Strep B and c sections

[Franny90]

I am 37 weeks pregnant, and i think that if I hold out to 39 weeks and get a c section its the best I can do for my baby. The baby only can get exposed to the strep b as she passes threw my vejina , then doesn't it make since to want to do a c section to prevent her from being exposed? Five percent of babys get sick and die is it worth the chance of loosing a child? If 10-30% is very common for women to get strep b , hows five present much different. What's the women to do in the five percent of babys sepose to do after being told it be ok don't worrie and somethen happens to her baby?

If you test positive for group B strep, rather than a C-section you can be given antibiotics during labour. Talk to your midwife about this if you are concerned.

Yea but the antibiotics don't always work then what

Then if your baby gets ill they get treated with antibiotics.

Fewer than 1 in 1000 babies develop group b strep and most of those suffer no long term effects.

There are no guarantees that can be given. My DS, for example, developed Group B Strep after a C-section which is rare. He was given antibiotics and is fine.

You need to talk to your midwife if this is something you're panicking about.

Thank you, they no help everyone say it be fine but what if its not my baby can die and nothing can replace her, what happens if she is that one, where is everyone don't worrie it be ok then, sorry thanks for your help

C-sections have risks too. The risks of a C-section in this situation are higher than the risks of strep B being passed during a vaginal birth.

No-one can ever tell you definitively "it'll be fine", there'll always be something that COULD happen to you or your baby. The only thing we can do is weigh risks objectively and comparatively. That's the right thing to do.

Unfortunately nothing is risk free OP. If it was safer to deliver by c section in these circumstances then that is what would happen. However, based on the evidence available, the recommendation is to give IV antibiotics in labour to prevent neonatal GBS infection

I think you need to speak with your midwife. Most women likely are colonised with strep B (it's everywhere on our skin, in our noses, etc.) so having it present in the vagina is also not uncommon. It's why the NHS has largely not tested for it, because it doesn't necessarily mean anything. It's possible to have a perfectly normal birth with strep B and just because you have it doesn't mean your baby will have it. Many babies are exposed and it's usually only in extreme cases that babies get sick, usually in very high intervention births, or births where there has been a complication. In most cases, baby's immune system manages it perfectly well and even antibiotics aren't needed. Likely the risk to baby from a c-section would ultimately be greater than a normal vaginal birth with antibiotics or even without, but I would speak to your midwife and get her advice for your specific case and knowing your medical history.

You can still transmit strep B through a c-section birth.
I tested positive for strep B and had a section and they still had to do all the strep B monitoring on my daughter after the section so there’s still the transmission risk either way. The antibiotics would be your best bet. My section wasn’t due to strep B though, strep B doesn’t qualify a c-section.

Also the risk to babies with strep B is when it was not apparant that the mother was a carrier - if it’s already been flagged that you have it your baby will be well looked after and they will monitor her hourly and be checking for any signs of infection

They monitor the baby regulary in labour anyway @coffeeX10.

Either every 15 min with handheld or continous with monitor CTG.

I’ve only had one birth which was the c-section so only experienced the after birth monitoring of strep b.

Thank you, that was helpful, none said she could still be exposed, they just said not to worrie, how am I not sepose to worrie, I first time mom

Your baby is more likely to develop respiratory diatress of the newborn being born via elective CS than it developing GBS in a vaginal birth
When treated with IV antibiotics in labour, the rate of babies developing GBS infection is 0.57% and of those babies 1-2% will die from GBS infection. The risks of a CS far outweigh the risks of GBS

Thank everyone for there information