Looking for anyone who tested positive for Group B Strep and went on to have a homebirth

[Picante]

There must be someone... I have a dilemma!

have you looked on the homebirth site?
i could write an essay on group b strep and why testing is bad and so on and so forth, but baby has just woken up lol

check out homebirth site lots of ppl on there who had a homebirth after testing positive for GBS

Yes I've looked on the hb site.

Midwife told me today they 'highly recommend' that I am in hospital to receive anti-b's.

If I hadn't have tested I wouldn't be any the wiser.

Just want to be sure of my rights and options.

Picante, will follow this thread with a great interest. Set my heart on homebirth only to be discovered to be a GBS carrier during a routine thrush test. Was absolutely devasted. Read and researched loads, tried to weigh up the risks. I am absolutely teriffied of needles and even the word cannula scares me witless (going through hypnotherapy for this) but decided to go to hospital. Turned it on its head and am hoping that even the hospital birth might be a wonderful experience. But then if 30% of women are carriers, 1/3 of ladies giving birth at home might potentially be strep b+ and don't know about it and still have a very happy outcome. Difficult decision.

Absolutely Zuzi! How many weeks are you?

My thoughts at the moment is that I still don't want them, but they are saying I will need to take baby to gp's surgery or hospital for check within 24 hours - they won't do a home visit.

It is v hard. I obviously don't want to put my baby at risk but I know the statistics. There are risks to everything - to my mind hospital births are riskier in many ways due to superbugs etc.

Is it your first?

Only you can decide what you are prepared to do. All I can say is if I had had a home birth as a GBS carrier I wouldn't be a mum now. I also know someone who only found out that they were a GBS carrier after their first child (born healthy) died the same day.

I'm 32 wks now, it's my second and because the first delivery was absolutely fabulous, in hospital - waterbirth, I am so scared of interventions, needles, doctors, etc. I just want to curl up and give birth at home on our sofa! As I am not allowed in the pool - hospital policy.

Statistically, the risk is indeed very small. However, talked to 2 ladies whose babies were sick with strep b afterwards and their opinion is they wouldn't risk anything. Also spoke to a lady working at SCBU who sees these sick babies. I know their opinion is skewed by their personal experiences but it kind of got me turned around. And my husband just doesn't want me to take any risks at all - I cannot go against that.

So is your community midwife supportive of a homebirth? (Mine was totally against it)

See if it wasn't for the bloody internet I wouldn't have known anything about Group B Strep - it's never mentioned by midwives or doctors. None of my friends have had the test, one of whom is planning a hb.

Mw is now against me having a hb having found out I am GBS positive, but was all for it before.

Obviously some babies are affected. Apparently the risk of stillbirth is around one in 250, so the risk of that is higher than the risk of the baby be affected by GBS. Puts it in perspective.

It's not just the fact I want a homebirth - it's also because I had terrible thrush in my breasts last time from the antibiotics, and antibiotics carry their own risks.

Argh.

I had a waterbirth at home and had tested positive before I fell pregnant with DC2. I took a private test at 38 wks that came back negative and went ahead with the homebirth with the support of the local midwife team. I did a lot of research, discussed it with various consultants and made an informed decision.
I do live about 2 mins from the local hospital. But I thought long an dhard baout the pros and cons of anti biotics, unclean hosp. wards, MRSA risks along with the risks of GBS. Its a very hard and persoal decision to make.

Thanks zoe. It's just not the kind of decision I want to be making with this late stage of pregnancy brain.

zuzi if you are only 32 weeks you should get another test done nearer 37 weeks - you may no longer be positive.

Also you can try to combat the infection by inserting a clove of garlic into the vagina overnight - see here.

Can you get retested privately, I did a home test and got the result within a few days , from here and I found this site useful GBS Support Although it seemed pretty clear you could test+ one day and -next.
Both midwives and Drs I spoke to all agreed that theb NHS tests gave unreliable results and recommended doing a test privately.
Sorry about my rubbish one handed typing... If you want me to email you some of the researcg I did and the letters I wrote to the PCT I am happy to. Good luck with your decision.

Picante -
I tested positive for GBS at 39 weeks into my pregnancy with dd2. I still gave birth to her at home (in Belgium), in a birthing pool, with midwives who gave me IV antibiotics during the labour. DD2 was born fine - she was a difficult birth because she was back to back (I answered your other thread) but all was fine in the end.

Belgo they won't give me the anti-biotics at home. At least that's what I've been told.

Yes, I am duing the garlic cure - by taking garlic capsules and using gel (found the info on Mumsnet actually) and am planning to get tested at 37 wks again. Also aware that strep b is transient, so it may come back. However, the midwife not supportive at all, even if it comes back negative. Consultant tried to scare me to death and felt really bullied at the appointment. So not supported on any fronts (including the home one ...)

Picante, how far are you?

Belgo, it might depend of the local PCT but ours don't administer atb at home - too scared of alergic reaction. (I just sometimes think that they are absolutely unwilling to accept any exceptions and try to work out the best possible outcome for the woman involved rather than what is the easiest and most cost effective for the PCT.)

Am 38 + 2 so really need to know what I'm doing.

Just spoke to a lovely lady at AIMS.org.uk who told me to stand up for myself a bit and demand a postnatal home visit by doctor.

My doula friend has also sent me these links about alternatives to anti-b's:

here

and here

I found out I was GBS positive after the birth of my DD - she was a planned HB but had ruptured membranes for ages, long latent labour then got distressed while trying to site epidural so I could be induced... anyway she was a CS and I only found out about the GBS a year later when I got my notes. The results didn't come back til she was 10 days old (swab was taken a few hours before the birth) She was fine. I had refused the routine IVABS they offered due to ruptured membranes.

DS was born in December. I decided not to test for GBS after researching it, and I tried for a VBAC at home. In the end I had a CS though We didn't have any Abs then either.

AFAIK, the antibiotics reduce the risk of the baby dying from GBS. But they don't reduce the risk of dying generally - ie they can cause their own problems. I was happy to plan to watch baby carefully and only give ABs if needed. But it's a personal decision and no one right thing to choose. As far as HB is concerned, I was offered oral ABs if I wanted, sometimes you can get IM injections, and some areas can give IV antibiotics at home.

Thanks. Bumping for any more experiences.

My gut instinct is to not have the anti-biotics but to monitor the baby afterwards. I just think the benefits of me being at home, given my first birth experience, far outweigh the risks.

I would appreciate any more opinions.

Picante, so how did you go about HB with your midwife? Is she supportive of this? I am just interested. I became to realise that even within the midwives community the opinions vary on this and some are much more supportive of non atb approach than others. Suppose it's just pot luck then.

I contacted a few independent midwives (not that I can afford it anyway) for their opinion. One was very keen on a HB without abs and a holistic approach to diet, etc. which would have suited me just perfect (if I had £3,000 to spare). However, a different lady was much more round the houses ... So opinions must vary there too. Oh, so difficult!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I also asked what would happen if I simply didn't have enough time to receive atb due to quick labour (my first was only 5 1/2hrs). Unfortunatley, their policy is to give atb to the newborn baby! This really makes me feel awful. I understand that I could refuse and nobody can make me do anything but still...

Zuzi would you refuse your newborn having antibiotics? Why?

I don't know. It is very very difficult. Just the idea of their tiny body pumped full of atb when their immunity is so vulnerable makes me cringe. Not mentioning the cannula in their tiny hand. On the other hand, the risk of GBS (which is statistically very small), I really find it hard to decide.

What makes me quite bewildered is the fact that majority of carriers are being found out completely coincidentally when tested for something else. Once + though, the system is very rigid. However, if so serious, why not test everyone?

I think there is no general test because the proper test costs £10 or more and no guarantee of not getting a false negative. As someone who did test positive, had PROM, prem at 33 weeks and very nearly died (was told to call family to come and say goodbye to ds) I am surprised at how laid back everyone is on this thread. I suppose though if you haven't been through it then ignorance is bliss to some degree.

A cannula was the least of my worries. Ds having a lumber puncture and then being on a ventilator was far more upsetting.

Mollie, it is very sad to read what you've been through. It exactly confirms my impressions - if you've had an experience or you know someone who had, there is no discussion about what to do. To be honest, after talking to two ladies whose babies were sick and the lady who works at the SCBU, I decided for hospital.

Did PROM link to strep b in your case? I know it can that's why I'm asking.

Mollie I'm so sorry for your experience but your baby was premature which does put you in the high risk category for the baby being affected by GBS. I'm past the point of that but obviously my baby was premature or I was high risk in any other way then I would not hesitate to have the abs.

Ignorance is indeed bliss - for almost every pregnant woman who has no clue about group b strep yet who is a carrier. At least I know I am positive and taking measures to become negative and will also be very clued up when baby is born wrt observing her and knowing the symptoms.

Sorry zuzi didn't reply - midwife would prefer me to be in hospital but will respect my decision to have a homebirth. As you say no-one can make you do anything.

I had strep B in my first pg - i was given antibiotics in labour as precaution.

2nd pg - they didnt even test - Hospital policy had changed and they didnt give antibiotics for Strep B

I had 2 hbs and it was even mentioned thrid time.