Natural remedies to erradicate Group B Strep

[99redballoons]

I am currently 34wks with my 2nd pg. I found out that I was GBS+ two wks after my ds was born (thankfully he was fine and is now 27mo!). I am about to undergo the "Doctors Lab Test" recommended by the GBSS website next week. I was hoping for a home birth this time round, but my midwife said this would not be supported if I was found to be GBS+ again during this pg.

I have read a few articles about natural remedies to eliminate GBS from the vagina and I was wondering if anyone has tried them or has any comments on the suggestions. I've always read that you shouldn't mess about with the 'flora' of your vagina (eg. no douching) and I'm reluctant to try them, but at the same time would love to have my home birth, and ofcourse provide a better environment for the little one to be exposed to so it doesn't have to have antibiotics.

Here are the ones I have read (search for garlic to get straight to the right section) -
Mothering.com
midwiferytoday.com
hpakids.org

I was thinking of taking garlic orally daily until bubba is born, but I'm not sure if this will be potent enough and should try the garlic insertion every few days? Also have no idea if I'll be able to stomach it orally!

PS. Sorry if this one has been TMI !!!

Can't help really, although I do carry GBS, didn't know anything about the remedies when pg though. Although word of warning about the garlic was there not a MNetter recently who ended up with a lost garlic clove, might be an idea to try and thread some string thought it!

All the best!

Hadn't thought of that! (thread!) Thanks MrsSpoon.

bump

From what I've been led to understand, when I enquired about this for another thread, it would seem that there is a fundamental problem with the concept proposed - you would want to aim for eradication of GBS carriage at the time of labour & delivery, not at some point before then during the pregnancy (albeit, if a GBS infection turned up at an earlier stage in the Pregnancy I understand that it should be treated as needs be).

It has been further suggested that, as the main reservoir of GBS carriage is the gastro-intestinal tract, it's difficult to see how the proposed intervention with garlic would eradicate GBS carriage. Even if an enrichment swab were negative for GBS immediately after garlic treatment, this would not be convincing - one would need to see data showing absence of carriage over the following days and weeks.

Sounds to me that perhaps the 'garlic'idea would need more research done on it and outcomes of trials made available for comparison.

On the Home Birth part, another mumsnetter has posted today in the Childbirth section about having heard of a consultant recently who supported a GBS positive mum in having a home birth. I believe they were fortunate to have an appropriately qualified midwife to set up and administer the antibiotics, so maybe you could make some further enquiries.

Hi butterflymum, thanks for posting. I did read your comments on the other thread. I totally agree that a short-lived 'treatment' with garlic could mislead people into thinking if they're ok at 35-37wks (receiving -test results) that they will remain -ve up to labour.

After talking this over with dh I've started taking garlic capsules (just couldn't stomach the oral garlic clove again, I felt sick all night!!) to hopefully boost my immune system in general and will try the vaginal garlic clove every 2nd-3rd night. I will continue with this right up until delivery, so that if my test result next week is -ve then if this has had something to do with it I'll keep it up the remaining weeks before bubba appears. If it is +ve IVAB's it is.

After reading more on the topic it seems the main reason for vaginal infection is the brushing of germs from the anus towards the vagina during an internal exam (or thinking about it possibly even wiping your bottom that way) so even if you did clear it from the vagina you might just reinfect yourself the next day. That's why I'm hoping the capsules will help reduce the 'bugs' in my tummy at the same time. Wishful thinking, but worth a try. I keep saying to dh I'd rather be completely rid of GBS than have my home birth cos even if I delivered in hospital I'd rather I didn't have GBS again (esp since waters had been broken for 16hrs with ds after a 29hr labour. I can't believe how lucky he was). At first I think he (dh) thought I wanted to 'con' the test to get the right result for a home birth, but ofcourse this was never the case and after reading many more threads from 2002+ on MN about the number of babies that have died or been disabled by GBS I would always do what was recommended to reduce the chance of exposure (ie. IVAB's).

Thanks for the advice.

Hi all, just wanted to post and update. I have been taking non-smelly garlic daily for the last week and have done three lots of garlic down 'below' (every 2-3 days) over the last week-week 1/2. Did the GBS culture test on Monday, got results back today which were NEGATIVE ! So have no idea if the garlic has helped or not or if I have just been lucky this pg not to have it (had it with first). So I'm going to continue with the garlic every few nights 'down there' and the supplement daily until bubba arrives.

So IME there's no harm in giving the garlic a go.. just have to stick with it iykwim.

yes!

ha!

ARgh, had an appt with the consultant Friday morning. He said he would still prefer me to come into hospital and have the IVAB's cos any history of GBS in his opinion means that it could come and go at any time and just cos I've come up -ve at the mo that doesn't necessarily mean I'll be -ve when I go into labour...

So he's still saying I should have a hospital birth and not a home birth. I must admit I'm still in two minds about it. I feel that cos both the rectal and vaginal swabs came back -ve that it's pretty much not there and aslong as baby comes within a few (say 6) hrs of my waters breaking I still think it'll be perfectly safe to have baby at home. BUT it's impossible to convince my dh of this.

So I really don't know what to do. One part of me says ofcourse I don't want to compromise baby's safety and just go into hosp and have the IVAB's, but then I think well is there really a risk of baby getting GBS at home when I'm negative (esp if I keep with the garlic)??

I know you can't make our minds up for us, but would really like to hear some of your thoughts on this.