Strep B tested positive please help x

[Tabitha888]

I’ve tested positive for Strep B I’m 38 weeks and 3 days. I’m still waiting to hear back from my midwife. Has anyone any experiences of this and can share them please. Due to have the baby In a hospital setting. X

Hi, I tested positive for strep B with my second child. They said to go straight in when my waters broke so they could monitor us and they also started some kind of antibiotic drip in the early stages of labour - I think to lower the risk of it transferring to baby.

the labour was very straightforward but my DD was struggling to get warm and some of her obs were a bit off, so she was taken to SCBU but only as a precaution - she was given some antibiotics and we were discharged in a couple of days - she was fine :) to be honest I think it was more likely caused by the gestational diabetes I had with her - it was all happening in that pregnancy!

good luck.

I was strep b positive and it just meant I had to stay in hospital for 24hr hrs after labour while they checked on baby. Luckily he was fine and we got discharged exactly 24 hours after birth.

I tested positive with my first but didn't know until after the birth but all was fine thankfully.

For my second I had to go in as soon as labour started and have an antibiotic drip. All was absolutely fine and it's good you know beforehand.

Mine was a few years back and there was no routine testing. Do they test now?

Try to see this as a positive. This is something which can be actively managed to avoid issues for your baby. The recommendation would be for you to have intravenous antibiotics in labour to avoid the chance of your baby being infected. Lots more info here . www.rcog.org.uk/for-the-public/browse-all-patient-information-leaflets/group-b-streptococcus-gbs-in-pregnancy-and-newborn-babies/

I've been very sick, and had to have two surgery's which has left me with an open wound on my bum! So we paid for a private test as a precaution. Thanks for the reassurance ladies! I've had two infections removed during the pregnancy. So it just worries me. This is my first x

I had strep B with ds2, 19 years ago. His labour was too fast for the intravenous antibiotics we were supposed to have during labour so we had to stay in to be monitored for 36 hours. We were both fine.

@Womble18 No, in some areas they do and others they dont. GBSS is publicising a trial into whether testing reduces sepsis and meningitis rates that is taking place at the minute but they need more hospitals to participate. Info here: gbss.org.uk/gbs3/

@Tabitha888 OP, the fact you know you are positive is good news. The danger is when you dont know. As pp have said, if your waters break before any contractions, you MUST ring triage straight away. Make sure you tell EVERY midwife / nurse that you are GBS positive. I would also write it in black marker on the front of my notes! You might need antiobiotics during labour and you'll be kept for monitoring but this is all positive as everyone will be on high alert for sepsis and meningitis.

Last year, i did not know i was GBS positive. I was a covid close contact between 35-37w pregnant so was isolating. Once isolation finished, i ordered a private test as my area doesn't test, but before it came, my waters broke. Triage admitted me as my BP was very high but we had no idea i was GBS positive. Dd was born 30hrs after waters breaking. At 23hrs old, she developed GBS sepsis and was rushed to NICU. She spent a very scary two weeks there and in SCBU. Luckily, she is now a thriving 10month old but there was a time when i wasn't sure we would be bringing her home. Unfortunately, this is isn't the case for lots of babies, as the Shrewsbury report showed.

There is a GBS charity with loads of useful information, which is www.gbss.org.uk but honestly, the fact you know about this is positive. Good luck with the birth of your baby 💐

I had it twice. I had to have antibiotics in a drip during labour and stay in for 24 hours so baby could be monitored. Both babies were absolutely fine.

I had strep B with DD, wasn't poorly and I was told I had to go into hospital as soon as my waters broke. As it was, I was induced so was already in hospital, they put me on an antibiotic drip when waters broke and then had to stay in hospital for 12 hours to monitor myself and DD. All was fine, no complications for me or DD

I tested positive last month at 37 weeks and informed my midwife, all it meant was that they gave me antibiotics as soon as my waters broke. It didn’t affect my birth plan in any way - I gave birth in the midwife-led unit as planned, could have used the birth pool if I’d wanted etc. Baby had observations for 12hrs after the birth but thankfully all was fine and we went home as soon as the checks were complete.

Please don’t worry about it - as others have said, it’s great that you know about it so that staff can do everything to ensure your baby arrives safe and well. Wishing you all the best with the birth!

I was found to have Strep b during labour last year (well, after I’d had the baby I guess). I ended up with an EMCS because both me and my baby were unwell (temperature, high BP, tachycardia for me, high HR for my daughter).

I ended up in hospital for three days on IV antibiotics twice a day. My daughter was fine.

I’ve been told I’ll automatically be given IV antibiotics during labour next time.

A friend of mine had it discovered early on in her pregnancy so was told that she would need to go in as soon as her waters broke to have antibiotics administered during labour. Her labour was so fast that they didn’t manage to get them in. She was kept in for 24 hours to have them and her daughter was also checked. Both mum and baby were fine.