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Pregnancy

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

Original poster

Strep B - not sure what to think..?

28 replies

PossibiliTea · 03/04/2018 20:03

I’ve just been told my swab shows I am positive for this, waiting for the urine result but not really sure what it all means.

I understand if I go into labour I need to get antibiotics straight away, but the advice on the gbs website frightens me a bit.

I feel lucky that it’s been picked up as I know it’s not routinely tested for but I am really worried it could mean serious health problems for the baby, especially as the antibiotics only reduce the risk don’t prevent the infection being passed on.

Think I just feel tired and overwhelmed...can anyone give any advice or experience?

OP posts:
kshaw · 03/04/2018 20:09

I was exactly the same - my waters broke at 34+3 and was told could wait to see if labour comes or be induced - I chose to be induced as risk to baby increases once waters gone. I was put on antibiotics during labour (means no birthing suite just labour ward) and we were told had to stay in 48 to make sure baby was clear. As she was prem we had to stay a bit longer but she was all clear from strep b - it is a higher risk but best to know about it and trust the antibiotics xxxx

Tiredmum100 · 03/04/2018 20:10

My waters broke at 34 weeks due to being strep B positive. My dc was born at 36 weeks. I had a few lots of antibiotics during those two weeks and IV antibiotics during labour. My dc had IV antibiotics for 5 days after he was born. We were both fine. (He's a stocky 6 year old now). To be honest I'm not sure what the norm is in regards to treatment. Think it depends on your trust. I don't think I should have spent two weeks with broken waters like a did, but it was the Christmas period and I think we got over looked a bit.

Counter27 · 03/04/2018 20:19

I recently found out I have the same. I'm 33+1 with my first.

Does it mean your waters are more likely to break early if you're positive for Strep B? I did not think that was a consequence. Now a bit worried if that's the case as I am not prepared to be going into labour anytime soon!!

Original poster
PossibiliTea · 03/04/2018 20:26

That’s a good point I haven’t heard about waters breaking early? I just don’t really know how to feel about it at the moment!

Thank you for your experiences x

OP posts:
Rarotonga · 03/04/2018 20:30

I know it sounds frightening but forewarned is forearmed. Knowing about it means that you can be treated with antibiotics to minimise the risks to your baby Flowers

Maybe you could speak to a midwife/doctor about it to put your mind at ease.

Hope all goes okay OP and you get some support/reassurances soon xx

Original poster
PossibiliTea · 03/04/2018 20:39

Thank you for the support x

I am in for monitoring anyway so will try and get as much information as possible. You are right though, I would rather know about it if things can be prevented

OP posts:
kshaw · 03/04/2018 21:10

Not sure if more likely to have early birth to be honest - I started reading up when was diagnosed but it scared me a bit too much so I just stopped. I knew only thing they could do was give me antibiotics and knew once my waters went i didn't want to wait to increase any risks - but saying that I also knew I was having a whopper of a baby so felt this minimised the risk of getting induced early. At 35+6 she was 6lb 11 - I hope everything goes well for you!xx

Original poster
PossibiliTea · 03/04/2018 21:44

I’m due a whopper too haha hopefully it all goes ok, thank you

OP posts:
reddressblueshoes · 03/04/2018 21:49

I've also been diagnosed with this but the stats actually seem reassuring to me. Without antibiotics, there's a 1 in a 1000 chance the baby will be ill, with them its 1 in 4,000 - those are really, really low odds.

I am a bit frustrated it will mean I can't have the labour I want but I am happy I can have the antibiotics and honestly not especially worried about anything happening because its a 0.025% chance of the baby being impacted and I feel like there are a lot more things with a higher chance of causing harm I haven't even thought of yet!

SprogletsMum · 03/04/2018 21:51

I had group b strep in my last pregnancy. I had the iv antibiotics in labour and then ds had to be monitored for 12 hours after being born. We were home 12.5 hours after he was born.

Tiredmum100 · 03/04/2018 22:49

Hi, sorry didn't mean to scare anyone about my waters breaking early. Mine was only picked up as my waters broke then I was swabbed to see why they had broke. I'm really not sure if it's a consequence or not. I'd speak to your midwifes as they will be able to give you the best advice.

Loosemoose28 · 03/04/2018 23:04

evidencebasedbirth.com/groupbstrep/

Original poster
PossibiliTea · 03/04/2018 23:34

I haven’t had my urine results back, if I have got in it my urine could this mean my baby could already be affected?

OP posts:
natashaarr · 04/04/2018 08:54

Hello, I’m just wondering when you all got diagnosed with it and how many weeks you were?

longtallwalker · 04/04/2018 08:57

You are lucky to have been warned. It won't be a problem... just take the advice and antibiotics.
It's only a problem when it's not picked up.

Justanotherzombie · 04/04/2018 08:59

There is nothing to worry about. Everything is exactly the same as before you will just be given antibiotics when labour starts. You might want to ask them their policy on waterbirths if you have it by otherwise all is as normal.

1 in 5 people have it I think, you know you do so in your case it’s absolutely no issue. It’s not really an issue for all the others who have it and don’t know either.

curliegirlie · 04/04/2018 09:20

I had Group Strep B in my first pregnancy (and have it in this one) and my daughter was born at 40+4, so it doesn’t have to mean an early delivery!

reddressblueshoes · 04/04/2018 09:25

No, if it's in your urine it won't affect the baby. It lives in either the vagina or the urethra or the anus, they're just the various tests that pick it up.

Think about it- baby is in an entirely separate pouch being fed by the placenta with no interaction with your urine. Because group b strep can live in the vagina, there's a small risk baby might pick something up on its way through. This small risk becomes much much smaller if antibiotics are given during birth.

1 in 5 women have group b strep, they don't test for it routinely and they only treat if it happens to be picked up. It is not a big worry. What your read online is cases of women who didn't know they had it and where their children contracted it and usually where it wasn't picked up straight away- but that is v rare. With prior knowledge and antibiotics, the chance of your baby suffering any ill effect is less than half of half a percent; and if they did pick it up the doctors would spot it quicker and treat them immediately.

I have it, I've friends who have had it who have had healthy children, nobody was unwell or suffered any ill effect. One in five women is a pretty high statistic for something most of us have never hear of till we got pregnant, so I really think you're stressing yourself out unduly.

reddressblueshoes · 04/04/2018 09:42

This is quite helpful for risks to baby:

www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/2580.aspx

And here:

www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/2037.aspx

From what I can work out: with no treatment, 1 in 1000 babies in the U.K. will contract group b strep. 10% of that 1 in 1000- so one in 10,000 - will be seriously ill in a way that permanently effects them, and another one in 10,000 will sadly die. With antibiotics, risk of infection drops to one in 4,000 so I assume the follow on risks drop too, which would mean a roughly one in 40,000 chance that your baby would suffer serious injury.

For comparison, I just googled and you have a 1 in 13,500 chance of being hit by lightning. So your baby has a nearly four times higher chance of being hit by lightning in their lifetime then being seriously affected by group b strep (to be fair, those last figures may not be 100% accurate, esp the lightning one, but I think the general point is right)

Osirus · 04/04/2018 09:59

This was picked up after I’d had an EMCS and had to stay in hospital (both of us) on AB. They’d found it in the placenta.

RosieCotton · 04/04/2018 11:59

I tested positive in my first pregancy and my son was born at 40+5 at a huge 9lb1oz. Ive never been told its a risk for preterm labour. In fact the only 2 ladies ive known who tested positive had their babies at 41+6 and 42weeks.

Original poster
PossibiliTea · 04/04/2018 12:00

@natashaarr 35 weeks.

Really appreciate all the help and advice honestly the leaflet I got i didn’t find helpful just scary!

I think you are right I am lucky it hasn’t been picked up and hopefully all will be fine!

OP posts:
natashaarr · 04/04/2018 17:15

@poss thank you! I think I’m too early then x

Original poster
PossibiliTea · 04/04/2018 20:49

Yeah I think it can come and go and even if you get a private test hey say do it from 35 weeks :) x

OP posts:
Ethellsmum · 07/04/2018 21:01

I have had group b strep in my last 3 pregnancies. Dd1 I didn’t find out I had it until she was ten days old so neither of us received any antibiotics. Dd2 I had antibiotics in labour and was home the next day. Dd3 - didn’t have time for AB so dd3 had antibiotics for a couple of days afterwards.
All 3 were born between due date and 9 days late.

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