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View Full Version : GBS came back positive



nicoleandjackson
09-25-2010, 06:13 PM
Rats! :mad:

swissair81
09-25-2010, 09:16 PM
What about it is upsetting you?

nicoleandjackson
09-25-2010, 09:45 PM
What about it is upsetting you?

I'm not looking forward to being tethered to an IV. I've had long discussions with the midwives about how DS's birth was super-clinical, and this doesn't mesh with my vision of a crunchy, girl-power birth.

I know I'm overreacting. I know.

hillview
09-25-2010, 10:04 PM
Sorry. I was not "crunchy" and was also disappointed initially. HUGS. It will all be great and work out :):grouphug:
/hillary

nicoleandjackson
09-25-2010, 10:32 PM
Sorry. I was not "crunchy" and was also disappointed initially. HUGS. It will all be great and work out :):grouphug:
/hillary

Thank you! :thumbsup:

jgenie
09-25-2010, 10:34 PM
:hug: Sorry. I was + for DS1. I had an IV but was able to get up and walk around between IV bags. I only needed two bags but not sure if that is standard. My labor was very quick - we barely finished the second bag before DS1 arrived.

Hawkeyewife
09-25-2010, 10:38 PM
Awwhhh, Sorry to hear about GBS. I was positive for our second baby and was thankful to have a totally natural birth experience nonetheless. I arrived to the birth center at 8 cm but had not ruptured my bag of waters yet so they quickly gave me one does of antibiotics and then just capped off the IV. I birthed our son less than 45 minutes after arriving to the birth center, so GBS really wasn't a big deal. We stayed there an extra day, but otherwise no difference. Stay hopeful, this is totally normal. Have a great birth!

swissair81
09-25-2010, 11:58 PM
I'm not looking forward to being tethered to an IV. I've had long discussions with the midwives about how DS's birth was super-clinical, and this doesn't mesh with my vision of a crunchy, girl-power birth.

I know I'm overreacting. I know.

I was GBS negative, but before I knew that I had a long convo with my OB. We agreed that I would only be tethered for the actual administration of the antibiotics (15 minutes or so) and then I would be untethered. You don't need fluid, just the medicine. (I was positive for my 2nd daughter's birth. I was treated exactly zero times because I didn't get there until 20 minutes before she was born. Instead of torturing me with the IV, they tortured my baby instead with endless blood tests. I would have preferred the stupid antibiotics. I felt so bad for her.)

pharmjenn
09-26-2010, 02:42 AM
The goal for GBS is to get atleast 2 doses in before delivery. But as you can read here, that often doesn't happen, and the babies do just fine. Have the discussion with your practitioner about your goals and wanting to be untethered, many facilities have policies about getting fluids in before starting an epidural, but it doesn't sound like that is in your plans anyway, so no reason to be tethered. Just need an IV site on your hand to give the antibiotics when needed.
Or, there are other threads on here about forgoing the antibiotics and using other "crunchy" preventative measures if you wanted to search for them.

nicoleandjackson
09-26-2010, 11:38 AM
No, I know it's smarter to go through the antibiotic protocol than subject newborn DD to the prospect of more blood draws than necessary.

Do you think it would be smarter to ask for a hep-lock? I worry because I have notoriously shy veins (my 3hr. glucose was a pincushiony nightmare, LOL!)

swissair81
09-26-2010, 12:22 PM
Do you think it would be smarter to ask for a hep-lock? I worry because I have notoriously shy veins (my 3hr. glucose was a pincushiony nightmare, LOL!)


That is exactly what I think. Then they can hook up the antibiotics when they need to & disconnect it afterward. I totally feel you about the IV. When I was in labor with DD1, they had 7 attempts before they got a patent IV. Make sure you are very hydrated beforehand. Also, if they can't find a vein, ask them to put a warm (or hot) compress
over the site they wish to use. It will make your veins pop out & be easier to access.

Uno-Mom
09-26-2010, 06:50 PM
If you can, demand the IV team (I can't remember what they're really called). Anyway, hospitals have a team that specializes in the stick-y things. They get called in for hard cases.

I REFUSED the loc for 20 hours and then my midwife finally insisted that I have an IV. (not GBS, just s/sx of maybe upset baby & rough labor.) That was right when my regular nurse was on break and a kind of flighty one filled in. She was awful at placing my IV. I have tricky veins anyway. She stuck me so many times...I was black and blue.

Can't totally remember everything but I think I finally refused to let her touch me. So they had that special team come do it. THAT nurse slipped everything in 1st try, practically painless. I told her I loved her! :)

ellies mom
09-26-2010, 07:33 PM
Do you think it would be smarter to ask for a hep-lock? I worry because I have notoriously shy veins (my 3hr. glucose was a pincushiony nightmare, LOL!)
Technically, they are called saline locks now but old habits die hard. Saline locks are pretty standard now. So you will probably get one without even having to ask.

AnnieW625
09-26-2010, 07:49 PM
I was positive with DD1, and not with DD2. The worst part about it is the initial 5 or 10 minutes at the beginning of the penicillin bag. I was able to get up and walk around too. I had three bags because I was in labor from 2 am until 1:30 pm. It's not that huge of a deal IMHO. Also a lot of positive things have happened birthing wise since you had your DS1.

Uno-Mom
09-26-2010, 07:49 PM
Technically, they are called saline locks now but old habits die hard. Saline locks are pretty standard now. So you will probably get one without even having to ask.

Totally true for my hospital. I really had to fight to refuse one. That was my one area where I wouldn't compromise unless the midwife could SWEAR to me that it was medically necessary & also explain why. Not sure why I was so horrified about it. Most people don't mind at all. Guess we're all different!

SnuggleBuggles
09-26-2010, 07:55 PM
Totally true for my hospital. I really had to fight to refuse one. That was my one area where I wouldn't compromise unless the midwife could SWEAR to me that it was medically necessary & also explain why. Not sure why I was so horrified about it. Most people don't mind at all. Guess we're all different!

I devised my entire birth plan around the fact that I wanted nothing to do with an IV or even a hep lock. I hoped that I would be GBS- and was. I was going med free b/c of my desire to avoid an IV. I also wanted to avoid induction for the same reason. Such is my fear of IVs that I'd rather go w/o pain meds than have one (now that I have been through unmedicated births I totally chose to go unmedicated for different reasons). I hand wrote on my admission papers that my informed consent was required for everything (even though the forms inply that). I also cleared with my CNM no help lock or IV. Got a great nurse that understood. Could have gone differently with a different nurse! I was ready to sign AMA if I needed to though. Hated having to worry about fighting for something that shouldn't even be an issue (yes, yes, I know the reasons for an IV and hep lock and would have consented if needed). Annoying. OP- I understand your feelings about the dx. I'd have felt the same way. Hopefully it will be a non issue to get the meds though. :)

Beth

Beth

swissair81
09-26-2010, 09:10 PM
Technically, they are called saline locks now but old habits die hard. Saline locks are pretty standard now. So you will probably get one without even having to ask.

Even the medical/nursing staff don't bother to call it saline locks. Old habits die really hard. I think in my hospital (if we remembered) they were IV locks.

HIU8
09-26-2010, 10:20 PM
I was GBP with DS and DD. It wasn't so bad really. My only issue is that they had to change meds with DS b/c the penicillin was burning me so bad. They had on my chart to have amoxicillin with DD, but they didn't even get 1 dose in before she was born. We ended up having to stay an extra 12 hours so they could give me meds and her meds (not sure why I would need them post delivery for GBS though). I did get up and walk around with the IV with DS and afterwards with DD.

ellies mom
09-26-2010, 10:47 PM
Totally true for my hospital. I really had to fight to refuse one. That was my one area where I wouldn't compromise unless the midwife could SWEAR to me that it was medically necessary & also explain why. Not sure why I was so horrified about it. Most people don't mind at all. Guess we're all different!

Well, I don't think saline locks are medically necessary so much as really handy to have in place in case there is a problem later. It is a heck of a lot easier to start an IV when things are relatively calm on a relatively hydrated woman. It is a lot harder to start one on a dehydrated woman in the midst of an emergency. One of my nursing school mates had a water birth and she said the only thing she would do differently was to have gotten a saline lock first. She passed out trying to get out of the tub after the baby was born and they had a heck of a time trying to get an IV started.

Canna
09-27-2010, 12:25 PM
I was GBS+ with my 2nd birth and had a planned home birth. I told my midwives that I didn't want an IV in my arm for any amount of time - and that I would prefer that they stick me, give me the antibiotics, then re-insert the IV if my labor was long enough that I needed additional doses. They did just that. The IV was much shorter than I thought - I had been told it could take up to 20 minutes to administer the antibiotics dose but it took more like 5 minutes. Then they took the IV and all needles, etc. out of my arm. My labor was fairly short, so right around the time we would have considered the 2nd dose, I was pushing my daughter out. I have a bit of a needle phobia and I know it would have seriously interfered with my comfort during labor to have something in my arm for long periods of time. I totally stressed out when I learned I was GBS+, but in the end it really ended up being a very minor detail. I was glad my midwives worked to find a solution for us.

SnuggleBuggles
09-27-2010, 12:32 PM
Well, I don't think saline locks are medically necessary so much as really handy to have in place in case there is a problem later. It is a heck of a lot easier to start an IV when things are relatively calm on a relatively hydrated woman. It is a lot harder to start one on a dehydrated woman in the midst of an emergency. One of my nursing school mates had a water birth and she said the only thing she would do differently was to have gotten a saline lock first. She passed out trying to get out of the tub after the baby was born and they had a heck of a time trying to get an IV started.

My one OB considered a hep lock like a seatbelt.

I really do understand that it's easier to do an IV before an emergency arises or mom is dehydrated, losing blood...but if am giving birth in a hospital it is because I expect them to be able to handle an emergency. Many women choose a hospital birth for the "what if" factor and assume that if something goes wrong there is prompt treatment and help available. If they can't do an IV in less than ideal circumstances then that needs to be addressed. Maybe some lessons from paramedics or ER staff that have to get them started in bad situations a lot.

Beth

mom2MandC
09-27-2010, 01:50 PM
I did not have gbs, but am very glad that they put an iv in before it was needed. The nurse and head nurse tried to do the iv about 4 times between them. Then the anethesiologist came in to do it and it took him literally an HOUR to get it in- and about 12 sticks later- I was truly internally flipping out! But when my doctor came in to break my water at 4cm- all hel* broke loose- there was a lot of meconium in the fluid and my baby's hear beat went crazy- it was truly the scariest experience I have ever had. They kept shaking me on my side and rushed into the ER for an emergency c section - it also took maybe 30 minutes to do the spinal so if we had to wait an additional hour to do an IV- I really don't know if I would have been blessed with a healthy baby at that point!
At first I was really against having an IV because I wanted to be able to walk around and just didn't like the thought of it if it wasn't needed- but in hindsight it may have just kept my baby safe. I don't think too many people plan to have an emergency c section!

lizzywednesday
09-27-2010, 06:22 PM
I was hooked into an IV during my induction, but they let me walk around. The IV was on a pole on wheels that I held onto while pacing the hallway.

I didn't realize this wasn't standard?

swissair81
09-27-2010, 06:23 PM
I was hooked into an IV during my induction, but they let me walk around. The IV was on a pole on wheels that I held onto while pacing the hallway.

I didn't realize this wasn't standard?

induction is different.

lizzywednesday
09-27-2010, 06:27 PM
induction is different.

Good to know; thanks!