Don't know what to do about GBS+ homebirth

[ilovetosleep]

I had a wonderful homebirth with my first and it's all I know. TBH I'm terrified of hospitals and giving birth in one. I rarely hear a positive hospital birth story.

BUT I don't think I could go through with not having the antibiotics recommended as I tested + for GBS this week (36wks).

I am not in UK so no NHS, but my midwives and consultant are still happy for me to have a homebirth, I just can't have IV antibiotics at home. I have begged - they will not back down on this one (risk of allergy etc) They have offered me oral antibiotics in labour but have said they can't guarantee effectiveness, and a supply of tempodot thermometers to monitor baby ourselves. With daily visits from MW as opposed to 4hrly checks on a ward.

DS was quite poorly at birth and while tests were negative for GBS, I don't think I could cope with it all again. Plus I'll always wonder if the tests they did on him were accurate and maybe he did have it all along.
I think the pressure of not knowing, and monitoring him myself will put me well on the path (again) to severe anxiety and pnd.

But like I said, I desperately don't want to go into hospital, and I also fear a pnd prolapse if I feel like I have failed myself and my DC by not having a wonderful home birth like his big brother did. I'll always feel like a failure over this. I know it sounds melodramatic but thats the way I am.

I think I know the answer is to go into hospital but I guess I'm just looking for one last hope that there is a way around this. I need to find out more about oral antibiotics but can't find a lot on a google search - does anyone have any stats? Are they utterly pointless? what about giving baby a dose of anti bs after delivery?

I've also thought maybe I could birth at home then transfer immediately for a few days in hospital for observation? Seems a bit of a waste of everyones time, I don't think they'd like that idea.

Sorry this is a bit of a stream of thought - I don't really know what I'm asking. I know how horrific GBS in a newborn is, I don't really want to be told. It's every mothers nightmare. But it's so, so rare, isn't it? I've read the GBS website and it is all very negative. Homebirth website not so much.

help!

Bump

What country are you in?

Is it possible to pay for more check-ups from the midwife after the birth?

So sorry you're going through all this worry. I have had a newborn with GBS & wouldn't want to go through that ever again. He pulled through after 10 days of antibiotics given intravenously.

With my second DS I followed the advice on IV antib's for me during labour. Not ideal, not anyone's vision of how they'd like it to be. He was born safely though, and I felt very well looked after in hospital.

Good luck.

Thanks kelda, good idea in theory but its not that kind of private system. Its all state funded in an NHS kind of way, just not NHS. I get the standard care and I don't think there are any private midwives allowed to operate here.

Likeaninjanow I'm sorry to hear your DS was so poorly. I know how horrible having a sick newborn is and wouldn't wish it on anyone, DS also had a week of IV antibiotics and it was awful. And tbh I'll never really be sure that it wasn't GBS that he had too. SO on that basis I think I'm coming to terms with a hospital birth, its not what I want but so many people don't get the birth they want and they deal with it. It's my inability to overcome that that I'm worried about.

I know I'll get very well looked after in hospital and the post natal ward is brilliant, but it is an obstetric-led unit and they do seem to be intervention-heavy which is another thing that really worries me. I'm not sure how assertive I or DH will be in the thick of things! Plus there is only one pool....