Erythromycin--the gunky eye ointment. Is there an alternative?

Brenda - posted on 10/26/2012

Yep I have four kiddo's! No problem ;)

Izzy - posted on 10/26/2012

Oops! Wrong post LOL!

Izzy - posted on 10/26/2012

Aww! Congratulations! I guess your plan for stopping at one didn't go as planned then :)

Brenda - posted on 10/26/2012

Just to update- I gave birth at home to a beautiful and perfect baby girl who did not have anything administered to her eyes- ever. Two years later my next baby came along, also an unassisted homebirth who never had any issues with his eyes. Just for the record, both of them were water births. Thank you for all of the input! Colustrum/mommy's milk is indeed GOLD!

Izzy - posted on 10/25/2012

Actually the Colostrum that your breasts produce for the last trimester of your pregnancy and approximately the first week of your baby's feedings, build your babies immune system and actually acts as an antibiotics to him/her. Hospitals I find, use unnecessary treatments on babies... Even for myself, instead of using any form of antibiotic, I'll resort to pro-biotics and garlic first. There are so many natural ways to boost the body's immune system and treat infections. When you feed your body the good bacteria to fight off the bad bacteria, you usually get a more positive outcome. When you use anti-biotics your actually using chemicals to eliminate ALL bacteria from your system, which of course includes the good. The bacteria that helps our bodies is a major defense mechanism! You may find that a lot of people who use anti-biotics actually get other infections, mainly Yeast.

Colostrum is excellent! Babies who drink colostrum establish beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.

I know this post is old, but I'd really like to keep it alive, as a lot of the answers here would be great for mothers who have questions like this. It's a shame because a lot of new mom's will settle with what doctors, and OB's tell them they SHOULD do, merely because they have a Medical Degree. I have 2 and 1/2 months until my baby boy's due, but I still have a lot of research I want to do, and I want to make sure I make the right decision for my baby and I. ;)

Andrea - posted on 08/24/2011

I gave birth in a hospital and had to sign a waiver to make sure they did not put that stuff in my baby's eyes. I didn't use any alternative and she was fine. In fact, she was more bright-eyed and alert than most babies they see, commented all the nurses.

Lisa - posted on 07/29/2011

Four of my seven kids were born at home. We always use eye wash and it works great. You need to get the Bausch and Lomb eye wash that has boric acid in it. Don't let the word acid worry you. It is, of course, mild and cleansing, just in case anything else was in the eyes besides amniotic fluid. I used it right after the birth, and it's easy to squirt in and wipe away.

Elfrieda - posted on 02/01/2011

I read that putting the goop in the eyes started during one of the wars that the US was involved in. Husbands would go off and fight, and have sex with prostitutes and catch an STD, then come home and give it to their wives. Because gonnerhea can cause blindness in children, this was a big problem! It could be solved by putting the goop in the baby's eyes right at birth, but that's not going to happen if the drs don't know that the baby needs it. Instead of causing marriage problems that might arise if the husband admitted to cheating, it became policy to do it to all babies, "just in case".

Well, I know my husband is faithful, and I know I am, so there is no reason in the world why my baby needs that gunk. If you feel like you might have an STD, why not get tested instead of doing things "just in case". It's better to know.

A - posted on 01/20/2011

I had my first baby in the hospital (planning home birth with #2) but even with number one I skipped the eye drops. I did my research on what it is and what its for. Its to prevent the baby from getting an infection in their eyes from a mom who has a vaginal infection or an STD. If you're not at risk for infection or STD I would just skip it all together. Another thing is if you wait 5 minutes to clamp and cut the cord, the baby will receive enough vitamin K and the Vitamin K shot isn't neccesary. Good luck :)

Gillian - posted on 01/15/2011

We don't use this in the UK at all.

Alison - posted on 07/09/2010

3 babies no ointment and no problems.

Breastmilk is an awesome thing for all types of problems. Eye goop and even if the belly button gets a little raw after the cord drops off, a few drops of breastmilk will help.

We are awesome creators lol!!

Shanie - posted on 03/18/2010

I had my first baby in the hospital, snd my second st home, and I waived the ointment for both. It is unnessicary unless you have an active STD, so just get tested for one before your due date.

Karen - posted on 03/14/2010

I hadn't even heard about this treatment. I'm in New Zealand and I don't think we do that here, even in hospital. I had a home birth and had no problems with goopy eyes. I suspect it's one of those things that becomes accepted as normal and the natural treatment, but isn't really necessary for every birth, every time. The same is true of vitamin k.

Allison - posted on 03/09/2010

We didn't give our son any, either. He had "goopy eyes" for a long time, until about 7 months old, but not infected. One Dr. wanted to give antibiotic ointment "just in case" but we learned from other families and online that a TON of babies have eye drainage ducts that don't open for up the first year, just naturally happens. It's not infection, just the eye mucus doesn't drain out into their nose like it's supposed to. So you just have to wipe their eyes a few times a day with a warm washcloth, and eventually the drainage ducts open up and it never happens again. Just a little heads up :)

Kristen - posted on 03/02/2010

You shouldn't really have any need for it, IMO. If you should see any problems, use a little breasmilk (as suggested by a few other lovely ladies). I use it for eye and ear infections, cuts and scrapes, up the nose when congested...it really works wonders! If you can't just shoot it in there (I never could) express a little in a cup and use a dropper that you have cleaned :o)

Destini - posted on 02/06/2010

Hi there,

I had my son in December at a hospital and requested no erythromycin...truly the only reason you need it is for vaginal infections and quite honestly they use it for gonorrhea. My son is fine and had nothing at all! My mid-wife said use breast milk or colostrum and that should work for any eye irritations.

Erin - posted on 02/02/2010

Colostrum.

Rebecca - posted on 12/17/2009

I wouldn't do anything at all. Whenever my daughter's eye looked slightly red or had any amount of gunk, I just put breastmilk in it a few times a day. She has never had a problem. I know you are made to feel like something awful will happen if you don't use it, but it will be fine, unless you know that you have an infection. Even if you did, I'm pretty sure breastmilk would clear it up.

Laura - posted on 11/20/2009

I agree with everyone else's posts. I recently had a home birth and our midwife asked us if we wanted the ointment or not, she didn't believe it was necessary at all. You should be just fine without it, and breast milk definitely seems to be the cure all.

Sarah - posted on 11/19/2009

yes, it is called Golden Seal and you can get it at the health food store. You just add 2 dropper fulls to a ticture bottle ofboiled distilled water and then refridgerate until needed!!

Elizabeth - posted on 11/17/2009

Unless you have a vaginal infection at the time of birth or have chlamydia or gonorrhea, your baby doesn't need the antibiotic eye drops. Lots of the "routine" medical interventions hospitals train us to think we need are completely unnecessary in real life.

Alina - posted on 09/15/2009

In Australia we dont use the ointment at all, even in the hospitals....

Sarah - posted on 09/12/2009

I have 3 children and my oldest was the only one that ever had it (hospital birth) with my other 2 the midwife said because I didn't have any STD's there really was no point, and that if their eyes got red or goopy to just put a few drops of breastmilk in each eye. I never had a problem with either of them, however my oldest who had the erythromycin, had constant problems with eye infections and clogged tear ducts until she was almost a year old. I don't know if there is a connection there, but if you don't have any problems, I would skip it, and just use breastmilk if you need something.

Shonda - posted on 09/07/2009

Breast milk

Emily - posted on 08/05/2009

Hi there! Unless you have a vaginal infection (yeast infection, active std, etc.) at the time of birth, you don't need to worry about it. I didn't have any of my 3 babies get it, and you're especially safe at home as you're not going to run into the air-born pathogens you'll find at a hospital. Just watch your baby's eyes carefully the first few days, if they get really red or start having discharge, then you'll want to take him/her to a dr. so they can prescribe it. If you do have an infection, or just really feel strongly that it's something you want, I would imagine you could get your own dr. to prescribe it for you... it is a very inexpensive ointment, it should cost less than $10 for a tube, probably less than $5.

Good luck to you!