Given birth at Lewisham hosp? GBS questions...

[hopingforanother]

Did you have IV antibiotics due to being a GBS carrier?

I had a GBS infection a couple of weeks after my daughter was born in 2006- she wasn't affected and I don't know if I was carrying GBS during that pg. I'm now pg again. I haven't been swabbed this pg but have been advised to have IV AB's during labour which I will do.

I'm booked in to have my second baby in a few weeks time and want to hear about people's experiences of having IV AB's at Lewisham, so I know what to expect.

I'm looking for info about the hosp policy around being admitted, getting the AB's and whether we'll be in for obs for a day or so afterwards.

I'll be asking my midwife at our next appt - but want info from people who have experience of this as a patient as there is a great deal of conflicting advice from midwives, doctors and the host of GBS info sources out there which does confuse things a bit.

I'd also be interested to know what side effects did you experience from the ABs? Did you and/or your baby get thrush? Did you feel poorly etc? Did you have any BF problems?

I'm not considering going without the AB's - just want to be prepared...! Similar post in childbirth section so sorry if you're reading same thing twice! Thanks so much to anyone able to answer my questions!

I don't know about your hospital, so can';t help there. I know some people do refuse antibiotics, but I wouldn't mess with GBS - it's too dangerous.

FWIW my ds was born at 35 weeks. We had no trouble with thrush/ breastfeeding.

hth and hope all goes well.

Sorry I had misread your post - tjhought you were going to refuse them.

Like I said before other that the discomfort of the canula, we had no problems

Hi Moonstorm - thanks for your reply! Glad to hear you had no thrush problems - that was one of my main concerns...

It seems that health care people are rather confused about what they're meant to say and do on this! I have been told on asking for more info to google it! Nice.

Though I'd prefer to have an intervention free, serene birth on a misty mountain, it isn't important enough to me to take a risk like refusing ABs for this...

Did you have to stay in as your DS was born at 35weeks anyway?

The best website for me was

www.gbss.org.uk they are really helpful on the phone, too.

Yes my ds was in SCBU for a week (could have come out after 4 days, but then there were concerns about jaundice). This time I will need to stay in for dc to be observed for 36 hours. Another thing I learnt last time that lots of people don't know about so I make sure to tell everyone (it's on the GBS website) is that GBS can be passed on by hands, so make sure you and everyone else washes their hands before handling your dc for the first 3 months. It's actually quite hard to ask others and they can look a but as though you are being over precious but I perservered anyway! I think it's because GBS is carried in the vagina in women, bu bowels in men (and women?) so it only takes someone (I'm sure not you!) not to be quite hygienic enough after visiting the toilet for the bacteria to find its way on to their hands. I have seen enough people not wash their hands after using pulic toilets to think that some people are't careful enough about hand washing!!!

FWIW knowing you have GBS is the important thing - it's when you carry it unknowingly that there is more risk of a problem.

Also check whether your hospital wants you to go straight in when your waters break - mine does.