Strep B and 2nd labour

[1sttimeunicorn]

I am wondering whether anyone has any experience after a diagnosis of strep B in pregnancy. I am 30 weeks with DC2, under consultant care after recurrent miscarriage. I was given antibiotics in early pregnancy after I tested positive for strep B.

First birth with DC1 2 years ago was just horrendous, 5 day induction with back to back baby ending in forceps and episiotomy in theatre. Towards the end I irrationality believed I was going to die. It sounds silly now but it was a bad combination of no sleep for days and a LOT of drugs.

Anyway I was hoping second labour would be easier and I could try to stay at home with my 2 year old as long as I could, but now I have had strep B I have been told that I have to go into hospital in early labour for antibiotics. Im worried this will mean another long and immobile labour attached to machines etc. Maybe even an induction?

Has anyone had the same circumstances/experience to share?

I was in a similar position but DD2 came very quickly and there wasn't time for me to have the antibiotics. We had to stay in for 2 days and DD2 had to have the antibiotics instead. Labour was fine with no machines. Time spent in hospital afterwards was also fine but very boring. Hope all goes well for you.

Forgot to say that DD1 was massively overdue. Had 2 inductions, hours of pushing and ventouse at the end. Labour with DD2 was so straightforward.

Thank you @Imfinehowareyou that's good to know. So it was too quick for you to have the antibiotics? Fair enough! Maybe it'll be the same for me. I'm dreading it in the extreme

I know a bit of how you feel as I was connected to machines and forced to stay on my back with DD1. Not as long as you though. I felt like my body knew what to do 2nd time around. Fingers crossed it goes that way for you.

My baby came too quick for me to get the antibiotics in Labour. The observed baby for 24 hrs and then we went home. No two births are the same. I wouldn't worry too much about it tbh.

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@pansydansy thank you very much, I will put it to the back of my mind then and try my best to go with the flow. Baby is a girl this time and pregnancy has been very different so fingers crossed.

I had suspected strep b never did get tested. Got there and labour was pretty quick (5 hours) only got one course of antibiotics so wee one had to stay in for antibiotics and blood tests.

Also had it in first pregnancy and laboured too quick for the antibiotics 🙈 we had to stay in for a while afterwards so my daughter could have them as she did contract a mild infection.

I don't think you always have to go in while in early labour but you do have to go in if waters have broken (check with midwife of course, as advice may have changed).

In my hospital you're also allowed to have a water birth despite the IV drip for the antibiotics, as long as you keep your hand out of the water.

I'm pregnant again now and thought I would be treated as if I had it again but advice has changed again and now they will test me at 36 weeks instead so 🤞🏼 it's not there this time.

I had gbs in both pregnancies
First time I had time for maybe 10minutes of antibiotics before I gave birth. my dd had blood sugar levels monitored for three feeds (6hours Post labour for obs) then went home

Second time I went in extra early in the hopes I'd have it in time. I was about 10 minutes shy! So again, kept in for 12 hours (different trust) but no blood sugar levels, and they wanted to give dd2 antibiotics but I refused to let them stab her with needles, then went home no problems.

I was strapped to a bed for my first but I think that was a mix of different trust and not knowing what the hell was happening
Second one I was up and down and moving around all over the place even though I was on the monitor for baby too, although midwife was very very supportive in all my decisions so that probably helped.
(including keeping my two year old in with me the whole process)

Hey!

I'm in the same boat. This is my second pregnancy, and I developed sepsis at 31 weeks which was eventually found to have been caused by a UTI from group b strep bacteria.

I'm 39 weeks now and have been told to go in to the hospital as soon as I am in established labour or my waters break. I was told that the cannula will be fitted, and antibiotics given every 4 hours, but once the antibiotics have been administered (takes around 10 mins), then you will be unhooked and your labour will be none different from what it would have been other than having the cannula in.

From the information I have been given, administering antibiotics this way reduces your babies risk of contracting gbs from 1 in 400 to 1 in 4000, so definitely worth it (if you have a long enough labour!!)

I was diagnosed strep b.... During labour! Midwife had filed my results in pregnancy and neither she nor the gp told me!!! It was the midwife who spotted it in the notes while I was in a delivery room.

I got antibiotics and told to cross my legs for at least 3 hours, I had a drip for anti b's and just sat up in bed... Fortunately dc2 hung in in there for about another 6 hours so they didn't need antib's after

Hi. I understand your concerns. My twin boys had Group B strep and were very ill. I would suggest contacting Group B Strep Support (they can be found on Facebook) who can fill you in on exactly what the latest guidelines are for how your labour should be approached. Best wishes.

Hi OP

I had a very similar first labour to you. GBS was detected in a routine urine test and then swans tested positive. I had an awful labour with days of attempted induction, back to back, episiotomy, ventouse delivery, baby in distress. Thankfully all was ok in the end.

For baby number 2 GP didn't swab for GBS but told me they would treat it as a GBS positive pregnancy based on history. DD came far too quickly to get the 4 hours antibiotics in before birth, I didn't go to hospital until 9.30pm and she was born at 11.55pm after 3 pushes. We were kept in for 48 hours with 3 hourly temperature checks for DD to check for infection. She got a clean bill of health and finally sent home after 2 days.