Due August 2021 - the final countdown!

[Daffodil21]

Continuation of the previous thread.

All newcomers welcome!

Not long now!!!

@PurplePansy05 the NHS website has a useful photo which shows where the scar will be:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/caesarean-section/recovery/

@PurplePansy05 if you have a primark close to you they do good massive knickers and size up as well. You would be surprised how far down the scar is so you couldn’t get pants that go below it.

I got a nice dress from the m&s outlet that is just a simple cami stretchy dress. It wasn’t maternity but it fits and was only £9!

@Smurf123 hope baby is a bit more active today for you!

I had Asda knickers after my second birth which I found more comfy than Primark, I feel like the bigger Primark sizes are way too loose/big on the leg holes, sometimes they are wonky and the elastic isn't very comfy.

Thanks everyone.. Fingers crossed movements back to normal soon.
It is incredibly warm here so sleep is almost non existent... Add in the toddler up from 630 and the tesco delivery I forgot was coming 🙈 it's been a busy morning.
Dh is feeling sorry for himself after the second Pfizer jab... He couldnt possibly do too much today as his arm is too sore. (But he refuses to take paracetamol also so I have little sympathy)

My midwife just called - swab came back positive for strep b!! I'm both relieved that this has been picked up and absolutely livid this is not checked as standard!!

I had a swab a couple of months ago which was negative so just goes to show it is so important to get it checked at 35+ weeks.

If CS goes ahead then it doesn't matter but if I go into natural labour then obviously it could! Mum's labours were under an hour and the hospital is over an hour away 😒 but at least we know

Oh I've not sent my test away yet. I'm waiting to as close as I can to due date.

I called the midwife about the itching and I've to go into the hospital tomorrow for blood test to check it out. Baby is moving fine so I'm sure it's nothing but feel better that it's getting looked at.

This strep B is confusing. Why do we need to know about it ? My friend has it and wasn't on IV when giving birth ?

@Daffodil21 fingers crossed cs goes ahead for u if that's what you would prefer.
I think the antibiotics drip is only 15 mins every 4 hours from memory so hopefully if needed you will have time for it but ultimately it's good to know as even if you don't get there in time for antibiotics they can closely monitor / treat baby for it when born also. Not ideal but at least you are aware of it. Make sure it's put on the front of your notes for all drs are aware of it!
I think I have a sticker on mine

@lucyrp it can spread to baby during labour and lead to serious illness which can be easily missed in a newborn. Antibiotics in labour cuts the risk of passing it on to baby. Caught early in baby iv antibiotics can prevent any serious consequences such as it leading to sepsis.
I think there's a call for it to be tested for routinely as it's fairly common to have it and be completely unaware of it. Plus the test and treatment are relatively cheap and straightforward so surely nhs should test fit it.

@Smurf123 but as my friend said most people have some sort of strep B in their bodies anyway only certain types can be passed on during birth and if you have genetic strep B there will be record of it ok your medical records from when you were a baby so if it's not on your records its unlikely you have it. My friend was only given oral antibiotics 2 weeks before her due date and was allowed a home birth etc and wasn't told she needed IV or anything ?

evidencebasedbirth.com/groupbstrep/

I seem to remember finding this page useful when deciding last time but the mobile site is terrible with a huge unhidable banner!

It's very common and knowing about it can reduce the risk to your newborn, but the risk is fairly low to begin with.

I don't think it's due to anything genetic, maybe you're getting mixed up with something else? I understood that a lot of people have it all the time and it comes and goes.

@BertieBotts she gets ill from hers sometimes and my boss warned me about having the day off as of course it's dangerous to pregnant women but my friend said it's not contagious to other people as it's genetic and she's had it since she was born ?
Isn't the risk something like 1 in 1750 I remember reading

Thanks for this @BertieBotts

Yes, seems to be fairly common and risk is fairly low, but there is still a risk. I just don't understand why anything that can easily be prevented by testing and treatment isn't done so.

@BertieBotts I dont think it's genetic but like you say many people are a carrier and then it can come and go which is why they recommend testing as close to labour as possible.

I found this site useful gbss.org.uk/info-support/about-group-b-strep/what-is-group-b-strep/

While the risk of baby contracting it is relatively small I know I have it and it is harmless and painless for me to take iv antibiotics to reduce the risks of baby catching it and being seriously ill from it so I would must rather take the antibiotics.
Mine was detected in urine in last pregnancy with a uti so I was given oral antibiotics when detected a couple of week s before labour followed by Iv antibiotics every 4 hours in Labour. By personal preference I'd have paid for the test privately if it hadn't already been detected by that point.

But surely you only have it if you got it when you were born so you would know ?

You can catch it from other people through skin to skin contact and they don't test you for it when your born so you wouldn't know

Growth scan all okay here, so they are happy for me to go to 39 weeks. Three weeks today! 🤯

Little one is measuring on the 14th centile so pretty much the same as his brother was.

Is anyone else panicking about having a baby in the heat? My DS was an October baby so it wasn’t an issue, but will a newborn be too warm in a sleepsuit?! As that’s pretty much all I have! Apart from vests I mean!

@Smurf123 I feel like we're talking about something else but I'm talking about strep B so surely can't be. I was told it was fine to be working with someone who had strep B while pregnant as it wasn't "contagious" but now you're saying it is as you can get it from touching ?

@Magik01 I've bought a few of the rompers that are like vests but with little legs too

@lucyrp that's what it says on the group strep b website I posted which is the site the nhs refer you to for further information

@Smurf123 considering it's my best friend who is a carrier of it and I spend a lot of time with her I'm now wondering whether I should be tested 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ she has always told me that no one else can get it from her but she'll always have it

This is what she said a while back "Mines not actually strep b it's a genetic version of it called GBS I was born with that makes me ill when I'm run down i can literally only pass it to my children when I give birth to them I constantly live with it in my immune system, it's not harmful to you at all "

Now I'm panicking that I shouldn't spend time with my best friend and that she can't hold my baby or anything 😖

@lucyrp in the useful link @BertieBotts posted it referred to it as 'GBS Group B Streptococcu'.

I would get a swab if I were you. Chances are it would be ok, but there is a small chance that your baby could be ill. If you're positive too then you'll need antibiotics during labour to stop this from happening. You may test positive and not have caught it from her but I personally would (and did) to be on the safe side.

When I mentioned it to my midwife she went off to get a swab then just said 'do you have vaginal discharge' for me to say yes, so I did say yes. But I appreciate I am very lucky with the midwife I have. I think they're about £37 privately posted but I actually don't see why it shouldn't be done as standard so if you're feeling cheeky you could just tell your midwife you have a bit of discharge you'd like to get checked...

@lucyrp, I think it’s generally ‘intimate contact’ that would be considered possible to transmit - unless the person has really bad hand hygiene 🤢

The RCOG website has good info.

www.rcog.org.uk/en/patients/patient-leaflets/group-b-streptococcus-gbs-infection-pregnancy-newborn-babies/

I’m only considering a test because the team have mentioned mechanical induction if I get to term. The NHS consultant team said the tests aren’t reliable/consistent enough to make it standard care in NHS. They take a risk based approach - I.e. if your waters break and there is a delay to labour they would give you antibiotics as a precaution regardless of GBS test. If all is well then they wouldn’t- as unnecessary use of antibiotics isn’t good either.

The consultant also suggested that if you are having the test the vaginal & rectal swab is the only one worth doing - and that many people therefore choose not to have it as it’s not a pleasant test!