Has anyone heard of this method of getting rid of Group B Strep?

[Rolf]

...stick a clove of garlic up your fanjo?

I have heard about it for thrush but I've never heard of it for GBS.

I'm 30 weeks pregnant and have had positive GBS results every time I've been tested for the last 7 years, so assuming that I'm positive. I'm having swabs done at 34 or 36 weeks (can't remmember which). But I'd love to avoid having antibiotics during labour.

Garlic does have antibacterial properties. So.. er... techinically yes it could help... Rather you than me!

I timed oral ABs and managed to ensure I was half way through the course when i went into labour. That (just about) satisfied the hospital. I just had 24 obs postnatally.

You can go to your GP and get penicillin.

If you've delivered previously while GBS positive with no ill-effects, the risk is very low. You could opt for no IV ABs in labour and have 24 hr obs afterwards to check everything's ok.

I was chatting to a consultant gynae today about GBS and he said that during his career he's only seen one case of a baby having adverse effects due to GBS. Ever.

Um...didn't someone on MN allegedly try this and lose the garlic clove??

ewwww

Brummie - yes, I have delivered previously with GBS - in one case with no ABs, in the other with less than 4 hours. Both times the baby was fine. I have quick, relatively straightforward labours which reduces the risk further. And last time I hated the way the ABs made me feel. I'm tempted to decline the ABs altogether and just rely on 24 hour obs but I'm very risk-averse and just don't know if I can see it through...

But the EMBARASSMENT of losing the garlic clove...

when i was in hospital there was a baby suffered effects of GBS, he was very poorly.

also my neice had GBS as well when she was scbu. sister carries it.

Yes, I have, not seen it tried out but have looked into it.

Homebirth page on GBS

Gentlebirth pages

I would be considering a regime of Garlic, lactobacillus, essential oils and watching my diet, plenty of water, not using Hibisclens (!) like some have considered...

I am a GBS carrier and had prophylactic AB's last time, but now that I've researched more I would be doing everything I could to reduce liklihood of positive dx, and not taking prophylactic ABs if there are NO other risk factors.

misdee - having been struck by lightning (metaphorically) in a few pregnancies I don't dare presume that my child won't be the one in a million who gets ill. Babies can get so ill, so quickly...

That's why I'm pretty sure I'll end up with the ABs unless I get a negative swab.

does it matter where it is in your body each time? i have never been swabbed for it, am pregnant with dc#4, and as yet its not standard to.

having seen that wee boy in scbu when i had dd3, and my sister finding out about GBS and why her dd was so ill in scbu, then i think it should be one of the standard tests.

I think you really need to put the clove into a net of some kind with a removal string....

That's really helpful, Klaw - thank you. I'll definitely try the garlic for the 3 days before the swab, and in the meantime eat live yoghurt and drink water.

umm...what kind of net/string arrangement? All I can picture is the sort of net you put detergent tablets in and I'm sure that's not the right sort

Misdee - the NHS test for GBS isn't very reliable. A positive result is reliable but a negative isn't. There are much more accurate tests available privately - check out www.gbss.org.uk/

rcogguidelines
Look at page 5, it says that if you have had gbs in a previous pregnancy and the baby was not affected then you should not need to have antibiotics in the next pregnancy. I have had 2 babies without any antibiotics, no problems at all. I just went in to labour thinking that if there were any problems I would have a lower threshhold for antibiotics than if I had never had a gbs positive swab.

as misdee said I have GBS, and as a result my Dd1 had blood posioning and was very ill. I didn't even have any swab with Ds2, I was just given the AB anyway in labour

You can get garlic essential oil, or you certainly used to be able to - I did a microbiology degree and my final year project was looking at the antibacterial properties of essential oils. One of them was garlic - can't remember where I got it from though (was quite a long time ago!). Might be better than using an actual clove...

Garlic essential oil from one manufacturer....

so you could use some on a Natracare tampon perhaps....

Well done Klaw!

A warning though - it does smell very very strongly of garlic.

Well the only person i would plan to be near my fanjo around the time of childbirth would be the baby!

the HCPs ain't touching me!

but this is all hypothetical for me atm as I am not even ttc yet...

... and what were your findings, btw?

That's a good idea. Is it safe to use undiluted, do you think? Just sprinkle a few drops onto a tampon and leave in overnight?

I'll have to fess up to my consultant though, otherwise she'll get the fright of her life when she takes the HVS and is confronted with a smell of garlic!