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Group B Strep - any experiences?

5 replies

Annbag · 19/08/2014 13:47

Hi all,

I've just had a letter saying I have group B strep infection, along with a rather scary leaflet.

Has anyone had any experiences with this? How was your birth? How long do they keep you and baby in for? From reading the internet I guess I'll be connected to a drip and on the ward?

I'm very worried about my baby now (am 32 weeks) and looking for support / advice

Thank you in advance

OP posts:

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loudarts · 19/08/2014 13:59

I have had this in 3 of my 6 pregnancies. You will be given antibiotics during labour, only have to stay connected to the drip until it has gone into you so bout half hour ish, will probably be on the monitor at the same time so wouldn't be moving anyway. Generally have to stay on the ward for 24 hours after delivery so baby can be monitored but as long as you've had the antibiotics in labour baby should be fine.

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smogsville · 19/08/2014 15:04

The main thing is that is has been picked up (presumably in urine tests) and you agree to have the antibiotics in labour (ie you agree now, ahead of time).

They should be putting big fat yellow stickers on the front of your notes booklet this is so anyone looking after you knows straightaway (were you to go into labour away from your hospital for example) that you need the antis.

The leaflet is not especially helpful, it must be to persuade people to say yes to the drugs. I had it with DD, she was ELCS so it wasn't especially relevant as I obviously wasn't going to go into labour. Don't worry unnecessarily. It's only a problem if it isn't picked up on, which it has been, and you agree to give birth at a hospital rather than at home where drugs can't be administered. Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy.

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SomeSunnySunday · 19/08/2014 16:39

Great that you know now! My DC1 was developed a Group B Strep infection a few hours after a long labour where my waters had been broken for quite a while. As I hadn't known I had GBS I hadn't received antibiotics, and he was really quite sick (although ultimately made a full recovery, sadly not all babies are so lucky).

If you know now you'll be given antibiotics in labour, and if you haven't had 4 hours' of these your baby may be given the antibiotics after birth instead (I think policy on this varies between hospitals).

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Waggamamma · 19/08/2014 16:56

I'm 37 weeks and have group b strep. When I first found out I was really scared and panicked. But actually it's better to know about it so you can get the antibiotics in labour.

They will be administered every 4 hours during labour through a canula in your hand, so you won't be constantly tethered to a drip. If you don't get them within four hours of delivering baby, depending on your hospital policy, baby will either be monitored for 24-48hrs or recieve antibiotics soon after delivery until tests results come back.

Where mum is gbs+ and doesn't recieve antibiotics there's 1/300 chance of baby developing an infection. But the key thing is you know you have gbs so any infection passed to baby should be picked up quickly.

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Annbag · 19/08/2014 20:23

Thank you so much for all your replies, I feel much better now. You're right, most of the scary things in the leaflet are for those that don't know they have this, so I guess I'm lucky it was picked up