Tested positive for GBS and feeling horrible

[Breadrollsbuns]

My Group B Strep test came back positive today and it's made me feel ashamed and slightly disgusted with myself, like I've caught something horrible. I know this is completely ridiculous and probably just my 38 week hormones pumping, but that's how I feel :( I'm also worried as I'm allergic to penicillin so not sure what the treatment is.

Does anybody have any experience of this to calm a neurotic pregnant woman? I'm also now paranoid about when to go to hospital.. Do you need to go earlier to make sure you get antibiotics (ie before the normal one minute contractions every 5 minutes)? My midwife was singularly unhelpful and just said that I should mention it as and when I get to hospital, but I thought you had to get drugs a certain number of hours before. Aaargh!

I'm booked into harrogate hospital.

Look at www.gbss.org.uk it will explain everthing, you can send for/download stickers for your notes, my daughter is allergic to penicillin but was given something else, the ABs should be given 4 hours before birth but if there is no time as in her case they are given after, she and my little minxy grandaughter are doing great 7 months on, dont worry it is more common than you think, just be thankfull that you found out and can sort it, take care, x :)

don't worry!!! about one third of ALL women carry GBS, so its perfectly normal! i had gbs in my last pregnancy. i had to have IV ABs. i don't have any allergies though. you should look up the GBSS website they have loads of info on there, so there's probably something about what you would have if you can't have penicillin.

you usually need two doses of ABs four hours apart- but i don't know if this will be the same with teh penicillin alternative. my mw said go earlier than 1 in 5 but you don't need to go straight away either. not very helpful either! as it happened i was induced so was there from the very beginning anyway.

if you have the ABs the hospital should discharge you as normal but if you don't then they may want to keep you in for monitoring. i believe its 24-48 hours monitoring of baby to make sure the baby is OK. but you should check your hospital's policy as each hospital seems to have different policies!

honestly don't worry- its better you know that you have it and you can take measures to protect your baby.

you should also be given a sticker to put on your notes so that you don't have to mention it, its then obvious to anyone who cares for you. i think gbss can send you a sticker if your midwife hasn't given you one. or maybe the company you tested with (i'm assuming youve tested privately) will send you a sticker.

I tested positive for GBS a few weeks ago (earlier in pregnancy than you) and I immediately felt revulsion at myself, and refused to buy anything for the baby as my Midwife told me my baby "might die".

I spent about a week feeling so down and depressed about it, like I'd failed my child already - all completely irrational thoughts but I was so upset about it all. I read everything I could find about GBS (even though Midwife told me not to read anything as it would only scare me ), and now my emotions have settled down I'm not worked up about it anymore. I'm confident in the course of treatment with the antibiotics and the observation of the baby after birth etc now.

My Midwife told me to call the labour ward the second I go into labour as it's important to get on the antibiotic drip right away. I'm not sure what the penicillin alternative is, but I know I've read that there is one.

I really hope you feel better about this soon, I know it's hard.

Petunia, I can't believe your midwife said that!

I tested +ve but ended up with an emergency section no need for the antibiotics but just wanted to say its nothing to be ashamed or disgusted about. It is completely normal. At least you know and can have the antibiotics. A lot of countries routinely test and I can't figure out why we don't here considering the effects it can have on baby if not picked up. I was tested because of all sorts of issues at about 30 weeks but wouldn't have been otherwise. If I have another child I would def pay for a private test for peace of mind.

Silverangel, (if you don't mind me asking) did your baby have to have IV antibiotics after delivery by section?
I may be having a repeat ELCS for other medical reasons (undecided at the moment) and they said the risk isn't any lower for passing it on via a caesarean (I don't really believe this, though) and we'd still need the antibiotics before if not after delivery.

My midwife has said some shocking things this pregnancy, and has even said some inappropriate things to me about her other patients. Too scared to complain in case she takes it out on me

Thanks for that GBSS website link, very interesting.

Your mw sounds horrific!

Slightly different situation - I have identical twins and they were put on a broad spectrum antibiotic as a precaution in SCBU (common in preemies, they were born at 31 weeks), I'm pretty sure when I asked before they we're delivered and decided to put in an early appearance they said that they wouldn't need antibiotics for GBS as it is only passed during labour, iirc.

Their prematurity was nothing to do with the GBS either, it shouldn't cause any problems:)

Your mw sounds horrific!

Slightly different situation - I have identical twins and they were put on a broad spectrum antibiotic as a precaution in SCBU (common in preemies, they were born at 31 weeks), I'm pretty sure when I asked before they we're delivered and decided to put in an early appearance they said that they wouldn't need antibiotics for GBS as it is only passed during labour, iirc.

Their prematurity was nothing to do with the GBS either, it shouldn't cause any problems:)

Thank you everybody, I know I'm being silly and hearing your experiences has made me feel a lot better

I tested negative for GBS during my PG yet DS2 tested positive for it when he was in the special care baby unit and had antibiotics.

Not sure how that happened but just wanted to let you know that even if you had not tested positive there would still be a risk your baby had gbs - isn't it better that you know and can manage it?

Thanks, silverangel. There's so much conflicting advice from medical professionals regarding the appropriate procedures! Funnily enough, I am a twin (non identical) and was born at 31 weeks (in the dark ages of the 1980s).

Sorry Breadrollsbuns for hijacking your thread a bit. You're not being silly at all, I think it's completely normal to be shocked by any sort of test result that comes back positive. Like others have said, it really is best to know now rather than after delivery. It really does help to hear what others have been through with the GBS - so thanks for starting this thread as I was searching like mad on here for more information a few weeks ago :)

Am I missing something? Why ashamed and disgusted? It's a bacterial infection isn't it? What? How is it any different to getting conjunctivitis?

Petunia your MW sounds awful!
I tested +ve for GBS as did two of my friends. My experience was that I left it too late for ABs when I got to hospital (DD was delivered 15 mins later in fact - but that's another story). So DD had a cannula put in her foot and 48 hrs of ABs. After 48 hrs a blood test result came back and showed she was not infected anyway (though if she had been chances are she would have been ill in the first 12 hrs more than later). So we came home. She is now 10 days old and in fine fettle.
My two friends manage to get the ABs in before delivery - one with a water birth, one with an epidural. The first went home straight away, the second stayed in for a few days but for other reasons.
There is no need to feel disgusted- it is very common. It sounds like you need another appt with a MW to discuss it properly, especially your allergy to penicillin.

SilentBoob, you're not missing anything, I'm being ridiculous , it's just the 'you are positive' text made me feel horrible (I blame hormones) - I'm being completely irrational, which is why I posted because I knew that the Mumsnet ladies would sort me out :)

Heliumballoon, yes I agree thank you - I'm seeing the midwife tomorrow so will try and get some more information so that I can chill out!

Irrational pregnancy guilts are my worst symptom by far!

Ps. Petuniaflipflops, you're welcome and no worries :)

... And thank you for sharing your experiences :)

I know how you feel, I remember being told I had this and thought it was a Sexually Transmitted Disease. I truly felt awful. But as someone said, one third of women have this, it's nothing to be ashamed of.

I also tested positive for Toxoplasmosis. Honestly, I just felt like a disease-ridden whore!

It is important not to underestimate how dangerous GBS is, though. I personally knew two babies who died of this. Make sure you get your antiobiotics.

It's not really an infection either, it's just colonisation, where the bacteria naturally live without causing any problems.

If you think of it, you have bacteria everywhere on/in your body...millions of them. Skin, Nose, Gut, Mouth....everywhere. It's normal.

Anyway, it can be devastating to a newborn. My DD had sepsis from GBS and almost died, so it's best that you've found out now and there can be plans put into place to prevent it.

I'm pretty sure there were other antibiotics that could treat it...I remember my DD having a wide range of them, before they honed it down to one that did its job well.