To ask about your experience of group b strep in subsequent pregnancies

[GettaWound]

Sorry, looking for a wider audience.

My hospital has a policy that is you were group b strep positive in one pregnancy you get antibiotics in all subsequent labours, no further testing.

This is against most advice online and even the leaflet they gave me.

Can I ask what happened to others? Is this common, I've found quite different policies online. I'm a little down to face another grimlabour ward birth rather than the birth centre.

tortosie did the mother know she was GSB Postive and was the baby monitored?

I had GB strep with DC1. A swab taken when I went in as my waters were leaking came back positive after I'd had the baby. I was given antibiotics and DC1 was checked over. I'd read about GBS and it really stressed me out in the first few weeks of having DC1.

When I was pregnant with DC2, the MW wouldn't test me so I went to the Doctors at 37wks and lied about symptoms to get a swab done. The swab came back negative. The MW told me they wouldn't give IV antibiotics in labour anyway but DC2 came an hour after getting to hospital so wouldn't have had time for antibiotics to work.

There is still a huge unawareness about Group B strep.

pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/antibiotics-for-early-onset-neonatal-infection#path=view%3A/pathways/antibiotics-for-early-onset-neonatal-infection/recognising-and-assessing-early-onset-neonatal-infection-after-the-birth.xml&content=view-index

Hope it linked...should take you to the guideline used to decide when to give ABs to mum/baby.

I was given IV antibiotics routinely. I'd be really worried that the swabbing didn't pick up the bug and would definitely have antibiotics again.

My niece was born 3 1/2 weeks early because my sister's water's broke early. The waters broke due to having strep b, but she didn't know that at the time. My niece was born vaginally and caught strep b in the process. She was very very ill. She was supposed to be in an incubator but there weren't any available. My ds expressed milk and fed her via a pipet and tube. She was so small she could sit in my dad's hands.

There are some countries that automatically test for step b in the mother during pregnancy. However, not in the UK. There are some that believe that should change.

It is very bad news. A baby with strep b has a high chance of dying. Those that survive have a high chance of being mentally disabled in some way.

My niece (who is 18 this year) was totally fine and bright, but quite deaf. We are not sure if that was due to the strep b. This deafness has meant she has a speech impediment.

It's ansoluty tragic for your friend tortoises, but it seems likely that her baby was discharged with an infection brewing, and it wasn't detected.

That's a very confident assessment, seaoflove. Are you qualified to make it? If not I think it's rather irresponsible and dismissive to say so.

I tested positive in both pregnancies - the first wasn't a routine screen. I'd read about Strep B and requested the swab. I think the second was routine because of the first, and I tested positive again. I wouldn't have dreamt of not having the IV antibiotics as at present it's the accepted precaution. Perhaps I wouldn't have transmitted to my babies during labour, but perhaps I would. I couldn't have taken that risk.

Are you absolutely sure you can't give birth in the MLU? We allow GBS positive women in our birth centre and they can have water births - we just cover the cannula with a glove. Although the previous PPH may rule you out of the MLU anyway.

You've misinterpreted what I said Lapsed

Tortoises said that it is not enough to simply monitor a baby born to a GBS+ mother. I was able to decline IV antibiotics for my hours-old baby in favour of monitoring, so clearly it IS possible to take a watch-and-wait approach. We do not know the circumstances that lead to the death of her friend's baby, but signs of infection being missed upon discharge is one possible scenario.

I wasn't advocating that GBS+ women refuse antibiotics for themselves in labour, although it has been touched upon upthread that transmission rates are extremely low, and no doubt thousands of women in the UK give birth vaginally with a GBS infection and neither them nor the HCPs caring for them are aware of that. I definitely didn't want to pump my baby full of antibiotics as a mere precaution though. Some may think that was foolish, but there you go.

Horrible sil... I hadn't heard of gbs causing premature rupture of labours before... How do you know it caused it and was not coincidental? I don't mean for this sounds nosey or disbelieving. Just looking for information. Might go off and read the nice guidelines...

I'm pretty certain GSB can't cause premature rupture of membranes but the membranes (I've had 2 pProms) can rupture if there is an infection. But this is unlikely to be GSB.
If your membranes rupture early and you are Postive for GSB then the baby is more at risk of becoming ill with GSB.

seaoflove I agree with everything you have said. Anti-biotics should be used when they are needed not as a back up, I say this as someone's who's life was saved by anti-biotics.
Plus if you are negative for GSB then your hospital is likely to refuse you anyway.

DC1 had a GBS infection at birth (after an EMCS - it's still a risk in an emergency section scenario, my waters had broken 20 hours before, and my section was at fully dilated). He was in NICU for 10 days and very poorly, but has, for which I am always grateful, suffered no long term effects. I hadn't been tested in pregnancy. I was to have antibiotics in labour with DCs 2&3, which I was glad to accept (no testing was suggested) although for unrelated reasons I ended up having elective sections with both of them so it was academic.

I paid for a private GBS test with ds as I had seen a friend go through the awful experience of passing GBS to her son (who was thankfully fine after a stay in SCBU). I tested positive so had the IV antibiotics. I paid for a second test with dd which was also positive, so I had the IV antibiotics again, but still had a water birth in a birth centre with no issues at all with regard restriction of movement. Knowing about GBS and the consequences through my friends experience made it a total no brainer for me to be both tested and then act on the results.

I am pregnant with dc 2 after testing positive for gbs in previous pregnancy (was a swab in very late pregnancy as I thought I had thrush). Was Induced quicker than usual after waters breaking, had antibiotics during labour and dd was monitored for 24 hrs after birth.

This time round have discussed with consultant. She explained they will not test again as it is too unreliable - it comes and goes so you might test positive or negative a week before giving birth and it could be the opposite when you do. In our hospital you are not automatically given antibiotics on a subsequent pregnancy if there were no problems or other risk factors, but they gave me the choice and I decided to have them this time - it just seemed too risky to turn them down as much as I don't like unnecessary antibiotics!
She

Oh, by the way my friend got tested privately for it, but results took longer to come than they said and she gave birth 2 weeks early. So dhe received a positive test result days after giving birth to a perfectly healthy baby wirh no problems afterwards, thank goodness. So testing definitely can't tell you the whole picture.

I've read this and am slightly stunned. My waters went early with dd. No one explained anything to me, why I was on antibiotics, why when I was induced 48 hours later dd was on 3 days of AB's and it was only when I thought to question why my bloods and temp was still being taken 3 days later that I was I'd had an infection, strep B. Had never realised how serious it can be.

I'm now feeling lucky and relieved that dd has grown up healthy and with no issues from this (and makes me more annoyed that when I went to see my GP 6 weeks later asking to be swabbed knowing it wasn't thrush she said that either partner or I must have been sleeping around)

My son had suspected gbs and ended up in scbu for about a week. I had been induced for preeclampsia, had my waters broken, then had quite a long labour. My son seemed fine at first, but his condition went downhill on the third day (fortunately we were both still in hospital because they were still trying to get my bp under control). I am relieved to say he suffered no lasting effects but it was terrifying for the rest of us. When I was pregnant 2nd time around my lovely midwife suggested I report some symptoms at I think around 35 weeks so that I could be screened (they didn't test routinely here). It came back clear, so we made 'normal' plans for 2nd birth, although if my labour had been longer I think we might have considered antibiotics (I had to give birth at hospital because of my history of preeclampsia, and because my poor husband had been scared silly by the experience first time around). 2nd baby narrowly avoided being induced, and thankfully was faster at getting out and was fine. I still don't understand why there isn't a national policy for gbs screening - my friend who lived less than 30 miles away was tested but I wasn't.

Foslady... How alarming that you were never really explained what was going on. That is not good care. And for your gp to make that comment! I am so angry on your behalf. I do hope you complained.

I got the results back Guyropes, asked it was sexually transmitted to which I was told, 'Oh no, nothing to do with sex'. So I then made a formal complaint. I did get an apology from the GP who asked to see me when I went in to pick up my prescription, and reminded her quite calmly that saying what she had said to a sleep deprived 1st time mother could have caused a disaster to my relationship. Luckily partner at the time knew what a load of rubbish it was that she'd spouted......

Not me but my SIL

Baby 1: Undiagnosed SB, discovered when baby was a few hours old. Weel long stay in hospital.
Baby 2: Was advised to go to hospital ASAP when labour began so she could have the required Anti-bio's via IV. Labour was too quick and she had to stay in 48h so baby could have precautionary anti-bio. She had no testing for SB in this pregnancy
Baby 3: Same as baby 2, only she was at a different hospital and they tested her regularly for SB she was showing she had it at every test
Quick labour meant a 48h stay with baby for precautionary anti-bios.

I tested +ve in my first pregnancy, had antibiotics during labour. Twins (natural birth) had antibiotics at birth but they were 12+ weeks premature so not sure whether that was a prematurity issue or GBS.

Whilst they were in intensive care, I met another mum whose baby was also in Intensive Care. We swapped photos and "stories". Her son was term, 9 lb + but she was (undiagnosed) +ve and her son had contracted it. He'd had a seizure within minutes of being born. My twins were in hospital for 61 days. That little boy was still in there when we came home.

I was told I would automatically have antibiotics 2nd time around regardless if testing. I didn't argue. As it happened though, my 2nd labour was so fast they didn't get chance to give me the antibiotics. We were kept in for 2 nights so they could monitor but all was fine.

I don't mean to scare anyone either and I know the risk of passing it on is small, but it can have such far reaching consequences for me personally I wouldn't hesitate to have them if it protected my baby.

Another one here who passed on gbs despite having an emergency caesarean. My GP had carried out the test at my request and it was positive so I was given antibiotics in labour, the midwife also had to break my waters so that wasn't a contributory risk factor, they hadn't broken early or anything.

The baby seemed in distress so they carried out the emcs. My daughter was born, good weight, seemed healthy. Obv I was kept in because of the op and within 24 hrs people were becoming concerned that dd wasn't waking up to feed. She had a lumbar puncture and a chest x-ray and the hospital said she had pneumonia caused by gbs. She was given antibiotics and we stayed in for 10 days.

Reading the sad stories on here I realise how lucky we were that it was spotted in time. She's now 7 and absolutely fine, I'm pregnant again but it's v early days. I don't really know what will happen - even antibiotics, late breaking waters and an emcs didn't prevent the infection being passed on but at least I think the note on the file that I had it raised it as a possibility when my daughter first showed signs of not thriving a few hours after birth.

Tested positive for GBS when waters broke at 35wks, so antibiotics given during labour (a few days later), gave birth on labour ward due to early delivery and ABs on drip, and DS1 given ABs after birth too.

Not tested when pg with DS2, had water birth in birth centre (next door to labour ward) but was given ABs during labour via drip before getting in the pool. Cannula left in while in pool, but 2nd dose not needed as labour wasn't that long - I think you have to have had the dose within four hours before birth.
I have no idea if I had GBS this time or not, but the midwife told me that testing was flawed as it could develop rapidly after testing clear, or equally the infection might have actually passed by labour even after testing positive earlier in pregnancy.

I asked my midwife about this a few days ago, but unfortunately she didnt really know much about it so I will have to research for myself. However, my current thought is that 1) I have previously tested positive, 2) a repeat test, if negative, is only 50% accurate (from the GBS website).
3) My local area doesnt offer testing in any case despite history so I would have to pay privately (according to the unsure midwife).
Therefore, I will most likely choose to have the antibiotics as a precaution anyway and not take the risk.

I agree its a topic that is not widely known about and I will be doing more reading first.

DD had strep b. I was told this week with that I won't be tested just automatically given antibiotics in labour this time round.

I tested positive for group b strep with my second baby and was given antibiotics. I subsequently had an elective csection and had iv antibiotics during the section. My son and myself transferred to a midwife led unit the next day (usual procedure in the area we lived at the time). However, the first night we were there, my baby fell ill and we were blue lighted back to the main hospital in an ambulance. He had an infection that they suspected was group b strep. We ended up having to stay in hospital for another 5 days whilst he was given antibiotics through a canula. The tests were not conclusive as to the cause of his infection (could have been group b strep, or something else) but I am extremely grateful that it was picked up so quickly and thankfully there seems to be no lasting effects.

If your hospital are offering routine antibiotics, I would take them. The days after my baby's birth were pretty scary and I would never want to experience anything like that again.