GBS, or Group Beta Streptococcus, is an colonization that affects many people and around 1/4 to 1/3 of women in the third trimester of pregnancy. Many people carry this bacteria in their digestive systems with no problem, but it can cause complications in a newborns of mothers who are colonized.
Mothers are often tested for Group B Strep in the third trimester of pregnancy and if they are positive, are usually given antibiotics during labor. I tested positive for GBS in my fourth pregnancy, though I eradicated it and tested negative before the birth, and then I tested negative in my next pregnancy (thus the title of the post). As there is a very small chance of serious and life threatening complications for baby in GBS positive moms (even with antibiotic use), I wanted to share what worked for me in hopes it would help other women avoid this risk to baby. This is just my experience and is not intended to be medical advice.
For more information on the risks associated with GBS and with antibiotic treatment, check out this well-researched article. This page provides a compilation of a lot of research on GBS and antibiotic use.
Natural Remedies for GBS
GBS certainly has the potential to be serious and shouldn’t be ignored, but antibiotics carry their own risks and can cause problems as well. Especially with all the emerging research about the transfer of gut flora and immunity from mother to baby during delivery, it would definitely be preferable not to take antibiotics if it can be avoided (especially if testing positive for GBS can be avoided in the first place).
The good news is, at least in my case, GBS can be avoided with natural remedies.
As GBS occurs naturally in the digestive tract for some people, I felt it was important to treat the digestive tract as a whole when working to eliminate GBS instead of just focusing on the genital area. A probiotic rich diet is beneficial for overall health,and I also found it helpful in getting rid of GBS.
When researching, I found the following advice for treating/preventing GBS:
- Eating a probiotic rich diet including things like Kombucha, Water Kefir, Yogurt, Sauerkraut and other fermented foods to help create a healthy gut environment.
- Taking a probiotic supplement and using it vaginally (I used this one orally daily and vaginally every day or two).
- Consuming garlic capsules or raw garlic cloves daily.
- Consuming Coconut Oil for its naturally antiviral properties.
- Using plain organic yogurt vaginally to help balance bacteria.
- Taking Vitamin C daily.
- Using a Chlorhexidine rinse vaginally before and during labor. (This is the usual protocol) This was a last resort for me and I was glad to not have to use it, as the emerging evidence about the bacterial transfer during labor brings this practice into question.
- Consuming raw apple cider vinegar daily and using it as a diluted rinse.
What I Did That Worked
With my fourth pregnancy, I tested positive at 35 weeks for GBS and then at 37 weeks was tested again and the result was negative. What I did during that time (and what a friend did successfully after testing positive very early in her pregnancy) that worked:
- Took 2,000 mg of Vitamin C in divided doses each day
- Consuming 2 cloves of raw garlic each day by finely mincing them and drinking them down with water
- Consuming at least 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil daily for its antibacterial/antiviral properties
- Using a diluted apple cider vinegar rinse vaginally each day
- Taking 6+ probiotic capsules a day
- Consuming large amounts of fermented foods and drinks
- Using a garlic clove vaginally for one night (anecdotal evidence supports that this is very effective)
In my next pregnancy to prevent GBS to begin with, I followed a protocol that is recommended by a midwife I know (and she is yet to have a case of GBS when a mom is following this):
- Taking a high quality probiotic daily (I took 2-4 of these) and occasionally using them vaginally.
- Taking 2,000 mg of Vitamin C daily
- Taking garlic capsules daily
Have you ever had GBS while pregnant? What did you do? Share below!
quick question – I tested positive with my first 2 children and am starting the ‘strep b’ diet 7 days before my text for this pregnancy [next week]. My midwife recommends all of the above AND eliminating all sugar, all fruit, all flour/potatoes/white rice from the diet as well. Did you modify your diet or *just* add the supplements/fermented foods/etc. as listed above? thanks!
I’d modify diet too, especially with that short of a time…
I tested positive with my first baby and I honestly don’t remember for sure with my other two. I’ve had antibiotics all three times though. And all four of us have systemic yeast issues. If I could not have to do antibiotics again, I would be VERY happy. The only thing is…I’m not sure how to *eat* a 1/4 cup of coconut oil. Or if I could even swallow down garlic water (and I love garlic) because I have such an intolerant stomach when I’m pregnant. Think I could spread raw garlic onto toasted bread? And I like yogurt, but I guess I’m pickier than I thought because I don’t usually even think about eating the other items on the “fermented” food list. Geez. I sound like such a woos. Maybe I just need to buck up and follow the plan anyway because it would be worth it. But the last pregnancy I was so sick I could barely keep down the foods I really liked. (And I guess I should say that I could be pregnant right now because we are trying for one more.) Any suggestions? How did you do the coconut oil? Is it important that everything stay really raw or can I cook it?
Try magnesium before pregnancy and in early pregnancy to avoid the sickness part…. it worked wonders for me. You could spread the garlic on something. I mix the coconut oil in to smoothies, coffee or tea or use in cooking…
Thank you!
I am 36 weeks and 4 days and just found out that I was positive for strep B. Is it too late to follow these protocols to getting rid of it? Also how did you dilute your apple cider vinegar? Did you just put it on your outer vagina? Same with the garlic clove, where did you put that?
Can you recommend a diary & soy free probiotic? The one you liked has traces of both and I can’t have soy or dairy! Currently taking mary Ruth’s liquid probiotics daily but can’t insert those Vaginally haha thank you for your help!
This is the one I recommend: https://wellnessmama.com/go/probiotic/
I wish more women would know about probiotics and GBS. I am a licensed naturopathic doctor and I recommend a high dose probiotic to all my pregnant mothers as soon as they become pregnant. I am a mother of two and with the high dose probiotic, a probiotic rich diet and Vitamin C I tested negative for both my pregnancies. It is important to start early so that pregnant mothers are not scrambling at the last minute before they are tested again.
Great blog by the way Katie. I am enjoying reading it.
60-70 % of women test negative for GBS. The evidence would be if you were positive and the probiotics helped you become negative within a week or two.
The problem with this logic is that it takes weeks to months for probiotics to colonize the vaginal tract. Taking probiotics after testing positive for GBS does not ensure that there will be enough good bacteria to displace the unwanted one. Giving pregnant women probiotics prophylactically does not cause any harm to mother or baby and may even save lives.
What you are proposing is reactionary medicine instead of proactive medicine.
Can you show me evidence based research that probiotics have “saved lives”? GBS is not pathogenic to an adult. It is merely a transient colonizing bacteria that lives on the adult body not causing any harm. It is only a potential pathogen to a fetus or neonate. Where is the evidence that probiotics select out GBS. For all we know, probiotics promote GBS existence and may only select out gram negative bacteria like E. coli or Klebsiella. If you are proposing that probiotics treats Group B streptococcus, how are you sure it doesn’t treat the “good” staphylococci and streptococci? Can you show me the evidence!
I have been fighting the effects of GBS for over 3 years. I tested negative during my 2 pregnancies over 14 years ago now. Approximately 5 years ago I started having bloating, discomfort and pelvic pain which I attributed to fibroids. Failed ablation therapy and eventual hysterectomy were the answer. Guess what the bleeding has stopped and the major monthly pain is gone but now without the monthly shedding and bleeding the GBS has really been able to get a foothold. I have had 2 skin infections, one on my leg that spread and wouldn’t heal until I put an occlusive bandage on it and a month later I had a crack on my foot that became infected and no OTC antifungal or antibiotic cream would touch it. Out of desperation I put raw honey on the site until I could see my MD and it went away over the weekend. About another month later I started getting short of breath, exhausted, foggy thinking, burning in the genital area and really foul smelling urine so I went to my OBGYN. He reported on examination that I was red and irritated throughout my vaginal area and took a swab and urine sample. A few days later I received a call from him that I tested positive for GBS with very high numbers in both my vagina and urine. Antibiotics were prescribed and I began feeling much better with more energy and even lost 3 lbs without changing anything. He informed me that I would always have GBS and if the symptoms returned to call and he would place me on a longer dose of antibiotic. As soon as the burning returned I called for the antibiotics and the burning was gone. Another 2 months later the foul urine, vaginal burning have returned. I tried waiting it out without antibiotics but guess what the fatigue, foggy brain, foul smelling urine, burning vagina, flank pain and now I am starting to feel that same shortness of breath. I would love it if all these symptoms are not connected to a bacteria that I can not get rid of but what else could this possibly be when I test positive for “very high colonization” when I have these symptoms, get the antibiotics and feel like I’m 20 years younger and then like garbage when the GBS is in full colonization. GBS in not just a non-pathogenic bacteria for me and others. I attribute this abnormal GBS with the overuse of antibiotics and I for one who will never be having another child will try every natural alternative that I can find hoping for an answer. As for those who can still have children, please if time permits and you are getting this information early in your pregnancy, try the natural approach. BUT if you are farther along in your pregnancy or are doubtful of your ability to follow a regime of all natural PLEASE if your doctor advises you on antibiotics during labor take his advice. No newborns life is worth risking to GBS.
So two caveats:
1) I know this is an old thread.
2) I am a man, so obviously without experience in vaginal GBS issues. But to the extent GBS behaves the same in men and women, the following may be helpful in responding to Jeff’s empirical demand above.
I precisely fit his criteria: I was diagnosed with GBS/Strep B via a culture swab of my genitals, after apparently contracting it from a female carrier during intercourse. Naturally I had been both terrified and mystified, terrified that it was some horrific STD/STI and mystified when all full-spectrum STD/STI testing came back negative, and my mate reported zero STDs/STIs. A wise FNP recommended I see a dermatologist, who immediately recognized that it looked bacterial, rather than viral, and ordered culture swabs. Sure enough, Strep B. I was put on a round of Amoxicillin (my second round since being infected six months earlier). Zero impact other than slight diminishing of the red rashes, red splotch marks on my genitals, and horrible itching. I also began to use Clotrimazole every day and night, coating my entire genitals and groin with a thick layer of the expensive stuff. For weeks and weeks.
Fast forward TWELVE MONTHS LATER, and still no relief. I was absolutely despondent, and had resigned myself to spending the rest of my life with it and the appearance of having an incurable STD.
Then I began to take care of my gut, and the GBS disappeared….EIGHTEEN MONTHS of functionally useless antibiotics, creams, doctor visits, and stress. Here’s what I did for my gut:
– Intermittent fasting (12-16 hours fasting a day)
– Apple Cider Vinegar diluted in water in the mornings on an empty stomach
– Long morning walks on a fasted stomach
– Fermented foods (specifically Wildbrine’s Red Beet & Cabbage Sauerkraut Salad from Whole Foods…purple container…absolutely delicious on meats)
– A children’s probiotic of 3-6 billion units daily (after my naturally medicine doctor learned I had been a C-Section baby and had likely missed out on all the birth canal goodies)
– Massive amounts of water daily
That’s it. And a year-and-a-half saga appears to be over, or the battle at least tipped. So @Jeff, there’s your evidence.
I’ve tested positive for group b strep all 3 of my pregnancies. I’m now pregnant and my midwife did new research supports probiotics as effectively reducing the risk of infection. Here’s one article
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36364782/
I am going to try the midwife prescribed interventions starting at 30 weeks. Hopefully I can avoid another positive test and get to come home sooner with my baby. Thank you for your insight and resources!
I am not pregnant and was diagnosed with GBS and put on Amoxicillin. I’m not a fan of meds and only took it for the week because I was desperate for some relief! Today is the last day and there hasn’t been any significant changes. I am calling my NP back after lunch to see what else she suggests but in the meantime I’ve been told my other “crunchy moms” to insert a garlic clove, use coconut oil for relief (which I do), take probiotics (what kind? which ones? Not a lot of $$ to spend here), and do an ACV rinse (ouch!). Any other natural suggestions? Again, not a lot of $$ to spend !!
Dilute the ACV!! I’ve heard of people freezing coconut oil in tampon tube sizes and inserting it for relief
I’m in the same boat, I’m so frustrated, I have been dealing with this for a while now, it comes and goes. I have been taking, vit c, folic acid, garlic pills, and garlic vaginally, along with probiotics! I’m so frustrated I have taken ampicillin 3 different times and it comes back, I finally took clindamycin and it helped a little but my vag feels all thrown off! Try to find a probiotic that has live cultures ( the pills that are refrigerated) go to whole foods or mothers market. It’s a little pricy but you want to get the good stuff! Also inserting the garlic clove up the vag helps a little too! Good luck to you.
Hi there,
May I ask which probiotic you recommend.
Thank you
Elizabeth
These are my favorites and the best quality I’ve found.
What probiotic do you recommend? There are so many?
This is by far my favorite and the best one I’ve found!
How long did you do the protocol for
I also took probiotics both orally and vaginally during the last trimester and was negative. My sister on the other hand was positive with both her kids and she didn’t do it. I’m close to my third trimester on my second kid and am going to start with probiotics again. This time I’m also drinking water kefir!
Hi I recently went into preterm labor at 25 weeks and my baby passed away during labor and they ran tests sn said it was do to GBS. I was wondering what should I take on a regular basis to avoid this again. Ilove your blog and need some natural advice thanks again
Karen, I’m so sorry to read this. I also lost a child to premature birth due to GBS. Sending you {{{{{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}},
I am so sorry for your loss! Many hugs… You could try the protocol for getting rid of it and then do the maintenance on a regular basis…
I wouldn’t use Bio-Kult vaginally because of the maltodextrin in it. I’d use a different probiotic that hasn’t got any sugar or starches in it vaginally. Orally Bio-Kult is great though.
One thing worth noting: for using probiotics vaginally, you want to make sure there’s food for the bacteria, but not food for other flora like yeast. I’ve seen some probiotics that contain sugar, maltodextrin (Bio-Kult is one of those) and potato starch. Those aren’t things you want to put in your vagina. It’s better to use something that has a prebiotic like inulin or nothing but the probiotics.
So glad you are touching on this!
Just wondering if you had come across info about applying GSE topically on the bum? I’ve also heard that using garlic vaginally has the potential to be painful and burny…thoughts?
Thanx again for all the wonderful things you share, I find myself checking frequently for your recepies and diy stuff.
I didn’t have trouble with the garlic, but I could see it being uncomfortable for some and would probably take it out if it was…
Thank you for responding and giving you’re testimony. I am a special care nursery nurse. Although I feel naturopathic medicine is helpful, it isn’t always successful. Please think of the baby you carried for 9 months. It would be devastating to lose your baby due to your views about what is natural or not. We are lucky
to have the means to prevent such tragic outcomes. Even if there is a small risk, are you willing to take that chance of being the unlucky one to lose your child? I’m sure you want a baby to bring to your nursery, and not the alternative of a baby coffin and burial.
Just be careful not to nick the clove. It’s the garlic juice that will sting, but as long as you keep the clove intact, you shouldn’t have any irritation.
I have GBS in my urine. I read that it’s more serious if in the urine. Will all this still work for me? I do not want the antibiotics during labour. Any shills on here or “medical professionals” are not welcome to reply. I had a yeast infection when I did my urine test, I treated it with inserting probiotics and am not having any yeast infection symptoms anymore. I’m doing another urine test in a month. I’m 28 weeks right now. I’m hoping all these remedies will work for people who have it in their urine. I’m feeling very down and not confident but going to try my best.
I also did the garlic inserts. I cut my garlic in half and was just fine it didn’t sting one bit and you get more effect from the garlic that way.
I just want to add to this that I tested positive for GBS in my urine at around 7 weeks. After many discussions with my doctor’s office, I found out that it’s possible a urine sample can be contaminated. The only way to know for sure if GBS is in your urine is to ask for a catheter test. This way you can prevent unnecessary antibiotics during pregnancy if you accidentally contaminated your urine sample. It took a long time for me to find this information out, so I want to pass it along. Also, diet is extremely important with yeast and GBS. You may want to consider doing a low/no sugar FODMAPS diet. This has helped me tremendously. Good Luck!!
Thanks Carrie I also believed that the urine got contaminated. When the yeast infection was gone I tested negative then when it came back I tested positive I told the midwife and doctor I really think there is a connection but they didn’t agree. My doctor told me he doesn’t recommend the antibiotics and that they don’t even test for GBS in Europe. I did the no sugar no carb diet and took probiotics and vitamins. I refused the antibiotics and my baby is now 11 months and so extremely healthy. 🙂
How much acv did you dribk daily?
This is perfect timing! I just found out today that I tested positive this time. I will be 37 weeks next week, and all of my babies have been early, so anytime after next week I am prepared to have a baby :). What would you do if you had 1week to treat the group b strep? Would you try to get retested before baby is born or would you do this treatment and then do the wash during labor and feel like that was enough? I have tested positive with 1 other pregnancy and then have been treated with 2 pregnancies after that. I am using a midwife this time so things are so much different. I am able to try these natural remedies and have her approve. I have enjoyed reading all of your pregnancy posts from your pregnancy and look forward to any after baby posts you may have.
I just went through this. I tested positive 2 weeks before delivery. I used hibiclens, probiotics, garlic supplements orally and vit c. I then re-tested. I went into labor before receiving the results of the second test. My son was born within ten minutes of being in the hospital; therefore, there was not enough time for IV antibiotics. Because I didn’t receive antibiotics they cultured my son to see if group b strep would grow. We had to stay an extra day in the hospital. My son was fine and did not test positive. However, a few days after my delivery I received my second set of test results and I was still Group B strep positive. It is important to note that my water did not break until I pushed and then the doctor broke it. It is my understanding that the sooner the water breaks the greater the chances of group b strep transmission. I feel that my water breaking late in labor was the greatest blessing in preventing transmission.
Yes, I’ve had GBS with 4/5 of my kids, and three times doctors have offered to break my water prematurely to start labor even though I always break while pushing. It was a strange offer, considering….
Is putting your baby at risk of group b sepsis, as all of the reliable scientific evidence shows, not reason enough? That isn’t a medical reason, in your educated opinion? You are giving people advice to avoid antibiotics when group b strep positive based on NO evidence whatsoever, and you think that’s ok? I’m flabbergasted.
The risks v benefits of using antibiotics for something SO LOW as ONE HALF OF ONE PERCENT do not make it worth it for some. I am SO sick of western medical modalities being pushed by those who practice it as though they are THE ONLY WAY, THE ONE WAY to treat the human issues we face. You should be thrilled spitless that people are educating themselves! You should also recognize that we don’t have huge studies of ALTERNATIVE methods because of people like you, who sneer at and spit upon those of us who take a different viewpoint while you SHOVE your modality like a religious person knocking on the door shoving their literature!
Try losing your 49 day old daughter. How about watching your baby girl take her last breath after bring removed from life support. How abou watching your daughter’s head swell to the point of complete brain loss and devestation? Group B Strep is not something you want to mess with. I’d hate to have another mom experience losing a baby like I did two months ago. I tested negative by the way…
You tested negative, then lost your baby anyway. I am so sorry for your loss, but your case is one of the reasons we are avoiding antibiotics. The science isn’t settled by a long shot, and as tragic as your loss is, it isn’t truly prevented by this treatment (which doesn’t even touch late onset cases). In Europe, they don’t test for this or treat it the way we do, and their rates of infection are about the same. Killing off a child’s healthy bacteria leaves them more at risk for SO many other problems later in life, and there simply isn’t enough research to justify it. There are so many factors involved in having a safe delivery. Infection rates for hospital deliveries are higher than for home births. My daughter and I have both chosen to have our babies at the hospital for various reasons, but your story could just as easily have been a rebuke for that decision.
I am curious to know what you think of probiotics? I would do antibiotics if I still test positive closer to the delivery date. Since I am 5-6 weeks pregnant and have tested positive for GBS, I would like to try to do what I can in the meantime to obtain a negative test result closer to the delivery date as long as it is not harmful to the embryo/fetus.
Probiotics are really important during pregnancy…
This is my third baby and the first time I’ve taken probiotics during pregnancy. It’s also the first time I’ve tested positive for group B. The only difference between my pregnancies is the addition of probiotics.
It is not advising women to avoid antibiotics WHEN NEEDED, it is advising them to try other methods FIRST. You are not given the antibiotic until DURING delivery and therefore still have several weeks left (in most cases) to resolve the issue through other methods. Attempting to get rid of it BEFORE delivery is not putting the baby at risk.
Antibiotics are not for everyone though! All you care about is your opinion. anyways, my first I had antibiotics if I have another I will not. Why? Because intravenous antibiotics use came really close to me bleeding to death! (That’s from 3 obgyns and 2 pcps. They all agreed that is what caused the bleed) So guess what it is not good for everyone!
I am a clinical microbiologist, and I would not EVER risk giving your baby group B strep! The usual treatment is Very safe and effective. This natural remedy crap is a load of garbage, and if you are willing to risk death of your child because you were too ignorant and stubborn to take clindamycin (a very safe antibiotic) then you seriously should not be a mother. S. agalactiae (GBS) is very deadly and when infants contract sepsis or other infections, the mobidity and mortality is high. Spread the word that this is absolutely ridiculous and makes you look like a total idiot. A lot of women are colonized with S. agalactiae and that’s why they are tested. If you are positive, then we to antimicrobial testing to be sure your strain is susceptible to clindamycin, if it is showing a resistance to clindamycin in the presence of erythromycin, then you are treated with vancomycin. There is no known resistance to vancomycin. Listen to your Dr. ladies!!! there is years and years of research when it comes to women and children’s health, not a random, “oh this worked for me, (when actually probably something else is going on) so maybe everyone should try it.” This is why we have a measles outbreak… what next? polio?
I agree that women should listen to their doctors and that this is a serious issue, but I also think that more research is needed. There is a lot of emerging research about the microbiotic transfer that occurs during birth and our blanket use of antibiotics can interfere with this transfer and lead to bigger problems later in life (they are now linking this to increased risk of cancer, heart disease and obesity). I agree that GBS is a very serious issue and that it can be devastating, but statistically, the antibiotics do not actually lower the risk of GBS death in infants. Also, to “not EVER risk giving your baby group B strep” would require a c-section for every birth as false negatives occur on tests or a woman could become positive after taking the test at 37 weeks. There is also a lot of emerging research that no antibiotic is truly “safe” as they alter gut bacteria and can long lasting effects (as I’m sure you already know). Also, there is hardly an “outbreak” of measles with less than 200 cases reported since the Disneyland exposure and no deaths (and half of the people were vaccinated).
These trolls from Big Pharma are really hard on you girl! Keep on defending yourself and don’t take them personally! We appreciate your help. May the Lord bless and keep you and give you wisdom like Solomon.
Couldn’t agree more with EVERYTHING you’ve just said.
Women who have c sections are given antibiotics and also c sections do not reduce the chance of your baby getting gbs.
My baby is just fine and I didn’t take the antibiotics.
I was positive. So yes this treatment worked. And as for your comment about us not being allowed to be mothers because we didn’t take the antibiotics.
Steph, I was a clinical microbiologist as well, for exactly six years, before I quit my job. I started seeing more and more corrupt researchers in our field, changing data to please their funding source, altering hypotheses to make themselves look better, and tearing down researchers who were interested in studying how nature works with the human body in healing itself. You and people like you are the reason I left my paid position and volunteer my research efforts instead- because I would rather look for the truth than be forced to research a single false source for the sake of funding. Get off your high horse, and start considering other possibilities. Maybe do some research of your own, since you seem so keen on denying what developing research is already proving to be true. Should you take antibiotics if you are in labor and test positive? If you have enough time before delivery, I would say yes, but not everyone has that time available, and if you test positive weeks prior to your due date, even my doctor suggests doing everything you can to fight it off before resorting to antibiotics, which most people will agree should be reserved for last measure. As a microbiologist, I would think you would understand how antibiotic resistance works and would work to try and inhibit its spread. Perhaps your education failed you.
Garbage? Seriously? Let’s be clear that women’s health is still grossly under-researched, especially among women who are not Caucasian. This article is offering alternatives. Every woman should make the choice that she feels best informed to make. Clearly your “clinical” background biases you to the point of judging who should and shouldn’t be a mother. Your lack of professionalism in even sharing your OPINION renders the knowledge you claim to have untrustworthy…btw, what Pharma company is backing you?
Thanks to the pathetic fear mongering from “scientists” like yourself, the rate of homebirths has risen dramatically. Mothers intuition is the IDEAL medicine. Do you really believe that you’re smarter than the doctors and scientists in Europe who do not test for GBS at all? Besides – logic demands that you come up with another condition or factor that makes GBS “dangerous”, since a very tiny fraction of women colonized will end up with a baby having complications from GBS. Prophylactic antibiotics is the most draconian and obsolete intervention when we know how crucial to health is an intact microbiome. If you are so full of yourself – how will you ever develop enough humility to be up on the REAL science????
I’ve been on two separate antibiotics to take care of gbs in my urine this pregnancy. The next sample came back at a higher rate. From all the research I can find, including the cdc, gbs will return after antibiotic use. Those of us on this site are only trying to find a way to take care of gbs when the medical world doesn’t seem to have a straight answer. I’m not comfortable sitting around and hoping an antibiotic will work if there’s something I can do that will take the gbs away! My office even agreed I have every reason to question why I’m on another antibiotic when they admit the chances of it working are slim. I’ve had gbs four of five pregnancies. This is the first one I’ve tested positive in my urine and I have time to attack it on all fronts. Antibiotic use increased my count numbers, time to try to fight hard with an alternative method.
You’re so amazing to compile all of these things. GBS is one of those things where if I had it at 35 weeks, it would have taken a week (for me, at least) to find all the information I needed to do something about it, and that would have only left a few weeks to actually do it. I like having a list of things to just do–things that we maybe ought to be doing anyway! I am not pregnant again right now, but if that should happen again, it’s good to have these resources organized in one place.
By ” resources” , you mean one woman’s uneducated opinion?
I can tell you care a lot about the well-being of babies and their safe arrival into the world. You are definitely correct, Group B Strep should not be taken lightly. That said, if you find out about it early enough, and try something a bit less invasive than antibiotics, thereby potentially resulting in a negative test before the child is born, great! Your OB isn’t going to object to you rinsing your areas with ACV, taking higher doses of Vit. C, taking probiotics, or eating more fermented foods. If it doesn’t work, well the antibiotics are still there for you.
Hopefully you’re not the type who runs to the doctor for antibiotics every time you have a sniffle because gargling with salt water and eating chicken soup is too strange, and simply based on your mom’s uneducated opinion about what might work to help a cold. Most people here are working with doctors, midwives or other professionals who have tests to find out about Group B strep.
Actually, I’m the type that has spent years of my life studying obstetrics and gynaecology, and I have over ten years experience in clinical practice. I wouldn’t object to probiotics, but If your urine tests positive for GBS, or you have a positive swab at term, declining antibiotics is not a wise choice for your baby. Antibiotics, when used appropriately are not invasive, and are life saving. It’s such a first world attitude to refer to something as life saving as antibiotics as invasive. Group b strep? Meh. Have you ever seen a baby being treated for GBS septicaemia in NICU?
Great! We need more expert opinions. I suspect that what you would like to convey to mothers to be is that if the Group B strep test is positive at the time of delivery to get the antibiotics. Most of us are in agreement on that. However, if you have a few weeks still, trying to get rid of it via alternative methods is reasonable. What’s the harm in trying to test negative?
Tell me, please if you don’t have any first world ideas and problems? Hmm, which kind of coffee should I get at Starbucks? Petty first world problems. We can also agree more about the appropriate, necessary use of antibiotics more via email instead of in the comments section of a blog. First world problems. Oh wait, perhaps I’ll go hunt for my breakfast, first.
What is your opinion about Hibiclens? https://www.drugs.com/mtm/hibiclens.html
Hibiclens
I know third world countries and midwives use Hibiclens in the vagina. but when penicillin is available it should be used. It has the wrong vagina pH and is against manufacturers recommendations.
HIBICLENS® is an antiseptic antimicrobial skin cleanser possessing bactericidal properties. HIBICLENS contains 4% w/v chlorhexidine gluconate, a chemically unique cationic bisbiguanide with inactive ingredients: Fragrance, isopropyl alcohol 4%, purified water, Red 40, and other ingredients, in a mild, sudsing base adjusted to pH 5.0-6.5 for optimal activity and stability as well as compatibility with the normal pH of the skin. (pH of the vagina is 3-4, hibiclens could induce bacterial vaginosis to develop which in turn could cause preterm labor).
Manufacturers recommendations: Avoid getting this medication in your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, rectum, or vagina. Chlorhexidine topical is for use only on the skin.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether chlorhexidine topical will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.
It is not known whether chlorhexidine topical passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not breast-feed if you are using this medicine to treat a skin condition in the breast area.
Be very careful when using chlorhexidine topical on a child younger than 2 months old. This medication may cause severe irritation or chemical burns on a very young child.
I think it foolish to never look at LONG TERM effects of antibiotic use. We are often too busy panicking about the immediate effects of a bacterial infection to think ahead. My Mom needed to take high level antibiotics in my older sister’s first week of life due to a uterine infection. In the ’80s, we never thought about antibiotics being passed through the breast milk—and it is possible (although not conclusive) to ascribe my sister’s terrible colic/constipation as an infant, followed by years of terrible food intolerance/allergies as a child and current struggle with Crohn’s/Colitis to the fact that her tiny, baby gut was completely stripped of all healthy bacteria as a new born.
Suffice it to say, that given the actual given incidence of GBS infected babies ACTUALLY DYING—is it really worth it to kill all bacteria—good and bad— in the bodies of 25%-30% of all our newborns, especially since we don’t know how important that good bacteria is for the rest of that newborn’s life?
Not everyone’s decision is as simple….
I tested GBS+ on this pregnancy (neg my other two). I am all about natural remedies, I try to avoid drugs and unnatural treatments at all cost, I believe in the natural nature of pregnancy, labor and delivery….our bodies were perfectly designed for it. It is a NATURAL part of a women’s life and not a sickness to be treated in a hospital….women who are pregnant are clients and not patients…we are not sick. With that said I WAS planning on the antibiotic….as I couldn’t bare the thought of being the 1 person in 200 to loose my baby to GBS (although I know the antibiotic doesn’t reduce the risk completely). I would much rather have a live baby than no baby…..even with all the things out there on the effects of antibiotics….I still think a live baby is better than no baby! I was then going to do everything to reduce the effects of the antibiotic (start my newborn and me on probiotics, Vit d3, Vit C, nurse, etc.)…..however, I feel my decision is a bit more icky than most…. My last labor was 2 hrs start to finish, this would mean I don’t have enough time for the full dose of antibiotic….AND I am allergic to penicillin the antibiotic of choice, my GBS strand is resistant to the next option (amoxicillin), and the next option is Cefazolin which has been shown to cause an allergic rxn in 10% of patients with a penicillin allergy. This means that I risk totally disrupting my labor and delivery by potentially having a severe rxn to the antibiotic. I think it is worth attempting all natural options to eliminate the GBS from my vaginal canal given my short labors and my history with allergies to antibiotics. If I can test negative for GBS the second time around I am going to try as hard as I can….this would reduce my risk of a severe rxn and my babies risk of having harmful effects to GBS.
The information posted by “Wellness Mama” about the mother transferring her immunity to the baby at delivery is erroneous. Immunity is transferred mainly through BREASTFEEDING, NOT DURING THE DELIVERY OF A BABY. Therefore, the advice to avoid taking antibiotics in the case of testing positive for strep B is RIDICULOUS and not based upon fact. If you’re going to give such advice, try to educate yourself first.
I didn’t say she transferred immunity to GBS, I said that she transfers a host of good and bad bacteria. This is well documented fact and I’ve even heard doctors telling patients this in the delivery room now.
http://sciencenordic.com/c-section-infants-don%E2%80%99t-get-enough-good-microbes
http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2012/05/04/new-science-shows-infants-are-born-with-gut-bacteria
https://www.wired.com/2014/04/missing-microbes-antibiotic-resistance-birth/
http://healthland.time.com/2013/02/12/the-connection-between-dirty-diapers-and-childhood-health/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/newborns-gut-bacteria-differ-by-delivery-breastfeeding-1.1339571
I am 36 weeks pregnant and just found out i have Strep B (GBS). I have read about the home remedies of vitamin C, garlic and probitiocs, also the use of ACV rinse. I would like to know how many billion cultures of the probiotics are ok to consume orally during my stage of pregnancy and what brands do you recommend ? I had asked my obgyn and he said he doesn’t know anything about it even though he is a very good doctor. I would also like to know how the garlic can be used vaginaly?
Thank You
Tracey- perhaps you’ll take a moment to read my story about why I don’t trust antibiotics and use natural remedies for myself and my family whenever possible. When I had my first child, I had hemorrhoids from months 5 of my pregnancy until I was 7 months post partum. I saw my doctor about this issue repeatedly and during that 12 month span, they never ONCE receeded. I opted to have a hemorrhoidectomy–far worse on the pain scale than delivering my child. From there, I ended up with a perianal abscess, which then lead to a fistula. I was seeing a C&R specialist who put me on 2 different oral antibiotics to clear the abscess. When that didn’t work, they admitted me to the hospital for 72 hours and put me on 3 different intravenous antibiotics. That did NOTHING. I was then wisked away to surgery to have the abscess cleaned out and given another oral antibiotic to take to ensure my healing from the infection. That didn’t work either. There is something largely unsettling about your doctor looking you in the face and saying “I’m not sure how to help you” This was 2013! How can I not heal from an infection after all of the antibiotics I was on?? Leaving it wasn’t an option. So of course, she came up with an alternate plan: A fistulotomy as well as botox injections. I basically told her thanks, but no thanks. A week later I went to my nearest Naturopath who put me on a regimine of Goldenseal Extract, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Oregon Grape Root Extract, Aloe Juice, a nearly all raw foods diet (no refined sugars) as well as a cocktail shot in the rectum of bacteria fighting herbs and herbal suppositories. This was a lot to take on, but in the end, it proved to be the right decision. Within a week, my infection was gone. With another 2 weeks after that, my fistula began to heal on its own. There is no science out there saying anything other than if you have a fistula you must have surgery or you will never heal. I am living proof 2 years later that that line of thinking isn’t correct. My C&R specialist treated me like s**t in her office when I told her I wanted to go against her orders. She was rude and unprofessional telling me she wouldn’t help me if I ended up having an emergency. If you’ve never been through something as horrendous as this–reached your breaking point, becoming depressed and taking care of a newborn plus feeling like you had no other options–then you need a little perspective. In the end, nature took care of what science couldn’t. That is more than enough proof for me. Science might have “facts” behind it, but it changes all the time, doesn’t it? Science isn’t always right. Antibiotics don’t always do what they should.
Actually wiping out the gut flora of the vagina prior to delivery is one of the best ways to ensure your child will be colonized by hospital bacteria and strep bacteria. There are studies indicating C-section babies have higher rates of autism. Treating roughly 1/3 of all women who have less than a 1% chance of having a complication of strep B bacteria in their baby is not prevention it is pure stupidity. Not to mention treating women with IV antibiotics raises the chance of having a baby with other more serious opportunitistic infections like E.Coli. If you are an OBGYN you should do some research before you continously harm your patients.
I sit on both sides of the fence with this… I was positive and did get antibiotics while in labor but what it caused me after I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I accepted the antibiotics for the health of my baby but within a week of delivery I began to develop painful rashes around my eyes, then my face, mouth, in my nose, scalp, neck, elbow joints, back… I looked like the walking dead. I had shooting nerve pain, migraines, chronic fatigue. I went to 2 dermatologist, 2 allergist, urgent care, primary care doctors, went through countless tests over the next year. All while trying to take care of my newborn and trying to get back into work… You know what caused it? The antibiotics! It caused me to have candida so bad that I developed the rashes, I would react to external irratants like air fresheners, paint, molds. It’s now been one and a half years later and I’m still trying to get my health back. My advice, do everything to get rid of the StrepB naturally before labor.
My background: Celiac, EMT and pharmacy technician. I see how medicine helps and I see patients where it’s destroyed their health.
Preach!! My daughter was born at 26 weeks….I was not tested. She got GBS meningitis at 7 weeks….acary situation. She is finem now and 2 years old but this article makes me cringe!!
It is imperative that a woman be retested to know her GBS status going into birth. No one is really poo-pooing the very real benefits to antibiotics. Keep educating. You might want to start your own blog though.
No, I think it is imperative that we attempt to base our decisions on what the evidence shows. There is no evidence for these recommendations and interfering with a GBS screen is dangerous. I’m just so tired of having to dispell pseudoscience every day in my office because people who think they are educated ( google university ) peddle useless advice. There really seems to be an effort to push women back into the cave.
If we had better healthcare overall, Google University would not be so appealing to some. I am glad your family had the resources to send you to medical school (and I’ll trust that you paid for it entirely yourself through hard work and perseverance). Start your own blog and be your own well-informed Google University.
I have recently been diagnosed with Group B strep im a 35 yr old NON PREGNANT female and have already been on augmentin which didnt work and started penicillin yesterday but had a reaction to it, is there anything else you can recomend?? I dont know what else to do, ive called my doctor but it may take a few days before i hear back from them. thanks!
😛 GBS is not an infection in a non pregnant adult. It is merely a colonozation presence. It doesn’t cause any discharge, pain, or problems. GBS has the propensity to affect a newborn with sepsis, meningitis, pneumonia, or death.
That’s not true I had it w my 4th daughter 8 mos later I’ve been complaining of cramping and discharge foul odor and they said its due to strep b I’m taking ampicillin 2pills 4x a day for 10 days and I hope and pray it works.
Try metrogel for bacterial vaginosis. Who diagnosed you with GBS vaginitis?
It does cause symptoms in “non pregnant adults”. I have had it twice….not pregnant. It can cause irritation, burning, and bladder infections to name a few symptoms. After being treated for a bladder infection symptoms were still present both times. Both times I saw my ob after my family doctor. They did a vaginal culture and both times it showed gbs.
40% of women will be positive for GBBS anytime you swab them. So you are telling me it cannot possibly be coincidence. A correlation but not causation. If you had a sore throat and GBBS was found on a vaginal swab, are you telling me that GBBS was causing your sore throat? 40% of women are walking around with GBBS at this very moment. Are you telling me that 40% of women have vaginal irritation right now? Think a little. Tell me why Sibyls Sweeets didn’t get better after being treated for GBBS, because something else was causing the problems and the presence of GBBS was purely coincidence.
Many carry it and will never have symptoms. I am saying that in my case when no other explanation could be found that testing positive for group b strep both times, with the same symptoms was the common denominator. It is also common in the elderly. So your original post that it doesn’t effect non pregnant adults is false. Plus judging from a few of the other posts on here, I am not alone. If I had a sore throat and they swabbed my THROAT and it showed positive for strep, yes I would believe the sore throat was caused by strep. Same goes for gbs and a vaginal swab. My ob treats it, so I’d imagine it’s not all in my head. Apparently you believe you have all the answers and are only on here to argue.
What causes sore throats is group a streptococcus. Look it up. It is not GBBS. Believe what you want if it makes you feel better. There are several species of streptococcus, GBBS is not a pathogen to adults.
Lol! Did I say that group b strep would be found in your throat? I said if they swabbed your throat and told you you were positive for strep it would explain your sore throat. If they swab your vagina and tell you that you are positive for group b strep it would explain your symptoms if you had some. Are you a doctor? I believe because I know what I felt and am feeling and my doctor tells me so. And now I’m done conversing with you.
Group a strep is a pathogen for pharyngitis. Group b strep is not a pathogen in the vagina. Please explain how 40% women carry group b strep in the vagina and none of them have symptoms, and 100% of people with group a strep in the throat do have symptoms. Your logic is like saying vaccines cause autism because your kid got autism after having a vaccine. Correlation not causation.
You are not alone. I have symptomatic Group B strep, and it is vaginal. There is very little medical research on this subject and a massive amount of ASSUMPTION in the medical world. (That’s you, Jeff…..) I will refrain from submitting my credentials because I am intelligent enough to know that NONE of us is as smart as ALL of us. I have been through the humiliation of being told (by my former PCP) that this is sexually transmitted. I have been treated with metrogel, multiple oral antibiotics, and yeast remedies. I have been told that it is hormonal and will go away during menopause. (I am 41 so 15 to 20 years shouldn’t be too long to go around with an itchy, burning, smelly vagina right?) The truth is, nobody knows and seemingly nobody cares. I was unable to find any current medical research being conducted on this topic. I have tried the aforementioned natural remedies, the result was a decrease in symptoms but never a total elimination of infection. Sadly, I believe that most women give up trying due to frustration and financial constraints.
Here is a perspective from the Cochrane Collaboration. https://www.cochrane.org/CD007467/PREG_intrapartum-antibiotics-known-maternal-group-b-streptococcal-colonization
I’m leary of taking the word of doctors who have time to troll forums just to lambast others by regurgitating medical texts. Stick to clinic and let epidemiologists and biostatisticians analyze the science.
Thank you wellness mama for your posts and many others that allow us to think about alternative health options. Some may not have rigorous scientific backing (yet), but that does not mean that they will never be validated.
Very well said.
Tracy needs to get off her soap box! I would rather not put an antibiotic into my body if I don’t have to, especially IV. Antibiotics do a lot of good, in some cases. More often than not once a course of antibiotics is started something else flares up and a medication is needed to fix that issue, and so on. If there is a natural or less evasive remedy I am going to search it out. I am having an unassisted homebirth by choice, because I want nothing to do with hospitals, Dr’s, OB’s and nurses telling me what I should and should not be doing with my body, or how I should be birthing my baby. Thank you Wellness Mama for all of your articles, research and blog posts!!
Jeff is incorrect. I still have group b strep and on second dose of antibiotics. Symptoms EXIST and are the same…vaginal discharge, slight cough, fatigue, etc.
Every doctor/midwife I’ve talked to will tell you that Strep B does not cause problems in non-pregnant women. It’s only an issue for the baby being born. Treating GBS during labor is only to prevent early infection, and early infection can be tested for and treated within the first 48 hours if the mother does not get antibiotics. It’s not ideal. But like mentioned before antibiotics are not 100% in prevention either. And if you are allergic to penicillin, and have to take a different antibiotic the effect of the other antibiotics is even less, and you risk the issue of a bad reaction, and who knows what the outcome of that would be. Also, many women with GBS are not treated and do okay. Also note that the infant can still be infected later, not related to birth.
“Unfortunately, the method recommended to prevent early-onset disease (giving women who are group B strep positive antibiotics through the vein (IV) during labor) does not prevent late-onset disease. Although rates of early-onset disease have declined, rates of late-onset disease have remained fairly stable since 1990. At this time, a strategy has not yet been identified for preventing late-onset group B strep disease.”
All that said, thank you for offering alternatives Wellness Mama.
Now, if you are not allergic to antibiotics, and you are healthy – then my opinion is go for the antibiotics. Unless you have time to retest and come back negative for GBS.
Yes symptoms does exists and I cannot get rid of it please help somebody I’m tried of this been taking a lot of anthobiotics and not helping
I totally agree with you!
I think, if you truly believe that these remedies don’t work, instead of being snarky and combative, maybe you could provide your own data and resources to explain why they don’t. Considering you have a medical background, I would think that you would be more than happy to do so. It is for this judgmental attitude that many women avoid going to doctors in the first place. To expect us to take the word of a self-proclaimed medical know-it-all on the internet as absolute truth without any evidence to back her up isn’t much better than “Google-U.”
Like Ritz, I too am SUFFERING, cramps, discharge, and odor, did I say CRAMPS! My Well Woman Exam (Regular MD) told me this was the “new normal” for me-Jan 2014. Really?
In tears – August 2014 and Nov 2014 went to OB GYN she diagnosed me with GBS both times. During which I have completed a round of antibiotics each visit, but I am back to square one, again. She also told me that I would have this for life, no getting rid of it.
Thence. on the internet for a natural cure. Going to the health food store now…
To Wellness Mama – I pray this works. I will try anything at this point.
To Jeff “THE SPIN DOCTOR” educate your bad self.
Tammie could you please give please update on any natural remedy that you try And if it helped you or not ? I have been going through strange bouts of swelling redness gas, bloating, and intermittent yeast infections for nearly 2 years. Finally , the 3rd ob/gyn is running tests on every possible thing. I did test positive for GBS 14 years ago when my daughter was born. The doctor neglected to inform me and I barely made it to the hospital when I gave birth to her and therefore no antibiotic’s were given. My daughter was fine though 🙂 Anyhow , my ob/gyn said one of the test she was running was for GBS and I informed her that I did test positive for that with my second daughter and ask her if that could be causing these type of symptoms and she said yes.
To all who have such a terrible time with these GBS symptoms. Please stop abusing yourself with antibiotics and take yourself to the nearest naturopath doctor or even a chiropractor who uses muscle testing. Stick to a healthy diet and take your recommended supplements. There is no illness or infection that cannot be overcome! Consider energy healing as well, if you are unfamiliar look it up. Most infections and illnesses have an emotional correlation. What do you have to lose?
@ wellness mama! Please get back to me! I have tested positive. My midwife ‘told’ me that i will just have antibiotics. There is no way I want to give my new born precious boy antibiotics. I’m so peeved… im 38 weeks. My last birth (first son) was at 39 weeks. I can only hope I have some time. Do you have any idea if it will be possible at all to fix the bacteria balance in a week or 2 max? If I go into labour will I be able to get the doctors to test me and get results back to me then and there?
Hi Krystal… congrats on your pregnancy and best wishes for an easy delivery! I know that some women have been able to use natural methods and retest within a week, but it is definitely more difficult. There is a rapid screen test for GBS that can be done in most hospitals, but there is definitely still some debate about its effectiveness: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19778493
I hope that you’re able to work with your midwife to figure out a solution that works for you…
ill listen to her any day over listening to a mainstream dr who makes his money off of myself and my family being sick!!..its ok to think for yourself and doctors arent gods!! many ppl are waking up to natural remedies bc they have been around since man has, instead of medicines that have been around for only a 100 years and show to have side effects, negative side effects!!! but thanks for your uneducated opinion 😉
Uneducated opinion? You must be trapped in the conventional system of everything stupid.
Agreed, super generous sharing of experiences.