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Pregnancy

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

Original poster

Strep B in pregnancy. anyone got any information on it?

26 replies

j20baby · 17/06/2007 14:50

midwife came round this morning to tell me that my urine test came back and i've got strep B, i am horrified, apparantly its common and i haven't done anything wrong, but i still feel like sh*t. she's stuck a bright yellow sticker on the front of my maternity notes so everyone can see it, and apparantly as soon as i go into labour i have to go straight in to have intravenous antibiotics and then again 4 hours later, then after baby's born i need to stay in for 48 hours to check that she's ok, as it can cause meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia. anyone got any experience of it?

OP posts:
Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 14:51

i'm 24 wks pg btw

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Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 15:03

anyone

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Tutter · 17/06/2007 15:05

hi

i asked about this as was handed a leaflet the other day

will go look for a link for you to the experts on the subject...

Tutter · 17/06/2007 15:07

have a look here adn try an archive search - there are loads of old threads on here

Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 15:09

Thanks, all i keep seeing is about the babies dying from it, i can't find anything on how i might have caught it.

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littleducks · 17/06/2007 15:10

hiya, im sure someone with more info will be along in a mo but couldnt leav e this unreplied to, i have three friend (who happen to all be related) two of them found out they had strep b in pregnancy and chose to have the antibiotics during labour no probs...unfortunately the other (their cousin) wasnt tested and after her baby was born was quite poorly.

I think that you should see the detection as a positive thing as now you have all the info and can decide whats best for you, whereas lots of people find out after birth when options are more limitied

More info available from www.groupbstrep.org/

Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 15:14

thank you, i've just read it can be transmitted through close contact. like shaking hands or kissing, but is only harmful to nb baby's. at least my dd(7) wont be affected, even if she's got it, hopefully the ab should do the trick when i'm in labour

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sparklygothkat · 17/06/2007 15:34

I had GBS during my pregnancy with Dd1 but didn;t know she had contracted it till she was 2 years old. She had it in SCBU and was given drugs to help, but we were never told. I have a yellow sticker on my maternity notes and also have to have the IV antibiotics too.

Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 15:36

are you worried? is it just one of them things? should i do anything?

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Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 15:37

sorry just read your post again. why on earth didn't they tell you?

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sparklygothkat · 17/06/2007 15:39

I believe that everyone carries GBS but its only a problem if it flares up during pregnancy. I am worried becasue I have had 3 prem. labours and aparently it can cause prem. labours, so I know that it might trigger it again

sparklygothkat · 17/06/2007 15:41

no idea, weren't told she had blood poisoning either. We only found out when she was diagnosed with CP and it was on the medical report.

Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 15:45

well the mw said they will try to get one lot of ab in me straight away and then another 4 hours later, but as i was only in labour with dd1 for 3 hours, they may not have time, although i was induced that time, so it depends whether they induce me again or wether i go into labour naturally, have they said to you that they will be observing baby for 48 hours after birth?

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sparklygothkat · 17/06/2007 15:46

there is a chance I will be giving birth early anyway, so baby will be in scbu anyway.

Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 15:51

sg i've just looked at your profile pics, your bump is way bigger than mine at 19 wks! i hope your labour goes smoothly and it all works out for you x

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Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 15:52

as in, hope you go fullterm and baby is fine x

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Chooster · 17/06/2007 20:25

Hi j20baby - I've got Group B strep too so will have the IV anti-bio's too. The only other thing to add is that if your waters break, but labout doesn't start within a few hours, they'll probably induce you. But you've been induced before so I guess that wont worry you. My DS was also induced so I'm not too concerned.

I actually dont mind the idea of being in hospital before the baby is born but would be really really keen to get out as soon as possible afterwards.

Its pretty shocking you were never told Sparklygothkat

Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 20:45

thanks chooster. it was pretty scary last time as they induced me then left me on my own all night, i thought i was in labour but they disagreed, when they finally broke my waters in the morning, i had her after 3 hours. i wouldn't mind being in hospital for the 2 days, but i'm on my own and hate to leave dd1 for that long with her paternal grandparents, but i suppose it'll be a case of having to

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Bainmarie · 17/06/2007 21:02

Hi j20baby, I felt exactly like that too when I found out I had strep b. Both times in labour there was only time for once dose of antibiotics, so had to stay in 48 hours. Both babies were fine, it was a PITA to stay in hospital for so long, especially second time to be away from lovely dd for so long.
Good luck, hope it all goes well for you and SparklyGothKat.

Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 21:13

thank you bain x

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sparklygothkat · 17/06/2007 21:16

thanks Bain,

I was shocked when we found out that DD1 had contracted GBS after deliverly, 2 years later, as DD2 had been born between dd1 being born and finding out about the GBS.

Original poster
j20baby · 17/06/2007 21:19

also, does anyone have any idea of the liklihood of the baby being poorly?

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Bainmarie · 17/06/2007 21:57

"About half of the babies born to mothers colonised with GBS at the time of delivery will become colonised themselves and, of these, only around 1 in 200 will develop GBS disease". - says the group strep b website, so the chances are quite low I think.

aintnomountainhighenough · 17/06/2007 22:36

I would ask what the hospital do in different scenarios so that you know what is going to happen. I didn't know I had GBS, was induced and became very ill. I was given abs and asked for a c-section. They gave him precautionary abs but once they had done the blood tests on me and realised that it was GBS and how bad the colonisation was he also had a lumber puncture. We ended up being in for 8 days and luckily he was absolutely fine. My point is (sorry got here eventually!) is that the hospital I was in gave precautionary abs, some hospitals don't - they will just monitor and see what happens. If I were you I would find out how they handle the different situations so that you are prepared.

Chooster · 18/06/2007 09:34

Thanks Bain - I think the risk is low, but horrible if it happens

I'm the same J20baby - The main reason I dont want to be in hospital so long is that I'll miss DS1. I'm sure he'll be fine but I'll just want to get home - BUT I will just follow advise though .