Penicillin alternative and labour

[funtimewincies]

I've shown up with Strep B in my wee. The doctor and I are still looking at whether I should be treated now as I've had allergic reactions to the group of antibiotics known to be safe in late pg (I'm 36 weeks).

I can't have Penicillin in labour, so I've been finding out which alternative I'll be given. I've found out that, whilst Penicillin is given every 4 hours, the alternative Clindamycin needs to be given every 8 hours.

Has anyone else been given this and did you get to hospital in time to have it? Ds was induced, so I've no idea how I'll know I'm in 'proper' labour if I go naturally and my waters didn't go until about 3 hours before he appeared.

I had about 2 weeks of 'is it/isn't it' type contractions with ds and I'm afraid of crying wolf too many times with the labour ward.

Any experiences?

Anyone?

I understood that only the penicillin type ABs were effective against GBS.

Despite having a positive test at 37 weeks I decided to decline ABs and proceed with homebirth (with full support from midwives). DS arrived safely 5 weeks ago. My reasoning was:

1. Risk is pretty low, about 1/3 adults have GBS colonisation at any time - so many women give birth safely with no knowledge.
2. I didn't fall into high risk groups - birth before 37 weeks, prolonged waters breaking, maternal fever etc. From my reading premature birth would seem to be the significant risk factor for a fatal or poor outcome if the baby did contract GBS. I think that GBS in your wee is a more risky situation that just in the anus/vagina though.
3. For a second birth there is a good chance of not getting to hospital for the ABs, even worse if need 8 hour warning. As it was DS arrived in less than 4 hours.
4. Births in hospital ususlly involve much more interventions which increase the risk. At home I had no interventions e.g. internal exams, midwives were totally hands off (apart from baby's heartbeat)
5. Hospitals in general are an alien environment and you may be exposed to many more different pathogens than in your home.
6. ABs in themselves have risks and I didn't like the though of giving them to a newborn.
7. Midwives gave us instruction on 2 hourly obs to do on baby

Also having done lots of research I decided to self treat using 'alternative' ideas in the hopes of minimising my colonisation. This included high doses of vit c, lots of garlic, echinacea tea, very careful cleaning of perineum, no perineal massage (colony is typically at entrance to vagina and don't want to push it in further) and the coup de resistance - putting a whole clove of garlic in my fanjo every other night

At the end of the day it all comes down to your perception of risk. Only you can determine this based on all the information you are given/can find.

Thanks for the reply. The 'risk' issue is an interesting one and I'd be more relaxed if it had been found through a vaginal swab because you're right in that, because it's in my urine, there is a higher risk of it passing into the baby's bloodstream because of the way that the kidneys work.

I've plumped for 5 days worth of Erythromycin now and we'll just have to play it by ear when the time comes. I'd planned on a hospital birth, as dh didn't feel comfortable with a home one, and was in hospital for all of ds' labour, luckily with little intervention.

Fingers crossed and thanks again for taking the time to reply .

Lol at the garlic by the way !