Strep B

[Clem90]

Hello
What are people’s thoughts on being tested for Strep B? It’s £35 to get it done privately. I would happily pay that but when I asked my midwife about it she was dismissive of it and said it’s not a necessary test and why it isn’t routinely done.
If you test positive can you still birth in a midwife led unit?

I would pay, but that's just me. Untreated strep can cause terrible problems in pregnancy.

Untreated step b can be extremely dangerous to babies. At worst it can kill. It isn't an unnecessary test but the cost benefit analysis didn't come down in favour of testing. Basically it kills and seriously harms relatively few children and it is cheaper to treat affected babies than it is to test all pregnant women and then treat those affected. Pay for the test and while your at it you might get in touch with the nursing and midwifery council or your hospital and let them know that this midwife was so dismissive of your concerns.

The other thing is it can come and go. So positive one week and negative the next. So even if you test negative the week before, you could have it by the time you give birth.

There's also a very small amount of evidence to suggest that babies given (in many cases unnecessary) antibiotics can have issues developing their gut bacteria...

I came down on the side of not testing. But it is a concern and everyone should make the call of what's best for them.

I had the same dilemma but decided it was best (for me) to test just incase! My midwife said the same thing that it wasn’t nesscary as the result couldn’t be negative this week but postive the next however she did say if it provides you with any comfort or reassurance then it’s worth doing in any case! I ordered my test pack today!

Definitely test. But not until you’re 37 weeks as it can come and go. My midwife wouldn’t test me until 37 weeks. Put your mind at rest and just pay for it, better safe than sorry. There isn’t enough awareness out there about Strep B!

Tell your MW you have thrush symptoms or itching and discharge. You’ll be asked to swab and the swab will automatically be tested for GBS

Strep b was found in a swap I had done at the doctors with my last pregnancy, I had a big sticker put on the front of my notes but went into labour and got to the hospital too late and was ready to push so I never actually had the antibiotics. Baby was fine anyway and we went home the next day.

Even if you test for it now and it comes back that you do have it,it will go on your notes so even if you don't have it at the time of giving birth you will still be treated for it anyway.

@Blondiecub0109 I didn't see your comment before i posted. That's what I did, told them I thought I had thrush (I didn't) but I did have this dragging sensation so they swabbed me.

There really is no need to pay to do it privately, just say you think you have thrush.

I think it’s a very personal risk analysis. Personally (and I can’t stress that word enough) I’ve looked at the reasons why the NHS doesn’t test for it routinely (I.e. it can change from week to week, routine testing would result in hundreds of thousands of women and babies receiving antibiotics they don’t need) and I’ve looked at the statistics (around 1 in 1750 babies are born infected with Strep B despite the fact that around 2 in 5 women carry it). In addition, we don’t know what the long-term effects of antibiotics are on babies. In light of all that, I’ve come down on the side of not testing.

I know I could live to regret that decision and I completely understand why people do decide to get tested. But that was my thinking.

No. Most mlu don't do cannulas or have the 'staff/ appriate doctors' rto monitor baby for any signs of gbs.
At least none of the mlus in my area or where I used to live let me.
I think I would have loved to not be tested and just been aware of the signs for baby. Sooo much less stress and worry and trying to get to the hospital in time.