Treating Group B Strep During Pregnancy

Treating Group B Strep During Pregnancy

Let's begin with what is Group B Strep:

Definition:
Group Beta-Streptococci is a bacteria found in up to 40% of women. It originates in the intestinal tract, but because of the close proximity between the rectum and the vagina, if a mother has intestinal/rectal colonization she will most likely have vaginal colonization. Genital colonization can cause symptoms, but rarely results in maternal illness. It can carry significant risks for the baby, however, if he or she becomes colonized and develops an infection from the bacteria. Overall neonatal infection rate is 1-4/1000.

HOW DOES GBS AFFECT THE BABY?

Babies are not normally affected by the bacterium; but, approximately 50% of babies born to GBS colonized women acquire surface colonization at delivery. Although most babies do not develop problems, the incidence of invasive neonatal GBS infection is approximately 1‐3 cases per 1,000 live births. GBS can cause sepsis (blood infection), meningitis (infection of the fluid and lining around the brain) and pneumonia in the newborn and is characterized as either early‐onset (occurring in infants less than 7 days of age) or late-onset (occurring in infants greater than 7 days of age). The incidence of early‐onset disease is approximately 2 cases (range 1.3 to 3.7) per 1000 live births; the incidence of late‐onset disease is about 0.7 to 1.0 per 1000. Approximately 15% of early cases are fatal, whereas late‐onset disease is associated with about a 7% to 10% mortality.

 

RECOMMENDED MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR GBS

Women identified as colonized with GBS are treated with prophylactic intravenous (IV) antibiotics during labor.

Now, if you are like me, and allergic to all the antibiotics they would use to treat GBS, or you would rather not subject yourself, and your baby to a heavy dose of antibiotics, then here are a few known ways to treat it naturally. First, here comes the legal stuff:

I, nor any of the members of The Doula House L.L.C., are medical providers. We are simply providing you with natural information. What you choose to do with that information is up to you. Feel free to talk to your care provider about the options suggested here.

WHAT CAN BE DONE NATURALLY?

The natural way to treat GBS is to start with increasing the good bacteria...give it a fighting chance to defeat the bad bacteria. The easiest way is to start with fermented foods such as yogurt and kefir. Now, if you are dairy sensitive you can choose to use sauerkraut, kombucha, or a great probiotic. Continue to take your fermented food, or probiotic supplement, every day. You can start this at the beginning of your pregnancy to help prevent GBS, or use it as part of your treatment plan.

Second thing you need to do is to kill of the bad bacteria in the vagina, and the rectum if your GBS is really bad. Now, I am about to give you a time tested remedy, and at first you might think I am crazy (about half the women who read this will, at first) You are going to take ½ C extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp (teaspoon) tea tree oil (melaleuca oil) and 1 ½ tsp garlic oil. Mix all three together, and then get a small tampon. You want to use a small tampon because it will swell up with the oils! Dip the tampon in your oil mixture until it is thoroughly soaked and insert it into the vagina for 2 hours up to two times a day. You won't want to be running around doing to much since it will feel funny, and it will smell like garlic. The garlic and the tea tree oil will kill the GBS, much faster than just doing the probiotics and kefir.

You will want to do this every day for two weeks and then ask to be retested. If your GBS test comes back negative, you will want to continue the protocol until baby is born, but using the tampon only once a day instead of twice. If your GBS test comes back positive, you can continue with the protocol and try again in another week. Talk with your care provider about your options.

For the record, with this protocol I have never had a mother have a GBS positive test after the two weeks.

You can also increase your Vitamin C and Zinc intake to boost your immune system. You should also consider decreasing or eliminating sugar, since sugar helps bacteria to grow.

Happy Birthing!

The Doula House L.L.C.