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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

please tell me positive stories about group b strep :(

23 replies

TwinMummy30 · 08/08/2012 09:03

Saw my midwife yesterday and she told me they found strep b in my vagina and I have to have antibiotics given while in labour :( she didn't say anything else, just gave me a leaflet. I went on Google last night and read through many websites.
I know there are positive stories but I can't stop thinking about the negative ones and couldn't sleep last night. I'm 18 weeks. :(

OP posts:

PessimisticMissPiggy · 08/08/2012 09:11

Just because it's active now doesn't mean that it will be at the end of your pregnancy. They will however give you antiDs during delivery to prevent transmission.

I have strep b. My delivery was fine, DD perfect and I was home within 14 hours of delivery. You will see so many hcps in the days following the birth that any signs of infection will be picked up on (which will be rare).

If you don't make it to hospital then baby will get a dose as soon as she is seen by a midwife at the hospital.

Relax. It will be okay. It'll be on your birth plan and in my hospital they stick a massive bright sticker on your notes so it can't be missed! It's likely that those women who aren't routinely swabbed are more at risk than you.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

crikeybill · 08/08/2012 09:16

I had group b strep with dc2. I didn't even know until I went into labour with dc3 !! They told me I had been positive last time so needed antibiotics this time.
Dc2 was my easiest labour and we were home within 12 hours. Nothing happened to her and she is now a happy and healthy 7 year old.

JoJoB77 · 08/08/2012 09:22

I had gbs with dd & had antib's during labour. All was fine, i was fully mobile apart from the few hours having the drip in. No problems whatsoever and i'm glad i was tested as i'd rather that than not know & problems arising because of it.

Im currently 21 weeks with dc2 & will be swabbed at 36 weeks to see if gbs is present then

ktt5378 · 08/08/2012 09:32

I had gbs with my dd and found out at 20 weeks, she is now 6mo and has been perfectly fine. I did not get antib's when she was born as there was not time. There are very scary stories on Google and I was told in no uncertain terms by my midwife not to look them up (I did i'm too nosy for my own good) but as there is no routine testing you are much better off becasue at least you know.
Good luck

Original poster

TwinMummy30 · 08/08/2012 09:54

thank you everyone, it's good to hear that things were perfectly fine for you. i know i'm a very panicky person and i think i have to stay away from dr google.
they only found out that i have it because i've been having constant thrush, which i didn't have in my previous pregnancy.
thank you again. we'll try to be more positive.

OP posts:

Aboutlastnight · 08/08/2012 10:23

My DD1 got a GBS infection and was in SCBU for 10 days having IV ABs.

The positive is that if they suspect anything wrong at all, your baby will get treatment immediately.

But I think I was just very unlucky and thanks to ABs DD1 is now a healthy eight year old.

Congrats on your pregnancy

GnocchiNineDoors · 08/08/2012 10:29

I tested +ve at 12 weeks and clear at 28 weeks. However it does come and go so no guarantee of being clear at delivery.

The head MW tried to tell me I didnt need the ABs when my lavour started as "you will probably be clear". I asked to speak to the doctor who confirmed that even if I was clear, the ABs wouldnt cause any harm. And if I wasnt clear, then having them would protect the baby. Therefore I was adamant in having them (even though it meant I couldnt have a waterbirth.

They swabbed me again at delivery and I tested +ve so am glad I was forceful abiut the ABs.

Never ever had thrush, and was routinely tested at 12 weeks which is very rare so feel quite lucky I was 'caught' with it.

Aboutlastnight · 08/08/2012 10:39

I had a planned a planned section with DD2 and they didn't give ABs during op. paed then insisted DD2 have 2 days ABs as a precaution as I was higher risk having had a previous baby with GBS.

It's important to have the ABs, am that some people and health professionals are so casual about it.

TruthSweet · 08/08/2012 10:57

I tested positive for GBS colonisation with DD3, I didn't have prophylactic anti-biotics (it's not even recommended if you don't have additional risk factors as per Cochrane Review) and baby was fine - she would have been a home birth but she had passed meconium so we transferred in after my waters went. We stayed in hospital for less than a day but weren't monitored at all.

If I had had additional risk factors I would have had IV anti-biotics but I didn't so they weren't needed.

Ninileigh · 08/08/2012 11:15

The positive for you is that you already know you have it and will be treated accordingly. With DS, we only found out after he had breathing difficulties at birth, was taken into SCBU and put on a 10 day course of gentamicin because they suspected gbs related meningitis. Thankfully, we both came out of hospital fit and well after 10 days, but the danger with gbs is when you don't know you have it. x

tinyshinyanddon · 08/08/2012 11:46

I was gbs + with dc2. Didn't want to be hooked up to an iv during delivery and weighed the risks of baby getting an infection. Decided I didn't want the abs but would see what happened during delivery. As it turned out I delivered one hour after reaching hospital and that included doing all the intake paperwork so there was no time to even set up an iv let alone run abs. Baby is fine - we were kept in a little longer for observation and then sent home.

Original poster

TwinMummy30 · 08/08/2012 12:34

Thank you for putting my mind at rest. Will try and relax a bit.

OP posts:

libelulle · 08/08/2012 12:40

You are lucky that it's been picked up, because unlike other countries the NHS shamefully doesn't test for it, but really the risk is teeny tiny. About 25% of women apparently carry GBS at any one time, so 1 in 4 women giving birth will be carriers and the vast majority will know nothing about it. I had GBS picked up with first baby, irritating in that I didn't have time for antibiotics in labour so she needed to go to SCBU for a strep screen and antibiotics just in case, but in the grand scheme of things really no biggie. For my second child I was no longer a carrier - it comes and goes.

RegLlamaOfBrixton · 08/08/2012 12:48

I tested positive (urine test) in my first pregnancy, had the antibiotics in labour, and DS was fine (did not test positive) just monitored for 24 hours post-delivery. Have not tested positive in current pregnancy. The Group B Strep Support website is helpful and not too scary (IMO) www.gbss.org.uk/ and more informative than my MWs were! As others have said, the good thing is that you know you have it, as you will receive appropriate treatment.

JudithOfThePiece · 08/08/2012 12:59

As it has been picked up now, it can be very easily dealt with. Two of my NCT group had this and with ABs during labour, neither they nor their perfectly healthy babies suffered one iota.

Defo try to stay away from Google. It is the root of all evil!

Mandy21 · 08/08/2012 13:08

Just wanted to add that it really is positive that its been picked up. As everyone has said, it comes and goes so there is nothing to say that you won't be clear by the time the baby comes and you may be swabbed again just to double check.

If you are +ve, then you'll just have anti-biotics during labour - no detriment to you or the baby.

I had it with both of my pregnancies - 1st time I had the anti-biotics, everything was fine. 2nd time I had such a quick labour I didn't have time to have them but they kept us in for 24 hours so they could monitor us both to check there were no signs.

The risk is absolutely tiny but its a risk all the same - when my 1st babies were on SCBU (as they were premature), the baby next to them was in there because he'd had a fit at birth resulting from unknown GBS. You have the reassurance now that there is absolutely no chance they won't know you're potentially a carrier and will take the necessary action to protect you both.

ShushBaby · 08/08/2012 13:35

I tested positive for GBS in pregnancy and had antibiotics during labour (NB not Anti D as someone said above- that's something different, that you have in pregnancy if you're a partic blood group)

It was really fine! No need for sadness. In fact as others have said, it's fab that your baby will not be ill from undetected GBS.

I had a venflon in my hand (place for drip to be inserted). I still laboured in the pool (with hand out of water)/moved around etc exactly as I would have done otherwise. Every few hours they gave me some antibiotics through the drip.

It was really, really not a big deal. Don't panic.

myalias · 08/08/2012 13:43

I had strep b and had no problems - delivery on Christmas Day was fine and I was going to be discharged earlier so I could have Christmas dinner at home. The obstetrician advised that I had to stay in hospital for 24 hours to keep a check on ds due to the medication taken for strep b.

Original poster

TwinMummy30 · 08/08/2012 14:25

thanks RegLlamaOfBrixton will have a look at the website. my MW wasn't very informative either that's why i had to google it.
Congratulations to all of you on your healthy, uncomplicated births.
not feeling well at the moment, headache and runny nose, plus 4.6 year old twins to look after so no wonder i'm being more sensitive and tired. things seem to be bigger and scarier when you are not well.

OP posts:

libelulle · 08/08/2012 15:19

ah now I'm afraid they weren't uncomplicated But they were entirely unaffected by GBS, or indeed any of the other things I worried myself sick over! I know completely how easily this stuff can overwhelm you especially when you're knackered and ill anyway. I hope you feel better soon, and there are counselling midwives available at most hospitals if you feel like the anxiety is getting the better of you. I made good use of one second time round; I only wish I'd known about them from the off!

Original poster

TwinMummy30 · 08/08/2012 17:49

I meant unaffected .

OP posts:

libelulle · 08/08/2012 18:35

No worries! I just wanted to make it clear i didn't go through the whole pregnancy blissfully unaffected by any concerns or issues - I can see that if you post with concerns and a load of people go 'oh it was nothing', it would be easy to think they were just being blase about it all and happened to be lucky enough to have really easy pregnancies, if you see what I mean. I was cack-handedly trying to say that I've been there too with the anxious difficult bits!

PotteringAlong · 08/08/2012 18:46

I also had group b strep and DS is now 8 months old.

I had antibiotics in labour but they just put a cannula in my hand and hooked me up every few hours. My DS did show signs of infection when he was born so h had iv antibiotics for 48 hours plus 48 hours observation which did make for a long stay in hospital but they gave us a private room, he stayed with me and we went to SCBU every 6 hours where they gave him the drugs (he had a cannula in his hand which they left in for the observation period so they wouldn't have to redo it if anything was wrong).

Ultimately both he and I were fine and I'm so so glad I knewwhich made a potentially serious situation all ok

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