10 March 2010

strepB

let's talk about strepB
because it's causing a great turbulence in my mind
and i'm losing sleep over it.

for the past two days i've been reading online medical journals and opinions.
i just need a place to talk it out...so this is mostly for me.
but if you are interested...by all means read on.


so here's the facts:
strepB is a normal healthy bacteria that grows in your lower intestine. in all of us. it can spread to the vagina...and often does in pregnancy. 1 in 3 pregnant women test positive for this bacteria. that's 30%...that's a lot of us. the trick figure is that just less than 1% of these positive women pass it to their infants, who can become infected, usually with sepsis (infection of the blood). that's not a high percentage, but yes, it is a serious infection. so the Center of Disease Control here in the USA has a mandate prevention. It's quite aggressive in my opinion...as every pregnant woman must be tested and every positive woman must have two doses of antibiotics two hours apart thru an iv during labor. one of those doses needs to be a few hours before delivery...and it takes at least 30 min per dose. (that means during transition.) this all started in 1995...so really we don't know how this affects the immune systems of these babies yet.

however, interestingly enough, although the infections in the newborns have decreased, the immunity to penicillin and later infection of strepB has increased significantly.
hum.

instinctively...this feels wrong to me.

to kill off ALL bacteria, good and bad, before the baby passes thru the birth canal...has other implications. i think the bacteria is there for a reason...and i don't think a baby should be flushed with penicillin while in labor...or the mom. and if you can tell within 12-24 hours if the baby has an onset infection...why not treat the baby then?

or better yet...test all the moms at 35 weeks. if they test positive put them on a probiotic and vitamin C and zinc...then test them at 37 weeks...after all, it is a transient bacteria. it doesn't stay. that's why they test it so close to delivery, so they can guesstimate if you might have the bacteria during labor. and just because you have the bacteria doesn't mean you actually have a strepB infection.

i'm just bugged that i don't have a choice.

i think more research needs done before we mandate this throughout our entire nation. it feels like the only choice i have is to not make it to the hospital in time...but i really don't feel like delivering in the lobby. I would just like to talk about this. because i don't feel right about it. what if the penicillin makes my blood pressure rise...or the babies...and we end up in a c-section? what if it messes with my contractions or dilation? what if i have an allergic reaction? i don't want to be hooked up to an iv during transition...it makes a natural delivery quite difficult.

so i'm frustrated. and even though it shouldn't be such a big deal.
it feels huge to me right now. it caught me off guard.
and i don't like being told i have no choice.
none of us like to feel stuck.

i think my mother tiger instincts are kicking in.

9 comments:

Hayley said...

ugh. the one that gets me is the antibiotic in the babies eyes after birth. i opted out with it on my first two. tried with the third, but the nurses were insistent (i think they just didn't want to deal with the paperwork)

they do that one to prevent your baby getting an std transmitted to them through their eyes. i could see if it i was a skanky 9 month pregnant woman. but come on! totally monogamous here!

anyway i see your frustration. it's ridiculous and iv's are no fun for natural laboring mothers. will they test again? maybe you can request it and in between now and then pump up on lactobacillus and acidophilles. i'm sorry.

call dr. j and have the baby in your tub :)

Megan said...

well... I too tested positive for strep B with my second child. I opted for the antiobiotics through the IV, BUT I wasn't going all 'naturale'. So, I can say that I have not seen any negative effects on my little girl and she's almost 6. Her immune system is really great and I myself had no complications. Now that I think of it, they gave it to me with my third, Luke, just to be safe even though I tested negative. He was and is completely fine. I hear you though. I HATE feeling like I have no options and am being forced into something especially when I've already made my mind up.

Allie said...

I NEVER had it. That I know of. I didn't have my baby in the lobby, but pretty close. Give me a call honey...

the crew said...

man- sorry to hear about all that. lack of choice when it has to do with your body and your baby is truly frustrating! i feel for you, and am sending you loving thoughts for a beautiful, as intervention free as possible, natural birth!

Hayley said...

just thought of something.

i'm not sure if it's this way for you, but while in labor 30 minutes feels like 5 to me. it also means that it's only for about 6-7 contractions that you are going to have that med running.

you can do it. hopefully they'll let you have it locked prior to the med and after.

oh and one more thing that i'm sure you remember:

water is magic

hugs. good vibes. prayers.

h

Ann said...

My test came back positive too. Drats. Maybe I'll get to the hospital too late....

Kate said...

You DO have a choice, Amber! You can totally refuse the antibiotics. Did they say you would have to sign something saying you are going AMA for that? I don't know what midwife you're using but when I had Jane with the CNMs in AF, they were totally willing to let me refuse them. I turned out to be negative anyway but I leaned toward all the things you are saying and I think I wouldn't have taken them. (Not that I had time, we were only in the hospital for 45 minutes prior to birth. That's the other silly thing--it's highly likely many mothers won't even be in the hospital long enough to get a full round.)

Also, my midwife here has some concoction she gives women who test positive, and they always test negative after using it. I've no idea what it is, but I can find out for you if you want.

You look so cute! I'm very excited for you!

--Cathryn

Amber said...

thank you so much my dear friends...i feel so supported right now! i'm going to talk to the midwives this tuesday and see if there is a waiver.

yes hays they will lock it up for my magic shower time. water is everything to me too.

ann...i think they are testing everyone positive :) better safe than sorry and they can't afford any lawsuits over a false negative.

megan my dear...your words help so much. i need to remember pinicillen is pretty safe in the long run and not worry so much.

and yes cathryn, send me that concoction...i've been looking at tea tree oil and other vaginal suppositories...they say even the surgical soap in the hospital works. course it kills everything too. and i'd rather build up the good flora.

i'm going to go get a probiotic this week and build up me and the baby that way...then if i get the antibiotic i can hopefully avoid any yeast infection (which is what always happens to me on any antibiotic when i'm sick)

keep you updates.
love am

Unknown said...

So past the point of relevancy, but forgive the NICU nurse in me...but Group B Strep can be awful if contracted by the baby--just a few months ago we had a baby in our unit that contracted Group B Strep from it's mom and died within 12 hours...tragic, preventable...
Don't hate me for being on the "other" side of the argument