Strep B positive ... Advice lease

[zogar75]

there

I'm just over 38 weeks pregnant and paid privately to test for strep B as I have for previous pregnancies and today for the first time it's back as Positive.

According to the lab that gives the result and according to the leaflet I obtained from the strep B support website it says that a positive result will require anti bionics during labour.

I rang my midwife today and she was quite snappy about it , said lots of women carry the bacteria etc ( which I'm aware of ) and that the swabs I had aren't conclusive and she will need to do a urine test and only if it's colonised in my blood stream will I then need anti biotics !

I'm confused as everything I have read says a positive result will require antibiotics and nothing anywhere states a positive result will need to be followed up by a urine test .

I have had super quick labours in the past and I'm worried I won't get to hospital in time to get intravenous antibiotics but also worried about my midwifes blasé attitude !

Sorry long winded post !!

Just wondered what others experience was of it!

Thanks

Zoe

I tested positive too and was hooked up to antibiotics as soon as I went into labour for four hour drip. Ended up having a c section in the end much later though. Baby emerged fine. Had been exposed to the antibiotics in utero and was quickly checked over. Went home 2 days later.
I was told that if I had a swift labour and couldn't have the drip first, then baby would be given antibiotics at birth and not to be concerned.

Try a different midwife perhaps as yours doesn't sound hugely sympathetic. The virus can come and go so I was advised to go on my test. Good luck. x

Sounds like your midwife is firmly of the old skool :)

And, um, surely if you had a bloodstream bacterial infection that would be big shakes, would it not?? As in sepsis?? I don't know why she mentioned that.

AFAIK if a woman tests positive for GBS from a rectal/ vaginal swab near to delivery, it's recommended she has IV antibiotics during labour.

I had GBS colonisation with both mine (not urine...not blood FFS) and I had a big red sticker on my notes saying 'give this woman IV antibiotics' (well, not quite but something similar). With DC2, the labour was too quick to get the ABs in (yay) so we had to stay in for 24 hours with monitoring of DS to make sure he was OK.

I would ask for a second opinion. Failing that, when you do go into labour just ring the delivery ward and they will advise...

My friend tested positive and had her baby today. Labour was too quick for her to get antibiotics but baby has had them and they'll be out by the weekend.

I had undiagnosed GBS in my first pg and my DS ended up in the SCBU for over a week with complications. The next time I was brought in as soon as my waters broke and was on IV antibiotics the whole time I was in labour.

The midwife is an arse. You don't fuck about with GBS.

Another one with undiagnosed GBS. DD1 in SCBU for 2 weeks, poorly. Had ECS with DD2 and was given ABs even though it was a CS!

I had group b strep picked up in another test earlier in pregnancy. I had a yellow sticker put in my notes and was advised that if waters broke get to hospital as from that point any infection could affect the baby. The infection may or nay not be 'live' at any time but advice was precautionary so great as though it was live.

I was put on an iv drip from when I was in labour at hospital even though waters had yet to be broken. Staff were concerned that the baby might be infected and had him on antibiotics for a few days, which (i think) made him more susceptible to thrush so the early weeks weren't much fun; better that imo than a potentially very sick baby.

With DS2 I wasn't tested, they just treated as though I had it so same deal with iv drip during labour. Ended up being emcs and baby in scbu for a few days and was on antibiotics, but this time avoided thrush etc.

The iv drip didn't hinder active labour such as bouncy ball, striding about etc and I was told I could use the active birth room with DS1 although in the event it was full so used standard room.

I agree you should seek another opinion and maybe speak to your GP too. Hope it all goes well. Make sure it's clear in your notes and do tell anyone involved on the labour to make sure you are treated appropriately.

Thanks for your lovely reassuring and funny replies !!!

My midwife is new to me as my old one left last week and she is in mid 50s so yes old school and she's not anywhere as nice as my old one .... she made me feel stupid for worrying and dismissed the positive result !

I paid £35 for a gold service vaginal / rectal swab they say is better than NHS testing and highly reliable with little or no false positives .

I've read up on this so many times ( 5th pregnancy ) and had tests for last 3 but this is first positive .

I have given a urine sample but my worry is that if it comes back as uncolonised ( whatever the hell that means ) then I will be fobbed off by my midwife. Not willing to take any risks which is why I paid privately to have it done .

It's shocking how never once has any midwife ever mentioned GBS to me ! Only found out about it through a magazine article with baby 3 ! Crazy that it's not routinely tested !!!

Thanks ladies !!!! I felt like i was being paranoid earlier and that maybe it wasn't as serious as I thought !

Zoe xxx

I tested pos for GBS from a vaginal swab at 22wks and my hospital/midwives are giving the standard advice about advising IV ABs in labour, even though I have since had a course of ABs and may well now be clear - they treat me as potentially positive from this point on. For me it means I can't have a HB, but having checked I can use the active birth suite and birth pool. They also administer the ABs once every 4 hrs (takes 10mins) rather than hooking me up to a constant drip, so moving around is less problematic. I freaked out at first (first baby, had had another scare prior to this news) but have been reassured by the advice I've received. Quite possibly your midwife isn't up to date with your hospital's policy - worth checking. I was told the same thing by 2 hospitals I'd been in contact with.

Just a quick update ..

Spoke to the clinic that swabs sent to and they think midwife talking crap too !!!

They said the positive result is conclusive and there is no need to have urine sample as it's not as reliable !
So waiting to hear back from my midwife to see what she had to say and then I not sure what to do ?
Possibly ring the hospital and see if I can talk to another midwife ???

So annoying when everything feels like a battle and should be straightforward !!! Hope I don't go I to labour anytime soon !

NHS guidelines about managing GBS have changed recently and only if you test positive in this pregnancy will you have antibiotics in labour. This is the case for you, so you should be offered them, regardless of the MW's comments! I think the confusion arises because a lot of women are colonised but it comes and goes, so you could test positive one week and not the next. I have to say,my MW didnt have a clue when i asked her about it all. The consultant however said they are less concerned about vaginal swabs that GBS being found in urine, so that's maybe what your MW was trying to say?

My own experience is that I had antibiotics with my first two births, having tested positive with vaginal swabs for GBS in the first pregnancy. This time have tested negative with urine and swabs so my consultant was very happy to agree I could have a home birth as their guidelines have changed. It tend to have a private test against 35-37 weeks, but fingers crossed it will be negative.

Sorry to hear about other posters' babies affected by GBS, that must be really scary. If I was you OP, I would try and speak to a hospitalMW who has more knowledge of dealing with GBS in labour. Hope all goes well for you.

Thanks Quodlibet for your reply

Seems everyone saying the same and nice that they are treating you well and as they should be .

I have no idea why my midwife isn't taking this seriously and it's more if a worry for me because last 3 births very quick ( less than an hour ) and I barely made it to hospital ( see one born every minute for reference !!! ) so if this baby arrives quickly there won't be time for 4 hourly antibiotics !

Had a nice easy pregnancy , trust me to make it complicated right at the end !!!!!!

Don't worry, though. My last birth was really quick and no time for ABs, but DS was fine. Prepare for a bit of extra time in hospital though (24 hours in our case).

Well just been told by the day unit at hospital ( as can't get hold of my midwife ) that they will not treat GBS based on a swab and that it had to be present in my urine .

I pointed out that there was a risk of passing it to my baby and the midwife said ' well yes if your waters break but we'd deal with it then '
Nice to feel so reassured !! Not sure what to do now !

Maybe you could ask the organisation Group B Strep Support for some advice? They should be able to point you toward the relevant NHS guidance, which you can then pass on to the hospital/ midwives.

There advice says you should be offered IV IBs.

Sorry it's proving such a struggle -aaaaargh.

Actually, here are the NICE guidelines, which the hospital appears not to be following if they are pursuing a policy of 'no treatment' unless it's found in your urine.

From reading what you have written I do wonder if there might be a bit of a miscommunication. People might not realise that you are asking about abx in labour and might think that you are asking about them now. If you had GBS in your urine then I would assume they would treat now. Otherwise they would wait until labour. The appears to be what the second person said anyway.

Thanks Ragusa !

Just had a massive row with midwife who tried to throw stats at me and told me to read the Nice guild lines they follow !!
It was a constant battle of the wills with her trying to outwit me and saying she had a degree !!! Also said the private clinics are there to make money !! Said I could pop to the doctors ' off my own back ' yo get antibiotics if I wanted to !!!
Didn't know what to say though when I said the NHS website says that if you've had a swab or urine sample both should be treated with antibiotics ! Her answer ' I haven't looked on there ' .

She kept saying the chances were slim of me passing it on to the baby but that we'd know if there was a problem as the baby would be yellow looking and ill !
She didn't know what to say when I told her the NGS actually swabbed me with my 3 rd pregnancy and if it was so irrelevant then why did they do a swab and not a urine sample .
I'm exhausted now .... Shouldn't be a battle of wills should it ? I just want my baby to be protected and not have to fight for it .

She even said I could have oral antibiotics once I turned up at hospital in labour even though she knows I gave quick labours and couldn't answer me when I said that oral antibiotics aren't really going to work if I'm just about yo give birth .

She even asked would I forget about it and be reassured if the urine sample comes back clear !!! Umm no !!!!

I'm not asking for a private wing with 20 doctors on standby ! I just want some antibiotics and a bit if reassurance !
She basically implied that everything out there on GBS is made up and not serious .

I asked her her in that case to write me a letter saying my positive swab won't effect my baby or cause any problems and she said ' I can't do that ' !!!

I'm almost hoping the tribe sample is positive so they may take me seriously .

I would complain about her to her Supervisor of Midwives, she sounds absolutely awful, and her clinical knowledge is appaling.

Babies are not 'born yellow' if they're affected by GBS, FFS! Honestly, it makes you wonder about how they assess newborns in the hospital and whether she is even aware that a baby could have early-onset GBS.

By the time the baby 'looks ill', things are dire indeed.

What a ridiculous situation!

How would popping to the GP 'off your own back' to get ABs help??? Is he going to appear at the magic moment of labour and administer them intravenously?????

Your MW can fob you off as much as she likes, but if you need to Write GBS positive on the front of your notes. The hospital will need to treat you accordingly.
I have been GBS positive and even with ELCSs babies are put under additional obs.

Sorry, posted before I read the last of the thread. GBS generally only affects the baby when you are pregnant if its in your urine. However if labour starts/ water breaks it can pass to baby, although longer exposure - greater risk.
Do not be fobbed off on this one, I do a lot of work with SANDS and it is a serious issue which can cause neonatal death. I'm really not trying to scare.
If you don't get the ABs in labour insist that they treat the baby and keep under obs.

Sorry, what the hell do they mean IF your waters break?!
I think sometimes being a a position of authority really goes to people's heads and they can just be shits.
I'd definitely complain to the Supervisor of Midwives.

Can I ask what company did your private test? They don't test routinely, do they?

MW doesn't know what she's talking about & sounds very confused. Yes these days they only treat with abx during PREGNANCY if GBS is present in urine not vaginal swab, but BIRTH is a completely different scenario, and you were asking her about getting antibiotics in time as you have quick labours. I agree with the poster who said write GBS positive on the front of your notes and also staple the test results inside. At the first sign of labour, ring the hospital and say you are a Strep B carrier, have quick labours & you think your waters have gone (even if they haven't)....they will have you in and on the abx straight away.

It's a ridiculous situation though because you need reassurance from a healthcare professional that this will happen, not be fobbed off with misinformation. I'm sorry you're having so much unnecessary stress! Look at the GBS website, it tells you everything you need to know.

Thanks everyone ! Some great advice .
I found her attitude and that if the midwife on the day unit quite shocking . Not a hint if reassurance and just an implication that I was making a big fuss ! What an attitude to have in what should be such a caring role . Also incredible how the midwives close ranks and back each other up but don't seen to make any more sense !

My last midwife who left last week was lovely ,quite young but so caring and helpful . I think the older midwives get too complacent about their role .
For a midwife to say ' what is it you want us to do ' was not the greatest bedside manner !

U wonder how many women get fobbed off when they have little knowledge or when they allow these people to just bombard them with facts and figures that don't make sense .

Will update you when I get results from urine sample and or a call from midwife. My partner rang the labour ward and they were very nice he said but again they said it depends on urine sample and they can't do anything until the results of that ...... Banging my head again a brick wall !!

The lab I sent swabs to by the way was one from the GBS support website ' the doctors laboratory ' . A money making back street doctor as far as my midwife was concerned !!!!!

P.s thanks again for all your kind words xxx