Group B Strep, UTI... Confused and seeking alternative solutions!

[sunandfire]

I found out today, at my 26-week appointment, that a urine sample detected Group B Strep and I'll be encouraged to receive intravenous antibiotics during labour to reduce the chances of infecting my baby with the bacteria during delivery. Not at all enthusiastic about the thought of my baby being subjected to antibiotics as soon as he enters the world :( Has anyone been able to get rid of group b strep colonisation naturally, before labour, eliminating the need for intravenous antibiotics during labour? Of course, if this isn't possible or I'm unable to do so then I'll go through with the recommended measure (I'm not against it, just not enthusiastic about it as I'm more of a minimal-medical-intervention, 'natural' type person).

Secondly, the midwife mentioned that the same urine sample that detected the group b strep also detected a UTI? However, she didn't go on to prescribe me antibiotics for the UTI (I later found out that UTIs can be quite serious in pregnancy, potentially leading to preterm labour?) - I'm going to have to chase the antenatal department up about that...

Does anyone have experience of a combined group b strep/UTI diagnosis? Is there anything worth knowing?

The reason I'm willing to take antibiotics for the UTI but have a less willing attitude towards taking antibiotics during labour is due to the urgency of the UTI situation vs the fact that I have time to try natural approaches to the group b strep situation (didn't want to get accused of being contradictory - the women on this site can be quite brutal/pedantic at times, I find).

Thanks for your help! :)

[kitty1013]

Not wishing to be alarmist but my DS2 was in hospital for a nerve wracking two weeks after he was born with strep b. He was constantly attached to oxygen and monitors. I wish I had had the antibiotics in labour to prevent that trauma (probably more traumatic for me than him!).

Subsequent DS3 I was meant to have the ABs in labour, (because of what happened with DS2) , although they didn't start them early enough so we had to stay in for 48 hrs for DS3 to receive the full dose. (Through a cannula- he wasn't permanently attached to an IV). But he was happy, healthy and not attached to wires.

I would follow the advice! I do understand your feeling of not wanting to give your child exposure to ABs on their entry to the world- but he/she would be on stronger ones and for longer, if he/she contracts it. Not to mention it being a very traumatic time for you.

[NapQueen]

A course of antibiotics a week or two before labour would likely clear up a Strep B infection. However there is literally no way of knowing when that labour will occur.

I had strep b both my pregnancies, course of abs started at exactly 38 weeks. Delivered at 40+3. I insisted on the ab drip during labour, mw relented after trying to convince me it would be clear. Tested positive for strep b during labour.

Exposure to abs at birth is way way less damaging than exposure to strep b.

[Twitchett22]

I appreciate your concerns and its not ideal but dont risk trying to clear it and not giving your baby the antibiotics, I've looked after 2 babys who have died from group B strep purely because their mums didn't know they were carrying it. You are lucky that it's been detected, i appreciate the natural approach when babys so new but it's an awful awful infection that's so preventable so please just have the antibiotics.
As for the UTI they don't always prescribe antibiotics, depends on your symptoms, if you're feeling more unwell or feel it's getting worse then make sure you get another sample to your GP. Otherwise just lots of water to flush it out.

[coffeeX10]

I also know a lady who didn’t know she was a carrier of GBS and her baby boy died - very very sad.

As a previous poster said, even if you have the antibiotics before Labour you can still test positive for it during labour so for me it wouldn’t be worth the risk (I am also a carrier and have tested positive in 2 pregnancies)

[CL1982]

I have tested positive for strep b and I WILL be taking intravenous antibiotics as a given. Not only that but if my waters break before I start really labouring I have been told to get in ASAP. It's horrible for babies if you pass it to them and has caused still birth and goodness knows what else nasty after birth.

Don't worry though, they have told me they usually won't put the baby on antibiotics unless they think something isn't right, it's all done through Mum, so just be prepped to stay in a little longer for observation and have a cannula in so they can give you antibiotics every 3-4 hours until you have given birth. I've harvested lots of colostrum so I can get that into him/her and get their gut working again if they do need them.


I have been recommended to take a pro biotic now and after birth just to give my gut something to help it as I have I S. You can get them in Holland and Barrett for £16.

They have just basically said it's annoying but very copable.

[Rainbowsandflowers78]

Strep b can kill - don’t risk it just follow the advice which is there for a reason. Antibiotics could save his life.

[Chattette1]

I was told today I've tested positive for this after a swab and I'm not currently pregnant but TTC. The doctor seemed dismissive of it but this thread is scaring me I didn't realise it was so serious.

[codswallopandbalderdash]

Please accept the treatment. Both me and DS became ill a few hours after birth and we went into crazy 'House' mode. DS ended up in NICU and I ended up in high dependency - it was a very serious chest infection. They've identified a problem and offering treatment.

[Mrstobe90]

I was planning a home birth and then found out that I had group b strep.
I was going to take courses of antibiotics in the room up to my due date but then after lots of discussions with my mw and gp, found that there's no evidence to prove that daily antibiotics remove it (after originally being told they do.)

After a ton of research, I decided it would be safer to have IV in hospital.

In cases like this, it's better safe than sorry. Only a small percentage of babies exposed to strep will get sick but why take the risk?

[LS83]

Chattette1 Group B strep is transient in nature. You could have it one day and, retested a week later, you won't. It does not require treatment if you are not in labour.

[LS83]

Sunandfire. There are no alternative solutions. Please research what can happen if you pass on GBS to a baby and accept the antibiotics.

[Loosemoose28]

evidencebasedbirth.com/groupbstrep/

[sunandfire]

Thank you, everybody, for your detailed and informative responses. I'm
glad that all your babies are well! I was never going to refuse the IV treatment (definitely wouldn't put my baby at that kind of risk), I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do to change my circumstances before then.

Did anyone have thin, watery, milky discharge that sort of constantly drips/gushes out as a 'symptom' of their group b strep? I've been having this discharge a lot in this pregnancy, and the midwife I saw said that women who usually have this problem go on to discover that they're positive for group b strep. I've also been struggling with what's been diagnosed as thrush - keeps on coming and going! Just trying to understand if I'm doomed to suffer from these problems for the remainder of my pregnancy as it's the group b strep causing them :'( I feel like a leaky tap due to the increased discharge, and the near-constant thrush has made intimacy impossible!

@mrstobe90 I remember reading on a thread like this that a woman arranged to have IV treatment at home during her home birth. It seemed to have gone well - I'm surprised this option wasn't offered to you!

[Elllicam]

Did she say what was actually causing the UTI? I only ask because I had a UTI which was caused by group b strep bacteria when I was pregnant with DS1. The GP said active infection indicated higher levels of the bacteria overall.

[sunandfire]

@elllicam she wasn't clear, and I left somewhat confused. Were you given antibiotics for the UTI?

[Mrstobe90]

@sunandfire it may have been me that you read about lol. I had originally arranged to have the IV at home and the doctor agreed to this but in the last 3 weeks of pregnancy, my bp went too high so it was no longer deemed safe for me to be at home.
I was utterly devastated.

[sunandfire]

@mrstobe90 I just went and hunted down that thread and, indeed, it was you! Ah, what a shame, but at least you have your baby with you now - that's all that matters! :) I hope you're getting on well? X

[Mrstobe90]

She's doing great :) currently feeding her and she's making grumpy faces lol

[Glitteryballoons]

@sunandfire I don't know if the thrush is linked but I had thrush for 9 months during pregnancy just couldn't get rid of it...every time I had swabs done they would come back with thrush...in the end I learnt to live with it until baby was born as it wasn't going.
My dc was born happy and healthy until she was 6 hours old then her breathing got really really fast to cut a very long story short she ended up in in nicu for 5 days with a chest infection and they were convinced she had meningitis as her infection markers were not going down but up so she had four failed lumber punctures. Was put on antibiotics obviously and eventually we was able to go home.
I'm waffling now but what I'm trying to say is I had thrush for 9 months thought all it was was thrush and then my baby was born with an infection. They still don't know what the actual infection was (was never swabbed for gbs)
I could have just been a bad luck case and I'm in not saying this could happen to you but just giving you my experience with thrush and my pregnancy.

[CL1982]

Hmm. I was told strep b has no symptoms. I only tested as I have IBS which is usually a higher indicator of having it....

I understand OP. I weirdly felt like I had failed the baby when I found out. Which is soooo silly! Also as I have raging IBS caused by antibiotics taken when I was a teenager, you'd imagine my horror when I was told the sheer amount I'm going to have whammed into my system....but as you say, it's the safest (and only) option really and I'm just so happy they have ways of protecting our bubs from this rather horrible little infection.