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Pregnancy

Group b strep. Any experiences?

12 replies

McBaby · 07/03/2012 16:43

Had a urine test at doctors which came back that group b strep was present. But no treatment for it now.

Does any one have any advice or experiences?

All I really know so far is it means chance of passing in to baby in labour so they give you lots of antibiotics and monitoring with consultant during the labour and do a couple of days after baby is born!!

OP posts:

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festive · 07/03/2012 17:14

Hi there, couldn't not respond to this. I tested +ve at 38 weeks in a private test and it was the best £30 I ever spent. No treatment during pg but a huge sticker on my notes and 2 lots iv antibiotics for me in labour. Sadly despite this, and very unluckily, DS contracted an infection during labour (probably because I had a long, 24 hr, labour and he spent so long in the birth canal). The good news is that as drs and midwives knew I had GBS, baby's infection was picked up at just a few hrs old and they immediately started him on iv antibiotics in SCBU. It was very stressful at the time, they suspected meningitis and we stayed in for 2 weeks while he was on the antibiotics but I am so grateful that I knew I was GBS +ve and that the drs acted so quickly with DS infection. Had it not been known I was a carrier we would have been sent home a few hrs after delivery and he may have been very sick indeed.
Maker sure all the drs and midwives you see during labour know you are GBS +ve, make sure you get your antibiotics (go straight to the hospital as soon as your waters break/are in labour as they will monitor you from early on) and am sure all will be well, its very rare for babies to get an infection if GBS is known and mum has antibiotics in labour - I was just unlucky I think!
oh and they will prob keep you and baby in a bit longer than normal, 24-48 hrs to check baby's obs for a while before they send you home.
Good luck, dont worry, its much better to know you have it than be unaware!

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SirCharles · 07/03/2012 17:21

Hi, saw this and thread and realised my MW gave me a leaflet on Group B Strep 6 months ago but never mentioned it again.... do all hospitals test for it or do I need to arrange a private test?

Good luck OP. Good advice from festive

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moregranny · 07/03/2012 17:22

Look at //www.gbss.org.uk :)

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moregranny · 07/03/2012 17:24

The private test is more reliable than NHS.

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Flisspaps · 07/03/2012 17:24

How many weeks are you? It can come and go so it may be that by the time you go into labour, it's gone anyway.

SirCharles I was never tested for it in my last pregnancy, and I've not been tested in this one so far (36w)

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confuzed90 · 07/03/2012 17:53

Can you just ask to be tested for this?

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taniar82 · 07/03/2012 17:56

I had undiagnosed strep b my ds2 then caught meningitis. I wish they routinely tested for it x

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juneau · 07/03/2012 18:06

The NHS does not routinely test for GBS unless you've had it with an earlier pregnancy (but since they don't routinely test you won't necessarily know whether you had it or not with any earlier pregnancy!)

I was GBS +ve with my first pregnancy. Luckily I was in the US, where all women are tested at 36 weeks, so I got IV antibiotics during my labour and DS1 was observed for 48 hours after delivery to make sure he didn't get it.

It's actually very rare for a baby to contract GBS, even if it's mother is +ve, but in those rare cases it can be fatal, so IMO all pregnant women should arrange for a private test if the NHS won't test them. You can always ask for a test and see if they'll give you one. However, the test they use is the less reliable one, so much better to order one from the GBS website listed above. With my second pregnancy I did that and was GBS -ve, which was a big relief as you can't have give birth on a drug-free, midwife-led unit if you need IV antibiotics in labour and that's what I was determined to do.

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festive · 07/03/2012 18:12

There are very few hospitals that routinely test for it, its not routinely tested for on the NHS.
It can come and go but I believe if you are a carrier they will give you the abs in labour anyway as a precaution.
If you have a urine test for something else eg a UTI then GBS is sometimes picked up that way but the swab tests are better I think.
There is a big campaign to get the Govt / NHS to routine test as they do in many other comparative countries eg the US and Australia too i think.

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JambalayaCodfishPie · 07/03/2012 19:57

In my 1st PG, my pennine trust were taking part in a study which meant that every woman was swabbed. I was +ve.

However, my speedy labour, meant that I never got the antibiotics - so me and DD were kept in for 48hrs for observation. All was fine.

This time, because of having it in previous PGs, ive been swabbed again. And it showed +ve again. However, that was at 19wks, and as Flisspaps said above, itcan come and go constantly. So ive insisted on being swabbed again at my 38wks appt, so I know where I stand with regard to antibiotics - and getting there fast! :)

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VintageNancy · 07/03/2012 20:59

I've just been swabbed for it as I'm 36w and in the US. To be honest I didn't know much about it so this thread has been helpful! I'll get results in a couple of days.

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McBaby · 07/03/2012 21:35

Thank you all for your experiences I think it's best to try and understand it and the implications.

The midwife scared be a lot today as she was quite over dramatic, the website seems to be a bit calmer.