Group B Strep
I remember my reaction when I got my Group B Strep Test results back in my first pregnancy and it was positive for the bacteria. I was MORTIFIED! I always thought I did a good job scrubbing my bum and keeping good hygiene! I was super embarrassed to have tested positive for this bacteria. Then, I got educated.
Turns out, hygiene has very little to do with Group B Streptococcus bacteria (GBS) colonization. The bacteria is pretty resistant to regular soap and water washing.
But how did I get the bacteria anyway? Well, everyone has it! It is a normal bacteria we all have in the gut. It typically lives harmlessly within us as part of our gut microbiome. It is considered a “bad” bacteria that we want to keep populations low by having a healthy gut. Constipation is a common issue during pregnancy. When we get constipated, it allows GBS to sit in the gut longer than it should and populate. The bacteria-laden stool then passes through the rectum and out the body, depositing the bacteria on the skin as it leaves. This is how the bacteria colonizes outside the gut.
Somewhere around week 36 of pregnancy your doctor will test you for Group B Streptococcus bacteria, or Group B Strep (GBS). It’s a simple swab of the vagina and anus that gets sent off to the lab to see if the bacteria grows. They do this because if the bacteria has colonized in these areas, baby could become exposed to it in the delivery process and get really sick. Adults have an immunity to the bacteria, but newborns do not. The protocol for a woman who tests positive for GBS is that she is given an IV antibiotic during labor in hopes the newborn baby is protected. Statistically, a baby exposed to GBS has 1 in 200 chance of getting sick from GBS exposure if it goes untreated, a 1 in 400 chance of getting sick with the IV antibiotic treatment.
There is one flaw in the medical screening protocol for GBS, a woman can test negative at 36 weeks (or whenever she is tested), but can become colonized at any time. So a negative test result is really just false sense of security since the woman could become colonized any time after the test was done, leaving the newborn baby at risk. So really, for this test and treatment to be a legitimate way of protecting a newborn from getting sick with GBS, it would have to be standard protocol to administer the IV antibiotic to every woman during labor. But they don’t…and that’s good because that would create a host of other health issue. It just tells me that the test is obsolete and mama needs to be on high alert for any signs and symptoms of sickness in baby regardless of her GBS test results.
I was seriously stressed out about being treated with IV antibiotics during labor due to my positive GBS test result Antibiotics have their time and place in medical necessity, so please don’t think that I am against them. I just wasn’t comfortable with the idea of wiping out the microbiome/gut flora of my newborn before it ever had a chance to be established. I just felt like this was asking for a colicky baby and a lifetime of digestive issues down the road, not-to-mention the compromising of the immune system that happens when gut flora is disrupted, and the chance of an allergic reaction to the antibiotics for mother or baby. But…I also was not comfortable with the idea of leaving my newborn at increased risk for getting seriously sick. I again started doing some major research to see what my options were, so I could make the best informed decision possible. After all, that’s all us moms can do.
Turns out there are some natural remedies that have helped many women clear GBS without the need of antibiotics. I searched through many articles and found many different protocols until I put together one that I was comfortable with for myself, and then I talked to my doctor about my desire to be tested at my next appointment, which was 2 weeks later.
At this time, I was seeing a doctor that did not support me when I wanted to do things “different”. When I told her of my wish to be tested again in 2 weeks, and that I was going to do some natural things to try and clear up my GBS, she basically said “no”. This was one of the many instances I had to remind her that I was in charge of my healthcare, and that it was her job to advise and support me in my healthcare wishes, and that I had every right to request a second test, and every right to accept or reject antibiotic treatment if I so choose. Remember that when you are working with doctors. You are in control of your own healthcare. Don’t get bullied into anything you are not comfortable with.
Anyway, so here’s what I did at this time:
- Young Living Valor™ essential oil blend in an undiluted roller up the spine twice a day.
- Two Young Living Life 9™ capsule every night before bed.
- Wipe “bum” with Young Living Tea Tree essential oil on cotton round after every bowel movement.
- Scrub “bum” with Hibiclens iodine solution in the shower every few days. Don’t overdo this or you may develop irritation.
Other protocols that I found included things like Oregano essential oil suppositories and taking Young Living’s Inner Defense™, but I passed on these options.
My second test results came back NEGATIVE, but I continued with this protocol until delivery. Remember you can become colonized at any time.
Unfortunately, my doctor couldn’t admit that she was wrong in telling me my plan wouldn’t work, so she never updated my chart to reflect the negative result, and so I had to decline antibiotics at the hospital and deal with the scorned look from the nurse in doing so. This is where being confident and comfortable in your own skin and knowing that you are doing the right thing for the health of your baby is important. Knowledge is power.
The first part of gaining this confidence and empowerment for times like this is doing research to understand how the “condition” happens in the first place so you can make informed decisions about it.
I tested positive again for pregnancy #2, so I repeated the same process. The doctor I had for this pregnancy was very supportive of my natural ways and understood it was his job to be my healthcare PARTNER, not dictator. However, baby #2 came before a 2nd test could be done to see if I had successfully cleared the bacteria a second time. BUT, I did not receive antibiotics during labor either. Baby #2 arrived 13 minutes after we got to the hospital, so there was no time to even get an IV in my arm. Baby #2 remained healthy and did not get sick, but I can’t say it’s because I cleared the bacteria, she may just not have been that 1 in 200 to get sick.
Pregnancy #3 I tested NEGATIVE for GBS. This negative result really confirms that GBS is indeed more dependent on gut health than hygiene. I had mastered my gut health issues before I got pregnant, and I have had very little trouble with constipation through this pregnancy because I’ve been so diligent about my gut health and preventing constipation. Also some things I do differently now compared to my other pregnancies are I use Seedlings™ Baby Wipes after every bowel movement and scrub my bum with Young Living’s Melaleuca Geranium bar soap in the shower. Soap and water may not be effective against GBS, but essential oils are. I’ve also had hemorrhoids pretty consistently through this pregnancy so my bum has been getting swabbed with a witch hazel and Aroma Life™ essential oil solution several times a day.
My essential gut health strategy consists of Life 9™ EVERY DAY, no missing, Balance Complete™ smoothie for fiber with at least 2 squirts of Mineral Essence™ for a good dose of magnesium EVERY DAY, Essentialzymes-4™ a few times per week as needed, JuvaTone™ capsule a few days a week as needed, and water, water, water. If I missed even a day of having a bowel movement, the “as needed” supplements were taken and I would do 2 Balance Complete™ smoothies in a day. I can happily report I maintained healthy bowel movements all the way to delivery at 39 weeks, 3 days.
I hope my journey helps you with your own decisions. Stay confident. Your decision is never the wrong one if it is an educated one made out of love.
For support from other families like yours, check out the Savvy Living community on FB.
Good luck and God Bless!
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