Neshama's Birth Story

** Warning...upsetting content but no pictures **

    

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On Sunday 3rd September in the morning, I saw blood when I wiped, I had a look with a mirror and thought it was maybe from a cut. The blood was dark and I didn't feel unwell, I had a look on few forums and most threads were along lines of this happened to me and all was ok. I remembered a number of my friends had bled all the way through their pregnancies.

Sunday evening after work had cramp/ache in what felt like back leg top of bum area at the end of work but had no other pains or cramps in my stomach, had had an hours rest at mums in middle of shift.

Sunday night had proper look with torch to see if cut was bleeding. It wasnt. I spoke to some friends and a few midwife friends in the evening, who mostly said try not to worry, take it easy, get it checked soon.

Monday morning more blood fresh. I made an appointment to see someone but still not feeling any major urgency as was just spotting with no cramp or pain or anything.

During day on Monday I did feel a slight wierd sharp sensation in cervix every so often, through the day and put it down to me having had a look in there the night before and having used my finger to check how high the blood was.

Around midday, I went for a dog walk with friend and had wanted to tell her that I was bleeding a bit but had Maia with us and didn't want her to worry. Few hours later, after lying on sofa watching film with Maia, I picked up kids from grandma's and took Millie to Rainbows. I spoke to my SIL and had all but decided what will be will be. I came home with older two, did a few light chores then started bedtime around 8.30pm.

Whilst lying with Ellie,  I felt what I thought was maybe drop of blood coming out, so went to the bathroom and did a pee. No blood. Didn't realise it was waters leaking.

At around 9pm after I had come back up to lie with Ellie, I almost straight away felt even more of a gush, stood up then felt my waters break. Half panicked but trying not to in front of kids, I said Barry's name and rushed downstairs sat on toilet, about a cup of blood fell out.

Just as I was stepping over to the bath, I put my hand under for some more stuff coming and Neshama was born into my hand. (Barry later told me I said in an anguished cry 'Its my baby', I don't remember this) 

I remember thinking I don't want this to be a scary panicky moment, there is nothing to be done just let it be done. So I tried to remain as calm as possible. I also didn't want to freak Barry out who was already wanting me to go to hospital. I knew he was coming from a place of love and fear and worry so I made a conscious choice not to allow that to panic me as well. I knew I was not hemorrhaging, I was in hardly any pain from cramping and it was all just quietly happening in front of me.

I half sat laid back on a towel in the bath holding her still attached to the placenta and I waited and waited until I was able to move and she wasn't attached to me. I sent Barry upstairs a few times to check Ellie was asleep as we had had to leave her. I then sent him to get candles and he turned off the light. We occasionally hugged in awkward positions and talked about what to do. I talked to a midwife friend who said if I went in to hospital they would most likely just keep me in overnight and not do any checks until morning now anyway. I envisaged an ambulance coming to the house, possibly waking the girls.  I thought about the bumpy noisy ride to the hospital. I thought about the bright lights and intrusive atmosphere and I said out loud, I don't want them to take my baby. We decided to stay at home.  I concentrated on holding my tiny wee baby safe.

After some time I felt some of the umbilical cord slightly rip like a thread breaking, then the rest broke off and I was able to move her. We placed her in a small box. We then waited again until I thought most of the placenta was out. (turned out to be just clots, I thought it was pieces of placenta). I was in an empty bath for about an hour before the bleeding slowed down enough for me to get out.   Also I was becoming too uncomfortable and getting a sore coccyx.

I then lay in bed and for the next 4 hours and I would get up every 15-20mins to allow more blood and clots to come out. I had the portable toilet beside the bed, with wipes and toilet paper and mats on the bed.  I was kind of on automatic pilot by now and rested between. Barry would occasionally get up and empty the toilet and he also rested beside me. There was very little pain which I am so thankful for. I was just trying to focus on expelling everything so nothing would be retained incase I became unwell and I basically tried not to focus on the reality of it all.

At 1am I unexpectedly birthed her placenta and that's when I realised the other stuff had just been clots. My sister was on messenger with me and explained that clots are gelatinous mass that break apart easily on touch and the placenta would feel solid. It gave me a bit of a shock because it was so many hours after. I felt relieved so much had come out as it was becoming more and more unlikely to be retained (stuck inside me) which can be serious.   I suddenly really felt I wanted to make a print because that's what I had done for my other babies. Barry went and found me some paper and I made a print. It was really small and looked like a mouse. I felt better that Neshama also had a print.

After that we fell asleep until morning. Barry took the girls to school whilst I slept some more and then we went to the hospital to be checked over where she said everything looked ok, as in mostly all out, and to keep an eye for clots and fever.  They were very respectful and made no awful comments or upset us at all. (I have heard some awful stories)  When we said we didn't want her to take Neshama or her placenta out of the room to check, she understood and stayed in the room. 

The next day we buried her in our local cemetery.  A few family and friends came. That was comforting.

She lived and she was born. She was loved and very wanted from the start. 

(I had not even thought yet about writing a birth story for this birth. It was only when I saw Barry typing something quite fast and I asked him and he said stuff and when I pressed him and he said 'Neshama's birth story, I suppose it is' I thought, of course..she deserves a birth story too)

Millie Zahar Red's (Euphegenia Willis Sugar) Birth Story with some lovely (graphic) pictures

I awoke at 12.27am with a strange pop feeling and the moment I had been waiting weeks for and expecting to happen every time I got out of bed had arrived, my waters were breaking!  I was 39weeks of what had been a really hard and emotionally fraught pregnancy

I woke up Barry to let him know and took myself to the bathroom.  I called my sister to let her know whilst Barry looked for the instructions from the midwife of 'when to call'.  The sheet said to call if my waters broke first and they were anything but clear. 

My heart sank.

meconium in waters

My waters were anything but clear.

Alison, my midwife arrived at 1.10am.  I was upstairs having a shower and willing my waters to turn clear.  She looked at the waters I had collected and saw that they were murky and had particles in them.  She confirmed what I already knew, that there was meconium in them.  She suggested that we would probably need to go into hospital but she would monitor me at regulalr intervals at home for the time being. 

I started to organise my birthing space, making the bed a bit more and sorting my music and setting up the web cam!  I was excited to show my birth live to my sister and some friends.     I thought I had plenty of time since my last two births lasted 12-14hours.  I didn't even think about filling the pool yet which had been up and ready for the last 3weeks!

I agreed to a VE at 2.30am.which showed I was only 1-2cm dilated, fully effaced but head not in pelvis.  I am not in established labour yet.  My blood pressure was perfect but Alison noted the baby's heartrate was higher than it usually was and showed shallow late decelarations which was a possible sign of distress.  She was clear she thought hospital was the best option since meconium at 39 weeks without labour is not normal.   She started calling the hospital to let them know what was happening.  I chatted to my friends on line and my sister on the phone.

My contractions were ramping up and I was not in any way feeling relaxed and joyful or wonderful or blooming or any of the ways I had been imagining and visualsing my labour to be.  I felt anxious, the atmosphere was one of worry and fear and I basically felt really really upset that I was not going to have my home birth again.  I felt seriously cheated. Alison wanted me to go into hospital and I was kind of hoping for some kind of miracle whereby my baby would decide to be even faster and just suddenly pop out.  I decided to try to remain as calm as possible. The web cam started working about 3am but by half past I had resigned myself to going in and called my mum.

Practicing birth noises and faces by pushing the sofa
 so girls would understand what was happening
when the time came

Around this time, Ellie (my calmness teacher), woke up and came downstairs to see what was going on, she sat with me on the sofa and so I got to spend some time with her before I left.  I explained that I was having the baby now and that I was going to have to go into hospital now and everything was ok and that Grandma was coming over and they'd all fall back to sleep and that I would be home as soon as possible.  She wanted me to come upstairs to lie with her in bed and I remember having a massive contraction on the stairs on the way up and having to stop for a while there.  "Half way down the stairs is a stair where I sit, there isn't any other stair quite like it"!.


My mother arrived at 4am whilst I was lying with the girls who had both woken up.  I was explaining to them what was happening.  We had been preparing for my labour and birth since the beginning and I was so disappointed they would now not be there.

15mins later and I couldn't hold off any longer, it was time to go.  Alison wanted to call an ambulance to take us in but I refused.  The ride for my last birth was truly awful and there was NO way I was putting myself through that again, so Barry drove.  It was marginally better than the ambulance,  in that I didn't have to stay lying down!! I sat in the back on my knees leaning over the back seat looking out the rear window swearing randomly at the CD I chose for the journey.  Why? Why did I think that one would help?  I listened to this one daily in the car.  Mainly on the way to school, with the girls talking/arguing/shouting/crying/laughing/ and the dog crying whining  in my already addled pregnant brain.......I was secretly hoping it would infiltrate into my brain subconsciously...you know multi tasking.  Who know's maybe it worked!

"As my labour advances I go deeper into relaxation" Birth Affirmations that I was supposed to repeat.

Whatever my response, which was along the lines of "As my labour advances you can all go to fuckland", I remember Alison asking if I was talking to her. I also remember cursing the speed bumps...hadn't thought about them either.

As we hurtled down the road at 70mph, going through every red light, I was desperately trying not to push and deliver in the back seat. My contractions were now 4 minutes apart and very strong! My midwife will swear blind she didn't think I was going to give birth in the back of the car but something in the way she shouted 'Are you pushing there Miriam?' made me think otherwise!

We arrived at the hospital 6miles away in a record 12mins, at 4.25am. I vaguely remember having a really strong contraction at the front desk and a bloke behind the glass asked 'Can I help you?'.  I resisted the urge to let loose on him.  Of course the first thing they wanted to do was attach electrodes to my baby's head. What she actually meant was screw a wire into my baby's head. I declined.  They insisted on putting a monitoring belt on me though.  All the while I am having major contractions and trying not to push.  The midwives could see I was uncomfortable and having difficulty moving so they asked if I wanted to go on the floor.  Definitely I said.  A few minutes later and they were back with a massive mattress and a bean bag. Perfect.

Once on the floor, the midwife wanted to do a VE.  I agreed because I was worried I was pushing too early.  She reckoned I was 8cm but was unable to feel the head as it was too high. I told her (maybe loudly!) to stop trying and wouldn't let her do it again.   I felt despondent.  I thought that meant the baby hadn't come down and it would be a long time pushing.  I decided to get on all fours with bum in air, a complicated move with lots of wires attached to me but I managed.

This is when things started to get crazy.  Every time I had a contraction, I felt the urge to push.  Every time I pushed, a bit of poop came out.  I was really upset by this and kind of freaked out.  Thinking about it afterwards, I realise I was scared the same thing was happening here as with Maia.  She had got stuck, kept going back in and then stayed on my perineum for 10mins whilst I pushed my insides out (literally).  This really did a number on my back passage.  So this time, I thought I shouldn't be pushing, it was too early and I would do damage again.  Also poop, eeuw, that grossed me out  I know it shouldn't.  But it did.  I wish now that someone behind me would have tried to calm me down more, told me it was ok, told me not to worry about pushing or pooping!! Told me to just do what I needed to do.

Suddenly I felt a massive bulge, the head was almost out and then some tickling.  I kept asking who was touching me, then I thought maybe her fingers were tickling me inside.  One more push and her head came out.   Then she started moving herself out. I again thought the midwives were doing something but they assured me she was doing it, which was so amazingly weird to realise.   With Maia we were at the half in half out stage for a long time and they were 'encouraging' me to push, this time I now realise, it all happened as it was meant to.  Looking at the video though, I am annoyed at how 'handsy' the midwife was.  A few minutes later  and woosh................!!

At 5.17am, an hour after arriving at the hospital, 5hrs after labour started, Little Red weighing 7lbs14oz, came into the world.





It turned out that one of the midwives was a member of the ARM, so she was all on board with our third stage management plan and was really excited to be at a natural labour.  The staff were really supportive and I'm happy I could provide that kind of birth for her but it still sucked to be in hospital instead of in my pool at home with my girls.  




Of course the fun didn't end there.  The cord was really short, hence meconium, she must have pulled too hard on the cord coming down and pooped herself, poor baby.  It meant that I was unable to turn over easily for her to be put on my tummy.  I had to do some kind of gymnastic movement to hoik myself over whilst they passed Little Red through my legs at the same time.  I was quite disorientated from the fast birth and wasn't sure what to do with myself!  A midwife and Barry held Little Red close to my chest, skin to skin, to keep her calm till we worked out where and how I could lie down so she was finally able to reach my chest.

Daddy Barry cutting cord

Once the cord stopped pulsing, Barry cut it and I moved to the bed to feed Little Red and deliver her placenta.  It was so great, not to have to explain ourselves and our placental needs. The midwife understood our placenta plans completely and even helped do a few prints for us before putting it in their fridge to stay fresh for encapsulation.

Daddy Barry calming Millie 

Happy to be home

Meltdowns - calm and sleepy big sisters
Losing the Plot - a few times i think!
Breastfeeding - start at the very beginning....

Below is a Naked Birth Video (close up!)

Thoughts on Gestational Diabetes Experience

Its so fucking much to process at the moment its crazy....having meeting with IM tomorrow to suss out each others comfort zones for making a home birth happen... although occasionally I think FUCK IT induce and caesarean...thats how crazy it can get!!!

Numbers are down, nhs appeased off insulin for another week or so, making decision on scan in 2weeks re worth the risk of notoriously off sizing chart and more stress...pinning waay too much hope on going early like last two but know thats not a definite....

I'm having to work out the whole food thing in a short space of time to get my numbers under control so i can help my birth happen with the least interventions and complications and fuck me its not easy!! Been off refined sugar for nearly two months now and still get major craving every so often, like tonight.

I've been sending Maia's birth video to my sister for her advice and holy crap, I kind of wish I hadn't watched it just now. It took me 2yrs to write her birth story, thats how hard it was to process!!

"I've seen the future, and this all works out reasonably well." Almost Famous



Meltdowns - sporadic and usually between sisters
Losing the Plot - minimal
Breastfeeding - buying pipette bottles for colostrum

Maia's Birth Story and how I am now more informed

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.