Group B Strep confusion

[teachertrainer80]

I decided to do a test with a private clinic (The Doctor's Laboratory) for Group B Strep as it isn't routinely tested for on the NHS. I sent off the swabs at the weekend having done the test at 36+3 and had a text message to say the result is negative (ie I don't have the infection so don't need IV ABs in labour).

Today at my 37 week appointment, my midwife informed me that the urine sample from my last appt (at 35 weeks) showed Group B Strep positive. I don't want a canula in labour with 4 hourly ABs if I can help it but I'm confused. Did I have the infection and it cleared? Surely it can return?

They advise testing no later than 37 weeks but am wondering how reliable the test is if GBS comes and goes....The latest test said GBS negative but the midwife wasn't sure if they had to go by their own test....Did a urine sample today so will chase up results early next week but 37+3 now so worried that I could go into early labour and still have no clarification on this.

Anyone know anything about this? I am worried I'll get the ABs to be on the safe side but it sounds like a faff. I want a water birth and you have to get out of the pool every few hours for IV ABs. Have done a lot of mental and physical prep for a natural birth including a pricey hypnobirthing course (I know this can all go out of the window anyway) and don't want the ABs if not necessary.

anyone?

Midwife Emma, not really sure that you should be advertising your services on here. . MN has a strict advertising policy.

Teacher trainer, the abx for group b strep are once every four hours, they run through very quickly. About ten minutes. Just thought that info might help you make your decision. How about asking your midwife for another test? Have a swab taken and see what that comes back as?

The infection is very transient so therefore not a reliable test. You could have it now and be clear by the time labour starts or vice versa. Where I am if a woman doesn't get her minimum of two abx doses the baby gets iv antibiotics for five days. Obviously a parent could decline that but I've never known anyone decline it, the paeds are usually fairly insistent!

Thanks both. It's a tough one as the most recent test (which was a swab so more sensitive) came back negative but I know that I had it at 35 weeks. I guess I'll just wait and see if the current urine sample shows signs of GBS.

Thanks again.

hi teachertrainer80, i'm glad you found the information useful.

vivalebeaver, i apologise if i have broken the rules. i did have a good look on the site regarding advertising when i joined, and could not find anything that stated that i couldn't put my website as a signature. i have had another look all over the site, and all i could find in regard to advertising was that they don't allow advertisements from anti breastfeeding companies e.g. formula companies or anything that goes against their philosophy.

if you could please give me the link to where your information is from, and i will no longer post and apologise again for breaking the rules.

kind regards,
Emma - midwife

From the MN talk guidelines,

Posting links and spamming
We have no problem with people posting the odd link to other sites that other posters might find useful or helpful. But we will delete anyone's attempts to "spam" the boards with links, as a way of promoting their own site or product or blog or e-petition, as it annoys our members. If you'd like to know more about promoting your product on Mumsnet (without being flamed on the boards), please read about our advertising opportunities. We also have a special section for requests from journalists or academics who'd like to ask Mumsnetters to help them with their research.

You only seem to have joined recently, are only posting on pregnancy and childbirth topics while including links to your antenatal classes in a signature in the majority of your posts.

well i don't personally feel that me putting a site at the end of my post after i have given midwifery evidence based advice is spamming, and none of my posts have been deleted so far. what you have quoted suggests that i am posting repeat messages only containing links.

however, i will contact mumsnet, and ensure that they are happy with what i am doing. i wouldn't want to annoy any members, and you are the first person that has brought this up so thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Emma

I tested positive for GBS when I was pregnant with ds2.
I didn't even know they'd done the test.
I was so panicked by the result, that I booked an appoitment with my midwife straight away to discuss it, she then referred me to a consultant as I was 'visibly distressed'.
The consultant agreed to induce me early as I had no idea when my waters went with ds1 and really wanted ds2's labour and delivery to be as managed as possible from the start.
I went into hospital on the allotted day and I had 4 courses of anti-biotics. 1 dose every 4 hours, lasted about 15 mins.
Ds2 had to stay in hospital for 48 hours after birth for 4 hourly observations.

Dd1 had a GBS infection as I had no idea I was a carrier. No ABs long labour (36 hours) resulting in EMCS and Dd1in SCUBU having IV ABs for two weeks.

She is now a healthy child but the experience was awful. Have had ABs in all subsequent labours.

I tested positive for GBS in labour last time. Both me and ds were given a course of AB's. We were both fine x

Well I'd say that what you're doing comes across as spamming to be honest. You've just joined a big parenting site. Yes you're giving a few words of advice and then slapping an ad on the end of it. It comes across as that you're only replying to posts in order to get your website advertised.

I agree beaver, but it's not doing you any harm so just ignore it or report it to HQ and let them deal with it however they will.
No point hijacking this thread about it.

Hi teachertrainer80, GBS found in the urine means an infection is present (urine is supposed to be sterile) so when it's found there it's treated with oral antibiotics and then IV antibiotics are offered in labour too. When NHS tests find GBS in the urine, that's hugely reliable - usually something doesn't grow that's not there :)

GBS in the vagina/rectum is carriage (living in and on without causing damage), doesn't need treating when found but is an indication for IV antibiotics in labour when found during the current pregnancy. The Doctors Laboratory test for GBS (ECM or enriched culture medium test) is one designed specifically to find it and, therefore is very good at doing so. Had it been there at the time you took the swabs, it's very likely to have found it. Having said that, GBS carriage can come and go, though it's not a daily event - research studies have found that the result of an ECM test is hugely likely to be the same, positive or negative, for the next 5 weeks, though you're slightly more likely to lose carriage during that time than acquire it.

There's lots more information about this on the Group B Strep Support website - not sure after all the previous conversations if I'm allowed to post their web address ... so I'll just say you can find their site easily and I've found the FAQ (in the section What is GBS?) really helpful.

Good luck!

Lovely You can link to other sites, that's absolutely fine, I think the issue here is if a poster is using the forum to promote their site without paying MN advertising fees iyswim.
Think this is the link you're talking about