Strep B question

[princessmumy]

Hello, if anyone could help me with my query I'd appreciate it as my next midwife appointment isn't until September. I'm 18+4 weeks.

I was told I had strep b before i got pregnant, I then had swabs done during my pregnancy and I was then told that I don't have it anymore.
Does strep b just go away?
Should I seek a second opinion?
Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Yes it can. They recommend that you test for it as close to due date as possible as it can come and go.

Okay great! Thank you for your reply, put my mind at ease

I showed as having strep b at 20 weeks. I read a lot of studies, protocols etc and decided if I showed no evidence of infection (temp rise etc) that I didn't want antibiotics administered to me or baby.
However it didn't matter what I wanted, they refused to discuss this in advance. They talked about maternal choices. That it was my choice not to have antibiotics. but ultimately they allowed no choice, the refused To test again closer to due date. Despite no evidence that I still had strep b.
They said I could refuse antibiotics, but They refused to discuss if I refused antibiotics if they'd automatically administer them to baby or if they'd observe baby. They refused to tell me what the protocol at the hospital was.

I refused iv antibiotics.
I had No changes to temp (I took it every hour for 48hrs before delivery) and refused vaginal examinations as this can introduce strep b to the canal, and in the end having a csection because labour didn't establish(and thus hadn't even had contact with the area where strep b could be present)
But then my ds was whisked away and given Iv antibiotics for three days. He got a 10 in the apgar test, he has no temp changes at all over the four days, and was super bright.
The reason was that I had tested for strep b, and so protocol for the hospital had no flex at all.
He had silent reflux from week three until 2years old.
Despite me giving probiotics.

I wish I hadn't read up at all about gbs, and the effect of antibiotics on gut health. Because ultimately if you use the NHS you have to follow the system they have. So I had knowledge, opinion but no power. I was not allowed to refuse the treatment of my ds. Had this been explained to me I would have had the iv antibiotics myself. If only so he didn't have a cannula inserted into his hand at 40minutes old.

My experience was quite different from pp. Because I tested positive for strep b during pregnancy with dd2 I couldn't give birth in the birthing suite only on the labour wsrd but both dd2 and I did not receive any antibiotics after her birth.

Hi,

I was tested for Strep b during early labour (just part of their checking routine) and we didn't get the results until after our baby was born although I think the midwife maybe suspected it in the birthing room as I had a slightly raised temperature.

To cut a long story short our little girl had a bit of mucous round her eye that tested positive for strep b, but didn't ever have the infection systemically despite having slightly raised infection markers.

The NHS follow the NICE clinical guidelines which typically prescribe 5 or 7 days' worth of intravenous antibiotics for your baby if they suspect a strep B infection in the baby. I won't deny it was very distressing to see our brand new little baby having a cannula inserted for the intravenous antibiotics but given how vulnerable babies are at that super-newborn stage I was happy for them to treat her this way as a precaution and trusted their experience and recommendations.

They gave our little girl a couple of ml of v sweet sugar solution (they have tiny vials of the stuff designed specifically for this purpose) to distract her when they were inserting the cannula. She cried but it was brief and it was all over.

We haven't had any adverse impacts from that first week of antibiotics (she had colic like most new babies from c 5 til about 13/14 weeks) but has suffered no side effects from those early antibiotics at all. In fact, she's been a super healthy baby and is rarely ill - even from colds.

I am now pregnant with our second baby and have been told I will be given intravenous antibiotics as a precaution against strep B during labour. I'd prefer not to have this (I'm not v brave with needles!), but in all honesty, the thought of losing my baby to this infection doesn't bare thinking about that I'm happy to have this precautionary treatment.

I hope sharing my experiences helps.

Thank you all for your replies!
I feel a bit more educated on this subject now, il be sure to bring it up with my midwife when I next see her.
I can't imagine how hard it must be to see your little bundle of sunshine so poorly, but I'm glad everyone recovered!
Best wishes to all of you lovely's!