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PAISLEE RAE — USA
Born October 23, 2008 Early-onset Mother's GBS Status: Tested negative Gestational Age: Full-term Age Harmed: 5 days of age |
I gave birth on October 23rd. I was in labor from 7:00 and gave birth around 10:30. It was a very short labor and I pushed for only 10 minutes. The doctor told me if she had stayed in the birth canal any longer the effects could have been irreversible. I took her home two days later just as I did with my little boy. She had no obvious symptoms of being sick except for violently gagging and spitting up which they chalked up to mucous. She also had a small problem with controlling her body temperature. I took her home and made the appointment for her five day check up. My daughter slept constantly. She rarely moved but we just considered it to be typical newborn behavior. The night before her five day check up I noticed she was a little warm. I checked her temperature rectally and it was 100 degrees. I didn't panic but I called the newborn nursery to just see if I needed to bring her in. They told me to give her a lukewarm sponge bath and to make sure to show up for my appointment the next morning.
I arrived at my pediatrician's (who was my and my son's doctor and whom I love dearly) office and Paislee's temperature was 103 degrees. It had been normal before we left the house but I guess the warm car ride and her being bundled made it skyrocket. Anyways they stripped her down and administerd an antibiotic injection. She asked us questions such as if we had hepatitis or if I had been diagnosed with syphilis. I has been tested for all of these diseases by my obgyn and had been negative for all. She then asked me if I had been tested for group B strep and been positive thinking maybe there was a mistake by the hospital in not giving me the required antibiotics. I told her I had tested negative so she put that out of her head.
They then took my five day old baby girl out of my arms and took her to a back room to draw blood and do a lumbar pucture (spinal tap). My pediatrician did not want me to be present but she did let me know I had the right to be. I chose not to see it. They brought her back to me and told me to take her home and keep track of her temperature and to come in the next day for the results. The next day we arrived and her temperature was 100 degrees. She let me know that her blood showed growth of a bacteria but were still waiting on her spinal tap which would tell us what kind. She also told me the baby would have to be admitted. That was the worst day of my life.
We drove to the hospital with a little tiny cup of her urine (they had to catheterize her) and a little bit of her spinal fluid in tow. We were checking in as all these happy mommies and their healthy babies were being discharged. I just cried. We stayed in the hospital for six days and nights. She was on 3 different antibiotics (by IV) until they could get the test results back. She was all hooked up 24 hours a day so there was no time for cuddling or nursing. She drank formula from a bottle lying on her back. After the first day they came to let us know she did have the growth of strep B. They started doubling the one IV of the antibiotic that kills that bacteria and stopped the other two. Now she only had two IV's--the antibiotics and fluids. They were in her little foot. She had a temperature for the first three days. After she had been on the antibiotics for those 36 hours she was like a new baby. They unhooked her during the day except at the times her antibiotics were due. We got to snuggle her and kiss her. I finally got to go home and spend time with my little boy. (Her daddy stayed.) They had already told us to be prepared to stay for ten days at the least. However, since she had gotten the one dose at the doctor's the day before we were admitted that counted toward the antibiotic time. The 5th day her doctor came in and said they were going to do blood work the next morning and if she kept her temperature down that night she could be released. She did tell us we had a very important decision to make. We had to decide if we wanted her to have another spinal tap done to see if it was all gone. These are very painful (kind of like an epidural on a baby ) and do carry risks. She felt it wasn't necessary as a doctor but she let us know that she knew our minds would never be at ease not knowing if we were leaving with a completely healthy baby. We signed the papers the next morning and they came and took my baby away again. We felt that it was the best thing for her but we cried the entire time. The results were read three hours later. All the bacteria was gone and we had a 100 percent healthy baby girl. We cried again.
We had a lot of questions such as if she would have long lasting effects from the illness. She let us know she may start out a little low in weight since she had lost 2 pounds of her birth weight. She also said she would need to stay indoors and away from germs until her six week checkup. She received her shots two weeks early and still continues to get them that way. She cannot be in a public daycare program until she is 12 months because her pediatrician has still not fully released her.
She is happy and healthy still to this day. I quit my brand spanking new job to be a stay-at-home mom. I wouldn't change it for the world. Lots of people in my community have been interested in her story so I just went ahead and gave you the entire book that I'm used to giving--lol. I dont know how she ended up with this illness. My Obgyn was heartbroken. My pediatrician immediately looked into trying to set up a lawsuit for us but who do we sue? My Obgyn had me tested at the time he was supposed to. The lab showed proof that I had indeed tested negative. There was nothing that we could have done. I have heard of a new group B strep test that has not been released because of it being extremely pricey, but it can test all women before they deliver in the hospital. The results only take a matter of minutes. I don't see how hospitals can put a dollar amount on newborns' lives. However, I just suppose the means aren't there.
— Amanda Matlock, TN, USA
Paislee's mother is constantly telling expectant mothers to make their doctors aware that negative tests often do result in positive babies. Many doctors do not make that clear to women. She tells them a fever is not normal in a newborn and to please watch for any signs such as fever or lethargy.
I arrived at my pediatrician's (who was my and my son's doctor and whom I love dearly) office and Paislee's temperature was 103 degrees. It had been normal before we left the house but I guess the warm car ride and her being bundled made it skyrocket. Anyways they stripped her down and administerd an antibiotic injection. She asked us questions such as if we had hepatitis or if I had been diagnosed with syphilis. I has been tested for all of these diseases by my obgyn and had been negative for all. She then asked me if I had been tested for group B strep and been positive thinking maybe there was a mistake by the hospital in not giving me the required antibiotics. I told her I had tested negative so she put that out of her head.
They then took my five day old baby girl out of my arms and took her to a back room to draw blood and do a lumbar pucture (spinal tap). My pediatrician did not want me to be present but she did let me know I had the right to be. I chose not to see it. They brought her back to me and told me to take her home and keep track of her temperature and to come in the next day for the results. The next day we arrived and her temperature was 100 degrees. She let me know that her blood showed growth of a bacteria but were still waiting on her spinal tap which would tell us what kind. She also told me the baby would have to be admitted. That was the worst day of my life.
We drove to the hospital with a little tiny cup of her urine (they had to catheterize her) and a little bit of her spinal fluid in tow. We were checking in as all these happy mommies and their healthy babies were being discharged. I just cried. We stayed in the hospital for six days and nights. She was on 3 different antibiotics (by IV) until they could get the test results back. She was all hooked up 24 hours a day so there was no time for cuddling or nursing. She drank formula from a bottle lying on her back. After the first day they came to let us know she did have the growth of strep B. They started doubling the one IV of the antibiotic that kills that bacteria and stopped the other two. Now she only had two IV's--the antibiotics and fluids. They were in her little foot. She had a temperature for the first three days. After she had been on the antibiotics for those 36 hours she was like a new baby. They unhooked her during the day except at the times her antibiotics were due. We got to snuggle her and kiss her. I finally got to go home and spend time with my little boy. (Her daddy stayed.) They had already told us to be prepared to stay for ten days at the least. However, since she had gotten the one dose at the doctor's the day before we were admitted that counted toward the antibiotic time. The 5th day her doctor came in and said they were going to do blood work the next morning and if she kept her temperature down that night she could be released. She did tell us we had a very important decision to make. We had to decide if we wanted her to have another spinal tap done to see if it was all gone. These are very painful (kind of like an epidural on a baby ) and do carry risks. She felt it wasn't necessary as a doctor but she let us know that she knew our minds would never be at ease not knowing if we were leaving with a completely healthy baby. We signed the papers the next morning and they came and took my baby away again. We felt that it was the best thing for her but we cried the entire time. The results were read three hours later. All the bacteria was gone and we had a 100 percent healthy baby girl. We cried again.
We had a lot of questions such as if she would have long lasting effects from the illness. She let us know she may start out a little low in weight since she had lost 2 pounds of her birth weight. She also said she would need to stay indoors and away from germs until her six week checkup. She received her shots two weeks early and still continues to get them that way. She cannot be in a public daycare program until she is 12 months because her pediatrician has still not fully released her.
She is happy and healthy still to this day. I quit my brand spanking new job to be a stay-at-home mom. I wouldn't change it for the world. Lots of people in my community have been interested in her story so I just went ahead and gave you the entire book that I'm used to giving--lol. I dont know how she ended up with this illness. My Obgyn was heartbroken. My pediatrician immediately looked into trying to set up a lawsuit for us but who do we sue? My Obgyn had me tested at the time he was supposed to. The lab showed proof that I had indeed tested negative. There was nothing that we could have done. I have heard of a new group B strep test that has not been released because of it being extremely pricey, but it can test all women before they deliver in the hospital. The results only take a matter of minutes. I don't see how hospitals can put a dollar amount on newborns' lives. However, I just suppose the means aren't there.
— Amanda Matlock, TN, USA
Paislee's mother is constantly telling expectant mothers to make their doctors aware that negative tests often do result in positive babies. Many doctors do not make that clear to women. She tells them a fever is not normal in a newborn and to please watch for any signs such as fever or lethargy.
To learn more about Perinatal & GBS Misconceptions, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.