How to test negative for GBS

Every mother in the U.S. gets tested for Group B Strep (GBS) at her 36 week appointment with her provider, unless she declines the test.

So what is GBS and what does it mean for you and your baby?

GBS is a bacteria that is present in about 30% of women’s vaginas at any given time. It is transient, meaning it naturally comes and goes - you can test positive one day and test negative the very next day.

Unfortunately, care within the system is quite reactive instead of proactive. Most providers won’t tell you how to prevent GBS colonization, but if you test positive at your 36th week, they will want to treat you with IV antibiotics during labor (even though many women who test positive at this time will be negative at the time of birth and vice versa). There are several risks to IV antibiotics, the most significant being that it wipes out both mom’s and baby’s gut microbiomes. This disrupts baby’s immune system, making baby more susceptible to illnesses and autoimmune issues later in life including eczema.

But current research shows that you can prevent GBS colonization with diet and lifestyle, and a GBS positive result can be reversed in just a couple weeks when mom’s immune system and microbiome are supported!

Here are some ways you can help prevent a GBS positive result:

• minimize or eliminate refined grains and sugars in your diet

• take a daily probiotics supplement containing the strains lactobacillus rhamnosus and lactobacillus reuteri

• wear organic cotton underwear or no underwear

• consume gut healing foods like bone broth and fermented foods

• increase your intake of bioavailable vitamin C and zinc

• refrain from using soap on your vagina. The vagina is self cleaning and water is enough! I promise

• eat more garlic

Already tested positive? This protocol has been shown to reverse your test result in two weeks:

• 1 spore-based probiotic taken orally 1x per day

• 1 probiotic containing L. rhamnosus and L. reuteri inserted as a vaginal suppository 1x per day.

That being said, you never have to consent to the GBS test or antibiotics if you are GBS positive. Other first world countries don’t even test for GBS because it is so transient and the risk is so small. Always do your own research and trust your intuition!