Bit of a rant about gbs and lack of choice!

[New2Bumps]

After having my home water birth scuppered last pregnancy when my waters broke a month early I was really crossing my fingers for the luxury of a little more choice this time around.
Then I get diagnosed as gbs positive.
Went to look around the hospital we've chosen this time only to be told that as I'm gbs+ I won't be allowed in the midwife led unit at all. So that's no birth pool, no combitrack toom. It's so frustrating as surely it only takes 20 mins or so so administer the abs? Soooooo pissed off, seems a bit like groundhog day. I ended up on the bed last time after having to have an epidural for my stupidly high bloodpressure.
I feel really cornered again.
I've been told that the other hospital local to me allows the iv abs to be administered in the birthing pool which indicates to me that they might be a lot more flexible about these things!
Sooooooo annoyed. I'm already on edge incase I have another preemie which would mean another birth out of my hands and more breastfeeding problems, I'm feeling really bloody sorry for myself!

Thanks for listening ladies x

 

[TaraMum]

Aww, I know how you feel. You could try labouring in the bath instead, if the hospital will let you? Mine won't but it differs from trust to trust. It takes 15 mins for the initial loading dose of AB's to run through, then you won't need any more for 4 hours after that. If you pop a latex glove over the cannula in your hand then you should be able to spend time in water (though my obs dr says water increases the risk of GBS being transmitted higher up the birth canal though the Group B Strep Society says there's no evidence of this)

Water is the only method of pain relief open to me aside from gas and air as I'm allergic to opioids and can't have an epi, so I understand how frustrated you are to have the choice taken from you x

 

[aliss]

That is really shameful.

Where I live, GBS+ women are allowed home births, let alone midwife-led at a hospital or birthing centre. Do you have a choice of home birth?

 

[New2Bumps]

Thanks ladies. I've heard that the other hospital nearby has recently changed policy so that they don't give abs for gbs so I'm looking into that!

 

[SarahBear]

Well, why don't you go to the other hospital then?

 

[lozzy21]

I would look a little more into GBS for your argument. Its a bacteria that lives in your body but comes and goes. You might have had it when tested but it could not be there when you go into labour making the abs pointless.

 

[mamawananotha]

I noticed that you still have some time before 37 weeks. Can you try some of the natural remedies to either reduce GBS colonies or potentially eliminate the GBS and retest (ask midwife and Google)?

I'm GBS+ as well (was negative at my first birth) and currently going through a week of tea tree oil suppositories, chlorhexidine wash after BMs, plus lots of probiotics and vitamin C - recommended by a naturopath and my midwife. I will retest next week at 38w4d and hopefully be negative. If it comes back positive again, then oh well at least I tried.

Sorry you have the GBS stress to add to your worries. Truly hoping for a good outcome for you!!

 

[A1983]

Hi Mama-did your natural remedies work for GBS? Did you test negative?

 

[Bean66]

Look into hibiclens douche too. I was looking at some research papers on it the other day. Very positive results with out the negatives of antibiotics.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Hi can I ask how it went