It has been over two years and I am finally deciding I can write Maia's birth story, aside from the obvious no time, energy and brain power to formulate my thoughts, there was also the trauma of the actual event to process. The pregnancy went by really fast with a 1yr old in tow and my due date was suddenly really near. My first was born at 36+3, so we were ready for an early home birth. We'd started perineum massage and I started my raspberry tincture which in hindsight, I think these are possibly what induced braxton hicks but they were quite painful and so knowing I was early with my first, we went down to the hospital for investigations. Next time, I am going nowhere, I am better informed.
Whilst having an internal to check for dilation after some particularly painful contractions (I was on a monitor) and I was before 36weeks, they swabbed WITHOUT my consent for GBS. This caused a whole world of problems and hassle for me and my preferred home birth. REMEMBER LADIES: If you do have an internal check, make sure you SAY NO to a swab. Next time, I say no thanks, I am better informed.
The midwives immediately started telling me I would have to take antibiotics during labour and so I could not have my homebirth as planned. We of course having been through a homebirth with our first knew that NHS word is not gospel and we had to do our own research. So after extensively researching all areas of GBS, we decided the risk was minimal and that we would not be having antibiotics during labour and a home birth would be the safer option for us. We informed the midwife team and could feel the weight of disapproval instantly. We were told in many different ways how we would be putting our baby at risk, we could kill our baby etc. We even had a drive by leafleting whereby someone, possibly a midwife, drove by in a dark car, dropped a leaflet through our letterbox with NHS guidelines and information about the dangers of GBS in labour and with a handwritten message urging us to think about our unborn child (because we hadn't done that so far obviously).
We then were 'ordered' to a meeting with the consultant to discuss our options. We had already had experience of the consultants with our first birth and knew we had to be prepared for their doom and gloom and worst case scenario outlook. I was already feeling pressure and stress from the constant hassle so decided not to go to the meeting and let my husband go alone. It turned out to be a lecture on the risks and possible deathly situation we were putting our baby in. We formulated a strong letter indicating our wishes and that we had decided on a home birth and prepared it to give to our midwife at the next meeting.
By this time I was really started to feel anxiety from the mounting harrassement, that coupled with the knowledge of the hassle we got after my last birth I just knew in my head that I was not ready to give birth.
Of course my baby had other ideas and so at at 37+4 during a rousing and resonating organ rendition for my husbands graduation , Maia turned around in my tummy and made her way down!
That evening at 10.30pm, just as hubby was about to go for graduation drinks (his first night out in a looong time) my waters broke.
I did not realise that Maia had turned and so my labour did not progress that well and was causing me a lot of back pain. The midwives arrived around 4am and let me labour in peace. After 6hours my contractions were slowing and they wanted me out of the hot tub. At this time, I was in a lot of back pain and did not know what was going on. As I lay on my makeshift bed, the midwife examined me and it became clear that the problem was a back to back baby. I tried side stair climbing, and as Ellie was awake by this point, we tried breastfeeding to see if it would restart the contractions. I sensed the urgency and trepidation in the room from the midwives and this in turn caused me to be fearful and anxious, which of course made my contractions slow even more. After 12 hours, in my tired, emotional and vulnerable state the midwives persuaded me to transfer to the hospital. The ambulance ride was HELL on a gurney. The driver was driving like a loony, possibly due to my screaming because the road was SO bumpy and twisty or the driver was driving like a loony. Next time, I know back to back birthing is possible, I am better informed.
Once inside the hospital I was subjected to a whole new level of pressure and fear whereby I was threatened with caesarean. Being the obstinate and strong woman that I am I determined myself into position, standing over the bed, legs slightly bent and pledged to have this baby without medical intervention. By now, Maia was making her presence known and then retreating back into the safety of my womb as if to say "What? Where's my homebirth, where is my subtle light and warm pool?".
By this time I was convinced I could not do it, she was not coming out and could not believe she kept going back inside. I was obviously in transition by this point as I was beyond my coping yet still I carried on. I moved onto the floor and onto my knees.
Before 12pm, Maia's head emerged, but only the top part and there she sat, stuck. Behind me I heard a midwife threaten me with the fact that the Dr's were outside the door right now and if I did not deliver this baby, they were coming in to get it out. Wow...that's encouraging, thanks for that...a great dose of fear in my last final pushes, just what I needed.
At 12.05am Maia finally made her emergence into the world. She was not breathing and they whipped her away into the incubator to resuscitate her. In hindsight and if I had had my wits about me (!), I would have insisted that this could have been done with the umbilical chord still attached. Instead, they severed the chord so abruptly that I actually felt the disconnection physically and mentally. It was an horrific feeling and minutes later there was a massive gush of blood onto the floor and I almost fainted. Next time, I will be better informed on the possibilities of still being attached whilst resuscitating. I am sure it's possible.
Maia was resuscitated and with no problems and I insisted she was given back to me straight away. They left me alone and the bonding began.
We insisted that we leave the hospital that day and went home to begin our babymoon. However due to Maia being stuck, their fear over GBS and over cautionary midwife who looked at a birthmark and though it was a bruise, they insisted we go back into hospital for Maia to be checked. Whilst there, they discovered her billyrubin levels (jaundice) were through the roof and so she had to stay for light therapy. Unbelievably they wanted me to go to the ward, on a different floor, and leave Maia in the SCBU. HA!!! Just how uninformed did they think I was??? I refused and was given a chair in her room where I refused to allow her off me the whole time we were there. They organised one of the new lightjackets, so I could hold her and she could get treatment at the same time. She slept on me whilst I slept on this armchair/bed for a week and a half. Much to my disappointment I allowed Maia to have antibiotics again through fear and intimidation which I am convinced contributed to her stomach problems and intolerances, but that is another story. The staff in the hospital were polite and professionally nice to the 'wierd' mum and I gave them a print-out of some Continuum Concept/Attachment Parenting information just so they understood my intention.
Once home, the fun began and my informed mind keeps growing thanks to my amazingly informed FB friends!
(Please note these links are not exclusive)
IF RESULTS ARE POSITIVE
Propolus can be taken daily, either in capsules or tincture, 3 to 4
times daily.
Echinacea root (Augustofloria) can be taken either as a tea or
tincure, 3 times daily. To make the tea, use 1 oz of the root to 1
pint of boiling water and steep for 6 to 8 hours. Echinacea root is
specific to staph and strep infections. It stimulates the body's
defense mechanisms as well. A strong tea may also be diluted and used
as a douche. When douching in pregnancy, extra care must be taken to
avoid forcing water up into the uterus, causing infection and other
problems.
Safe Douching During Pregnancy
Fill douche bag with cooled tea, attach cleaned vaginal tip.
Hang bag 10 inches or less from the floor.
Lay in the bathtub and gently insert the nozzle into the vagina no
more than half way in.
Very gently release the hose clamp and allow tea to run in and out of
the vagina, do NOT attempt to retain water in the vagina in pregnancy.
When finished, clean the equipment thoroughly.
Douching should never be attempted if there is any question that
cervical dilation, placenta previa or prematurely ruptured membranes
are present.
Using Essential Oils
It's imparative that the oils are of highest quality.
Put the following in a Double "O" gelatin or vegetable capsule:
5 drops Lemon Essential oil
3 drops Oregano Essential oil
5 drops Mountain Savory Essential oil
Take one capsule 3 times daily.
Additionally do the following:
Soak an ORGANIC tampon or sea sponge in...
15 drops Lemon Essential oil
9 drops Oregeno Essential oil
15 drops Mountain Savory Essential oil
1 tsp carrier (V-6) oil (see below) or any of the 6 listed below
Leave soaked tampon in overnight. Insist on being retested. Do this
daily for the last six weeks of pregnancy.
V-6 Vegetable Mixing Oil:
V-6 Mixing Oil combines food-grade vegetable oils for mixing with
essential oils to create blends, formulas and massage oils. Grape seed
oil, wheat germ oil and vitamin E are nurturing to the skin as natural
antioxidants. V-6 is also excellent for cooking and making salad
dressings. Blendi 15-30 drops of an essential oil to 1 oz. mixing oil.
V-6 is good for mixing massage oils, creating your own blends and
formulas, for cooking and making salad dressings, etc. The ingredients
of V-6 Mixing Oil are sesame seed oil, grape seed oil, almond oil,
wheat germ oil, sunflower seed oil and vitamin E.
Take 500 mg Vitamin C every 4 waking hours.
1 acidophilus (4 billion micro-organisms or higher) capsule every 4
waking hours.
vitamin C and acidophilus daily for the last six weeks.
Insert an small ORGANIC tampon, or cotton ball, whichever is more
comfortable, soaked in a combination of 10 drops of tea tree essential
oil and Olive oil. Leave the tampon in for 4 hours each day for 6
days.
GARLIC
cut or crush a whole, peeled garlic clove and sew a string through for
easier retrieval (crushed works better but is more difficult to insert
and retrieve). insert overnight and repeat for 8 nights around week
36. the garlic cannot get lost as it cannot enter into through the
cervix but sometimes it gets hidden between the vaginal wall and the
cervix. you can usually taste the garlic once it is inserted so as
long as you can taste it, it's still there. if the skin in your vagina
is damaged in anyway, the garlic will produce a stiinging sensation,
which is uncomfortable but won't do any harm, so i guess it depends
how much it stings!
More suggestions for GBS:
EHB by NF Formulas given over a 10 day period (6 caps per day) (E.H.B.
by NF Formulas, Inc.), and Tea tree oil vaginal suppositories 3 to 4 x
daily for that time (see above). This mom was re-tested at two weeks
after positive culture (3 to 4 days after last EHB taken), two weeks
after that (2 1/2 weeks after first positive culture), and on one
occasion was tested again 2 1/2 weeks later (5 weeks after positive
culture) because of a prolonged ROM with no labor.
Then insist on retesting to see if the GBS has gone away. Midwives
have seen heavy colonization completely cleared with these treatments,
although there is no scientific study to support it.
Another midwife had a case of a mom's GBS culture at 36 weeks yielded
a result of 2+ colonization, which was the same at 38 weeks. She had
her take 500mg Vitamin C every 4 waking hours, 1 EHB (NF Formulas)
capsule every 4 waking hours, Propolis 4x daily, and she inserted a
tampon soaked in 2% Tea Tree oil solution (2% Tea Tree essential oil,
98% Olive oil). She left the tampon in for 4 hours each day for 6
days. Culture at 39 weeks was negative for GBS. She had a long labor,
a high leak for 72 hours, then a rapid active phase and 2nd stage,
healthy baby, normal placenta, and normal recovery. The midwife has
become a believer in Tea Tree oil for a variety of infections, though
in this case she believes it acted synergistically with the other
natural therapies the mother used. She has used it as a spray on
throat infections, as well as for vaginal yeast, trichomonas, and
gardnerella, all with great success. Not much is seen about Tea Tree
oil in midwifery literature, but it may well be worth a try for other
GBS+ moms who are averse to standard antibiotic therapy.
Another recommendation for GBS:
1. Boost Vitamin C in your diet, such as eating 2 grapefruit per day.
Other good sources of Vit C: red peppers, oranges, kiwi fruit.
2. Drink a cup of Echinacea tea or take 2 capsules of echinacea every day
3. Get extra sleep before midnight. Slow down your schedule. Take it
easy and eat well. Follow a nutritious Pregnancy Diet.
4. Take 3 teaspoons of Colloidal Silver per day. Take it between
meals. Hold the liquid in your mouth a few minutes before swallowing.
Colloidal Silver can be purchased in most health food stores. It is
silver suspended in water. It is antibiotic in nature and safe in
pregnancy.
5. Plan ahead for extra warmth after the birth for both you and baby.
Hot water bottles, heating pads, hot packs, big towels dried in a hot
dryer during the pushing phase--will all help you and baby keep extra
toasty after birth and reduce stress. Have a friend or family member
assigned to be in charge of the "Mother/baby warmth team".
6. The colostrum from your breasts is the best antibiotic treatment
your baby could ever get. The colostrum is very important for your
baby. Breastfeeding your baby is the best thing you can do to keep
your baby healthy since you pass on your immunities to your baby
through the breastmilk.
7. Other good prevention tips: Keep vaginal exams to a minimum--0 is
best. Do not permit artificial rupture of the membranes. After the
membranes have broke, keep vaginal exams to a minimum, again 0 is best
if possible. If not possible, use extreme care and sterile technique
if an exam is absolutely necessary. Any exam has the possibility of
introducing GBS into the cervix of the mother if she has a positive
GBS test result. Do not allow children of other families to visit the
new baby for the first 3 weeks. Keep your older kids healthy so they
are not sneezing and coughing on new baby.
