Group B Strep and antibiotics

[skewiff]

Is it OK having the antibiotics?

I know its not the end of the world - but I didn't have to have them with first birth.

Now am 37 weeks with second pregnancy and just been tested as positive for Group B Strep.

I want to have a water birth - as I did last time - and have been told I still can do. But wondered whether the antibiotics really limit movement and if they are painful/ make you feel sick etc ...

Or is there too much going on otherwise for you to notice?

Have a look at this link from the Royal College of Obs and Gynae

If you are partciularly high risk - ie fever in labour, waters been broken over 24 hours, or strep B in the urine, I would have the antibiotics.

I found out a year after DD was born that I was Strep B positive at the birth. Didn't know at the time, had laboured with waters broken for 2.5 days. We were both well.

For my next pregnancy I chose not to test and not to have antibiotics, but it is entirely your choice.

Definitely have anti-biotics even if can't have water birth as a result. Implications of not having anti-biotics for your dc could be massive, life threatening and would give both of you an awful start. I wished I had been tested before giving birth.

I am pg with dc2 and dc1 caught Strep B from me during labour (it was caught in time before he developed any serious health problems), so I am down for anti-b's this time around. I thought about refusing them but after seeing ds having to have twice-daily injections through a canula (sp?) for 5 days I have decided I would rather have them myself.

I have also been told a water birth is fine. I thought at first I would have to have a drip, but have now found out that you have a canula inserted when you go into hospital and have an injection of anti-b's through that. I hate canulas and am not looking forward to labouring with one in my hand, but I have also heard on another thread on here that you can ask to have it in your arm instead, and it is less likely to get in the way when labouring then.

I know hospitals have different policies, but at my hospital I only have to get in one injection 2 hours before giving birth to be considered fully protected, so I am very relieved about this as it means I can potentially stay at home a bit longer than I first thought. Now, whether I manage to get in on time is another story, as ds's labour was very quick!

Good luck!

I had my DS on Monday and was GBS positive. I was told i couldnt have a water bath because of the butterfly and drip in my hand. I didnt even notice them tbh, was hooked on a drip until it was empty, didnt make me feel sick or anything. Wouldve had to have a smaller dose every 4 hours but i didnt make it that far.

One thing i would say is when i was at home contracting i rung the hosp as i was told as soon as i get a pain go straight it but they told me to wait until pains were every 1 min lasting 45 secs. I managed to last until they were every 3 mins and lasting 45 secs, which made me 4-5 cms when i went in. So if i had actually waited i wouldve prob had him in the car without time for the antibiotics.

I told my midwife when she visited me at home and she told me to put it in writing to the hosp so it doesnt happen again.

Antibiotics didnt affect me at all, they had to do temperature checks on DS every 4-6 hours for 24 hours then i was allowed home.

Congratulations Clarebear!

I would say you have to have them, whatever the implications are for how you give birth. My twins were born prematurely and were in Special Care and I got to know a mum there whose baby had been born on time, a healthy 9lbs etc but she was (undiagnosed) GSB+ which was passed to her little boy during birth. He had a fit as soon as he was born resulting in a heart attack. He was in Special Care for about a month before being well enough to go home. Its simply a no-brainer (in my opinion).

Its sensible to have the antibiotics and they shouldnt make you feel unwell, or limit movement but as with everything, the choice is yours.

Normally its just a cannula in the hand into which are injected some antibiotics every 4 hours. Normally the first dose is a bigger 'loading dose' and runs through a drip over 15-30 mins and can then be disconnected.

It shouldnt stop you having a waterbirth but check with your hospital re their policy.

I had intravenous anti-bs during the birth of DC2 after DC1 caught GBS from me during birth and ended up in the NICU seriously ill. With DC2 I was told I couldn't have a water birth, but was fine with that as it was a small price not to go through what happened the first time around.

I went in as soon as my waters broke and had 3 courses of IV ABs during my labour.

The lady in the bed opposite didn't have the ABs, so her baby had to go to the SCBU to be canulated and they gave the baby the drugs instead. I think I did it the right way around.

Agree with most of the above. I tested positive and had antibioitics in labour for DD. Not a big deal- just 2 doses (every 4hrs) via a cannula in hand administered in approx 10 mins each time. Like others had said, the delivery suite are all for keeping you (especially first timers) at home as long as possible and, in my experience, don't take much notice of claims to need to come in early. I found I had to slightly exaggerate frequency of contractions to ensure I got in reasonably early. Once there- no problem as midwife can see the notes.

I had first dose but never got into established labour. Then I never got to the hospital in time to start antibiotics again so my little girl had to have a canular(?) with meds at 10am and 10pm. My I.V (that I managed to get) only took about ten minutes.
I do wish I had got them in time but you can't control how fast your labour comes can you? you should definately have them.

OK - thank you for all of your replies.

I am definitely going to have the antibiotics - my first DS was born without me knowing about Group B Strep and he has v. mild CP . I don't think the 2 are connected, but of course will never know.

I just wanted to mentally prepare for how awful or fine it was going to be with the drip etc.

Thanks for your advice about getting into the hospital early. And also about having the cannula put into your arm rather than your hand. Has anyone else had experience of this???

My DS1 was born yesterday (DC4), I tested positive for GBS after DD3 was born (at home), but I wasn't aware at the time she was born, so we didn't have the AB's and she was fine.

This time I paid for a private GBS test and tested positive on a swab. I had the AB's through a canula in my hand, the AB's were fed in through a drip and then the drip was removed (took about 10 mins). I was initially aware of the canula and didn't want to apply much pressure with that hand (during contractions I found it helped to lean against the bed and push my hands onto it), but as the labour progressed I was less aware of the canula and as there is no needle in your hand you can still move your hand and it's very flexible.

It was fine, didn't affect my labour at all (I only had one dose), I'd say have them if you can.

For us, the risk was very low, but if you have the option of having them, I'd say better to have them than take the risk.

Good luck!

DS1 was born very poorly due to GBS that I didn't know I had. He had to be resussitated at birth and spent the 1st week of his life in NICU - very scary.

I had antibiotics with DS2 and he was totally fine thank goodness.

Why take the risk?

don't take this risk. I was put onto antiobiotics during childbirth due to GBS and it did not make me feel sick. In fact here in Rome I had no choice, it was obligatory to have an anal swab (so painful I screamed) to test for GBS and if you are positive you have to go on antibiotics during childbirth.