the saline lock. Then you get your dose of antibiotics, which takes about 10-15 minutes. Then you can be completely disconnected from the IV until it's time for your next dose (usually given at 4 hour intervals). So if it does burn, it would only be for the 10-15 minutes that the medicine is going in. But no, I don't remember it burning at all.
2. No issues with thrush. Your doula's job is to calm you down, not to freak you out!
I really felt like it was the end of the world when I tested positive, but it ended up being no big deal at all.
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
1. Mine did burn a bit. I mentioned it to my nurse, she adjusted it and it was fine the rest of the time. Speak up as it is not supposed to burn.
2. We did deal with thrush. I don't know if it was related to the antibiotics or not. I worked with my OBs and a wonderful LC and BF DS successfully for over a year. Hopefully you don't get it, but there are ways to deal with it and move past it. More likely than not, BF will be somewhat challenging as a FTM, thrush or not.
1. Not sure what you mean about burning. There was a slight sting when they put the IV in, but I felt nothing while the antibiotics were being administered. Once that was done, I was free to move around and labor in any position I felt comfortable.
2. No problems with thrush whatsoever. In fact, not only was I on IV antibiotics during labor, but I also got mastitis immediately after leaving the hospital and had to go on two back-to-back courses of more antibiotics for that. In all, I had three courses of antibiotics during the first four weeks. DD never got thrush and never seemed bothered at all.
Thank you all so much!!! You have seriously made me feel so much better. Now, I'm not even worried about it
.
Thanks again!
Son 4/27/12, Son 10/15/14, Daughter 9/29/16....Baby #4 due 10/09/19! Apparently we get really bored in January
What she said.
It burned for a sec when the antibiotic first goes through but was fine afterward. It went quickly and then I was free to do what I wanted. I got one bag while getting first getting checked, being monitored for a few minutes when I got there, etc. Then I got in the tub, walked around, did what I wanted, and a few hours later I got another bag while sitting on the birthing ball. It finished as I was pushing. I also labored at home for as long as I wanted before going in. We never had thrush.
I have been GBS+ with ALL three babies. As far as the burning, I know what you're talking about, but it means the fluids are going in too fast. Tell the nurse if it's burning. The burn itself isn't that bad at all. This time it felt more cold than anything. Mine took about 30 mins to go in and they did it every 3 hours I think. Don't stress over it.
I am EBF and like I said have done this 3 times with 3 children and have NEVER had thrush, ever.
Your risk of infection only drops if you have (at least) a SECOND dose of antibiotics before delivery over a 4 hour interval. So, you need to have it at least 4 hours before birth, and then right before birth *at a minimum* to provide the 1/4000 protection. If you get to the hospital 20 hours before delivery, they will give you 5 doses. So the concern over "just a singular dose" doesn't make sense here.
I also don't think it's important to get treated if you can rid your body of the GBS prior to delivery. No, you can't know for sure that it's gone. But if you get a negative test, you can continue certain protocols to ensure it *most likely* stays away. And also, a negative test at any point during pregnancy is not an indication that you won't have it during birth. Should ALL women be treated with antibiotics for possible GBS? Silly.
Probiotics leading up to the birth are great, but the antibiotics are going to completely wipe out all the good flora established by those. The better call would be to take probiotics immediately after the birth if you do decide to get the antibiotics.
Thrush was one of my fears, but I had to take antibiotics for mastitis at 3 months, and we didn't get it then. It's not a guarantee. Still, I like to avoid antibiotics whenever possible. There have also been some suggestions that antibiotics during labor can lead to colic in babies because it wipes out their good tummy flora and causes them a bit of discomfort...so if you opt for antibiotics, you might research that and look into giving your baby a probiotic immediately following birth too.
I was going to get them, like you OP, to sort of appease the hospital and my OB's requests...but I showed up too late for a second dose (and had thankfully researched that it would provide me no real additional benefit to baby to have only one dose...otherwise, they would just give ONE dose just before delivery to all women!), so I declined. I have been very glad I did. 1 in 200 is a 0.05% chance...meaning you have a 99.5% chance that your baby will be healthy without the antibiotics. Maybe it's the engineer and scientist in me, but I just can't get behind treating ALL GBS+ women with antibiotics for something that is 99.5% likely to be just fine. I personally think they need to just pay closer attention to higher risk factors such as PROM, fever and infection, etc and treat those women only.
Anyway, whatever you decide, best of luck to you.
I don't advocate ignoring your OB/Gyn's advice on this, but still want to share my own experience. I didn't get to the hospital in time to get the antibiotics administered. I was fully dilated and pushed DD out within 30 minutes of arriving.
DD was tested immediately, was fine and we never had any problems with thrush.