Had IV anitibiotics for GROUP B STREP but they say they won't do it this time...

[Tamashii]

1st PG I accidentally found out I had Group B Strep when other routine tests were being done. I was told I would need 4 hrs of IV antibiotics during labour to avoid the LO needing antibiotics once born. This is what happened and LO was fine. I had maternal pyrexia during labour too which I am told can be a sign of the GBS so I am glad it was spotted before I gave birth.

I am now PG again and have been told by the MW that they no longer offer IV antibiotics in our area if you were previously positive for GBS and they don't actually test for it on the NHS (but they found it in my 1st PG so I am confused).

I am terrified that I will have GBStrep again this time and something awful will happen to the baby since they are saying I basically won't be tested or treated. How can this be right???????

I am sure that I was told last time that because I was positive for GBStrep the 1st time it would be likely that they would give me AB's for any subsequent pregnancy...

Any help please?

I had srtepB in my first pg and had iv antibiotics.

StrepB will not automatically turn up again in a subsequent pg and you won't be given AB during labour unless you test positive for strepB.

Easy solution is do what i did - have private test for strepB around 37 weeks. If you google it, you can have a private test done at home (they send you a vaginal and anal swab) with no GP involvement and they text you your results.
If you are negative for strepB, you don't need AB. If positive, you will be given AB. It costs about £50 I think.

Try not to worry and let's hope you are not strepB. i found the whole process quite awful as I had to labour lying down with a drip. This time round (just got my bfp recently) I'm going to be inserting garlic up my fanjo to try to prevent it.

HTH

Meant to say, the NHS tests are fairly useless anyway - they have only a 50% success rate. Private tests are very accurate and are used around the world but our nhs won't fund it.

Hi tamashii am a fellow October thread mum

I had this last time too and haven't asked them about it this time as I had also heard they wouldn't do it. I'm going to pay for a private test and see what that says.

The NHS don't routinely screen for GSB but it sometimes does get picked up in other tests, but you can send off for a private test which costs just over £30 - www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/strepbtest.html. You swab yourself, send the samples back and they text/mail you the result.

I had antibiotics during labour, but it just involved a canula in my hand which a dose was put it through. I wasn't on a drip nor was my movement restricted in anyway.

Labour was very quick and there wasn't 4 hours between AB and ds being born. As waters had remained in tact throughout the first stage, I knew there was a very low risk, so opted to stay in hospital overnight with ds being monitored for infection (4 hourly temp readings) rather than giving him antibiotics.

Thanks very much for the links and advice. I really appreciate it. Will get the private test at 37 weeks n hope for the best. Hi to Fleecy ! May tentatively google the garlic advice to see what u mean.

In my first pregnancy I was told they'd found I had group B strep from the swab they took when my waters broke and I went in to labour. The birth was fast and I was home the next day and it was only then that I was told I had it, but luckily everything was ok.

In my second pregnancy they said it should be fine for me to have a home birth despite finding group b strep previously as it is something that comes and goes. I did ask to be tested late in pregnancy and the test came back negative this time, so I went ahead with a brilliant home birth.

Rosebud that's very interesting about your DS. Despite having ABs throughout a 9 hr labour, the hospital still insisted on giving DD IV ABs for 48 hours through a canula. It meant she was whisked off to special care to have it inserted within a few hours of the birth. I feel this affected our bonding and bf.

I wasn't aware that you cuold insist on 4 hourly monitoring.
The drs seemed to make me feel I was risking my baby's lfe by not doing as they suggested.

It's all very interesting info for this time round (due in Nov)

I should also add I ended up with an emergency c-section - which means the risk of strep B passing was v low- no?
the more I think about it.........am a bit pissed off that they gave poor DD a canula in her hand when she was less than 5 hrs old.

Mrs, I'm by no means an expert but that that sounds odd. I didn't so much 'insist' as went along with what the hospital advised, knowing that the risk was very low as there were only a few minutes between the mw breaking my waters and ds being born. Had your waters broken much earlier?

I think you're right that there is a low risk with a c-section.

It sounds like different PCTs have different protocols. If I was in your position, I think I'd ask for a birth debrief now to go over why the decisions you outline above were made and think through your options for this birth. You may test negative of course, but you won't know until much later on.

Hi, I tested positive for GBS in my first pg and had IV antibiotics.

They missed it from my notes in second pg so DD needed IV antibiotics for 48 hrs (she tested negative for it anyway). Mrs it was horrible, I know how you feel. They should not have done this to your DD as there is virtually no risk of transmission during a CS- Rosebud has good advice about the debrief, it may help you for this time around- good luck to you!

This time I insisted they test me at 36 weeks and acted based on that. I tested negative so am not having them this time. You can insist on a test.

The consultant told me risk is very low anyway- 20% of women have GBS at any one time, of these women, 1 in 100 babies will contract it during labour. Of these, 1 in 100 will become ill. It is just the severity of the illness in these few babies which is the problem.

The MW told me they monitor the babies carefully if there has been any previous positive GBS tests, rather than going straight for antibiotics now. Make sure everyone doing your aftercare is aware you have had a positive test, so that they can check your baby with this in mind. Good luck!

Thanks again for more responses. The advice on making sure the baby is monitored and checked after the birth is great. I am def paying for the private test at 35-37 weeks AND I am going to give the advice on probiotics/garlic a try. I wonder if DH will notice the garlic smell at night... Maybe I'll have to explain!

Thanks again to everyone. It's just another horrible worry. You think if you make it to getting through the birth and your LO is healthy on arrival then you're all clear but with the Group B Strep factor it just means I'll be terrified for LO. I am absolutely keeping everything crossed for a negative Group B Strep result this time. For ALL of us.