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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

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Original poster

Group B strep - anyone know anything about it when ttc?

16 replies

iwillbepositive · 21/06/2007 15:49

Just had some tests back and am positive for Group B strep. I know ordinarily they do not treat this as you can get reinfected very easily, but my GP is going to anyway (this is 16th month ttc with one early m/c). Does anyone know anything about it?? I have a feeling (no real evidence tho) that I have been having regularish very early miscarriages over the past year or so - do you think this might be a reason? Clutching at straws??

OP posts:

bamamama · 21/06/2007 16:38

Hi there, not too much help I'm afraid but I tested positive for group B strep at the birth of my ds which required him staying in the scbu for a week on antibiotics. I'm not sure if any infection can affect a child before labour (ds was treated partly because there was (a lot) more than 24 hours between the waters breaking and birth) however I'm sure that as a precaution you've nothing to lose having this treated now. I know that it depends where you live regarding post birth treatment - ds on antibiotics for a week in Scotland, a friend with exactly the same situation in England told there would be no treatment and just keep an eye out for infection for the first 3 months! Good luck

whizzymummy · 07/08/2007 07:03

Hi, I am in the same situation as you iwillbepositive, I was getting lots of discharge so got tested for various things and told I was group B strep positive. Did you get treated and did it work? I was given antibiotics (amoxicillin I think) for it but had a repeat test and it is still there. I've been told to take antibiotics again but does anyone know whether I should bother - surely if it didn't get rid of it the first time why would it now? We are ttc for no. 2 now and so if I thought it would cause problems I would want to treat it.

wonkoswife · 07/08/2007 08:30

I was dignosed with the same when I was pregnant with DD. All that happened is that I was given IV antibiotics during labour. If I remember correctly I think it is one of those things that is in all of us but doesn't always present itself. If I hadn't had a swab during pregnancy I never would have know and I wouldn't have been give antibiotics. I think that I will need AB in labour from now on.

goingfor3 · 07/08/2007 08:33

I have GBS and as far as I know it hasn't affected my fertility. I've heard of it causing prem labour but not early miscarriages. I was treated for it with antibiotics during my pregnancy with DD1 yet still had the infection when tested later.

fawkeoff · 07/08/2007 08:36

i tested positive for gbs whenpg with ds,evrybody has gbs but if it is detected when pregnant they treat with ABs so the baby doesnt catch the infection during childbirth as it can cause them meningitis.my labour was really quick so ds had to stay in hospital for 4 days and be given the ABs.as far as i know GBS shouldnt be giving you problems with miscarriages

frapachino · 07/08/2007 08:40

Group B strep can come and go so by labour you might be clear. A re-swab at 36 weeks will probably be done and if + then ab given in labour.

MadAsABagOfFrogs · 07/08/2007 08:51

I was found to have Strep B during my last pregnancy. I had to have IV antibiotics during labour but wasn't in labour long enough to have a second dose. I had to stay in hospital for 2 days with my LO while he had 4 doses of antib's over 48 hours. As far as I am aware with Strep B it comes and goes, so if you present with Strep B at one point a week later you could be clear and then several weeks later it could be back again. Some PCT's will give antib's as a precaussion to infection at birth and others don't.

I'm not sure about it affecting fertility. I to have had lots of early miscarriage during my years of ttc-ing. I reckon approxiamatly 5 a year during my 10 years I was trying. I now have 3 lovely dc. I have not seen any research to link strep b with miscarriage, but if anyone knows of any I would be very interested to read it.

annobal · 07/08/2007 09:07

I tested +ve while pg with DS2. The protocol at my hospital is to treat during labour with iv abs as once you have tested positive while pg it can come and go and hence there is a blanket policy to treat all women who have ever tested +ve while pg.

When pg with DS3 I did a lot of research and made the decision to not have the iv abs as the possibility of problems later due to having the abs (to the baby) outweighed the risk of baby contracting a group b strep infection. The odds of the baby contracting a gbs infection are much much higher if waters have broken for longer than 18 hours and/or if the baby is premature (pre 37 weeks). The decision was a controversial one but certainly had the support of my mw.

I also have heard of a gbs infection causing pre-term labour but not miscarriage.
hth

whizzymummy · 07/08/2007 09:16

I'm in 2 minds really. I had my ds by c-section and my ob/gyn told me that strep B is not an issue if I have another c-section since it's only a vaginal birth that causes a problem. However I had 2 miscarriages before my ds and earlier in the year lost a baby at 14 weeks to turners syndrome so kind of feel like I don't want to increase my risk of more problems in pregnancy. I've been through enough already I wouldn't want anyone to tell me it will cause me problems conceiving or even having more miscarriages / complications. From what all you guys say it sounds like it's ok just to accept I'm positive and do nothing more about it?

Original poster

iwillbepositive · 07/08/2007 15:50

I haven't found any evidence linking GBS to miscarriages either so I don't want to worry anyone - I just wonder if something is preventing implantation in my own case. I think lissie posted re. some research she had found but I can't remember where. I have been treated now (with penicillin) but I may well still be colonised - another chemical preg last month but who knows what the problem is. GBS may well be irrelevant!

OP posts:

goingfor3 · 07/08/2007 15:53

About 70% of women carry GBS so that would leave alot of people with fertility problems. I really hope your luck changes soon.

meandmyflyingmachine · 07/08/2007 15:56

I had GBS detected at 5 weeks (after having had no trouble conceiving) and asked if it could be the cause of my previous m/c. I was told that it was very unlikely to be linked.

Sorry if that isn't what you wanted to hear.

meandmyflyingmachine · 07/08/2007 15:58

And of course - good luck...

whizzymummy · 07/08/2007 16:00

Sorry to hear about your chemical pregnancy iwillbepositive, I hope you have some luck very soon. I am going to try and stop clutching at straws at reasons for things going wrong (or not happening as the case may be!) and just cross fingers we manage to conceive successfully soon! Thanks for your comments.

lissie · 07/08/2007 21:09

heres the research i found. its really only associated with mc if the infection gets into the uterus. this can happen if you are in prolonged labour.

i hope your luck changes. x

Original poster

iwillbepositive · 08/08/2007 08:33

Thanks Lissie. Good luck with your ttc break - I'm having one too this month because I just can't face the excitement followed by misery, for a while anyway. Hoping it will happen for us all soon....

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