Group B Strep

[smartcarnotsosmartdriver]

Hi,

I've just been told that a swab has shown I have Group B Strep, midwife didn't seem too concerned but of course I took to google. The NCT say that 1in 10 babies born with the infection will die and 1 in 5 will develop permanent effects such as cerebral palsy, deafness, blindness and serious learning difficulties.
I've also read I'll be tested again at 36 weeks but that the result is reliable, I'll be given antibiotics every 4 hours while in labour and if my waters break after 37 weeks I'll be induced immediately.
I'm 27 weeks pregnant and freaking out. Does anyone have any experience of having this while pregnant? Was everything ok?

Just because you have it doesnt mean your baby will be born with an infection of GBS. I don't know the stats on how many babies that come into contact develop the infection, but being colonised with the bacteria is fairly common in pregnancy so I think it's only a small chance, but if they are infected it's a big deal iyswim.

I'd trust your midwife, but also remember to go and get tested at 36 weeks, just in case they forget!

Thank you @TheLovleyChebbyMcGee I will definitely remember, I have a diary that I write everything in and it's already in there, I'll have an appointment with my midwife at 36 weeks so I'll make sure I bring it up. I'm just so upset that something I have could potentially be so catastrophic for him.

Hiya 😊 I’m 37 weeks pregnant with my first and was told at 20 weeks after a routine swab that I have this too. I was alarmed at first like you are but please don’t freak out. It’s common and the fact that you have been diagnosed early like me is great as some women go undetected. The hospital will look after us and ensure we get the medication. The chances of baby catching anything are very small anyway even in women with it that don’t know they have it let alone ones that receive medications throughout labour. Try to relax and enjoy your pregnancy there’s so many things to worry about I get that🤭 your in safe hands now and don’t blame yourself - you will be a fab mummy xxxx

I had it but only found out about 8 hours before I had DS. And Labour was too quick for the antibiotics to work, so DS had to have them once he was born.

I think it is fairy common although not routinely tested for.

I had it in my first pregnancy (picked up about 28 weeks following a swab at the hospital following a small bleed) and my waters spontaneously broke at 37 weeks, I had to go straight to the hospital and was on iv antibiotics until my son was born. I was given the induction drip as soon as I got to hospital to get into established labour and was told baby had to be out within 24 hours. He was born by EMCS (unrelated to the strep B) and was absolutely fine.

I am now 26 weeks pregnant and I will not be routinely tested for Strep B this time round. I have spoken to my midwife and she has advised me to get a private swab which costs about £30. I am going to opt for an ELCS but will still pay for the strep B test as if I go into labour early before the ELCS date I would not want to risk it.

You are much better to know you have strep B than not. I know people who did not know they had strep B and their babies have been very sick following birth due to infection (thankfully all were fine in the end).

Yes, you're lucky that you know. I know my friend's daughter has hearing loss in one ear as hers wasn't detected. I had the drip, can't even remember it, but ended up with unrelated c section anyway.

I had this, and had antibiotics via IV during labour. I had to go straight to hospital once my contractions started and my DS had antibiotics once he was born (I think!)
All was absolutely fine. Good luck.

I've been strepB positive in both my previous pregnancies. Pregnancy 1 not picked up baby was a little poorly but had antibiotics straight away no lasting harm.

Found out much earlier with DS2 had antibiotics in labour. Meant I had to be on the labour ward and stay in for at least 24 hrs to monitor baby just to make sure he was ok. Totally fine!

I've tested positive again this time. My consultant tested me at 16 weeks as I've had it twice. She said I'll be treated as positive going forward (I'm now almost 30
Weeks)

You should get a sticker on your notes so everyone knows when they see you for any reason. It just means if you're in labour you'll go in much quicker and they'll monitor you / get antibiotics. Once your waters go they won't let you go too long before induction to limit risks to baby.

I've been induced twice. Both really positive experiences so try not to worry about induction!

Google is full of horror stories please try not to read them. Trust your midwife and doctors they are really experienced and know how to care for us! You'll be fine

I paid to have the test and tested positive. I asked for the antibiotics in labour. I ended up having an emergency c section but they still gave me the antibiotics as I was concerned about it.
I think it's very important to have the antibiotics if you have tested positive.
If you do then there shouldn't be any complications in regards to this.
Good news you have found out- my friend didn't and her son ended up poorly.

I had it with DS. My waters broke at 36 weeks and I was given antibiotics once in established labour (I was on an induction ward for a while because my waters broke before labour but then labour started naturally with the need for induction). Anyway, when DS was born he was given IV antibiotics because my waters had broken before I’d got any antibiotics. He was completely fine, the only issues I had with him where due to him being a month early but nothing to do with gbs.

I tested positive for group b strep with my dd, my midwife broke my waters by mistake at 40+5 so I went straight to the hospital and they induced me with the drip. I was given antibiotics every 4 hours and my dd was given antibiotics once she was born. She's absolutely fine. Please try not to panic.

I know someone who has it and has just been advised that you just have to have antibiotics when you go into labour.
Apparently it can come and go through pregnancy and is very common, yet it can't be too much of a concern as it is not tested for and is often only picked up if you think you have an infection and they take a swab.
I wouldn't overly worry about it as most women probably go through labour without knowing they have it so at least you will be treated for it.

Thank you so much everyone. I'm normally not a particularly anxious person but pregnancy really seems to be bringing it out in me. I have a high BMI so being induced doesn't really worry me it's just that anything might happen to baby because if it. So I really appreciate you all sharing your experiences and that everything was ok.

I got to the hospital as my waters broke and managed about an hour of antibiotics whilst I was pushing! We had to stay in hospital for 12 hours minimum to be monitored but all was okay. Try to worry, as someone else said it can come and go during pregnancy anyway

As a pp said I am fairly sure that the strep infection can come and go and so might not be active at the point of labour. I’m sure the hospital staff will advise you about any requirement for antibiotics during labour and if they think it’s necessary you won’t even notice the drip running through and it should mean the baby doesn’t have any reaction to the bacteria as it’s born.

Unfortunately I wasn’t tested and didn’t know I carried the bacteria and ds2 did contract the infection at birth. Luckily the staff at the hospital were excellent and quickly picked up that ds had something going on and put him on antibiotics within hours of him being born. He spent 7 days in hospital receiving a course of iv antibiotics but thankfully suffered no ill effects whatsoever and is now almost 10. Even then the consultant explained to me that less than 1000 babies per year born to mothers carrying the infection suffer ill effects and so it was quite unlucky and also pretty rare.

I went on to have 2 more dc and both times I had antibiotics during labour as a precaution and all was fine.

Easy to be anxious in pregnancy and especially with your first but sounds like the midwives have noted the diagnosis so you can be safely monitored and treated throughout. Good luck with everything.

I know I’m not the OP but it’s really nice to hear some positive stories thanks ladies it’s also helped me💐❤️ X

I had Group B Strep at the start of my last pregnancy & privately re-tested at 37 weeks and it had gone (common apparently). This pregnancy, my midwife has said I will be tested by the NHS & won’t need to go private.. complete change to last time where I was told they don’t screen, tough essentially! I wasn’t impressed given I’d tested positive!

Don’t worry, if you are still positive, you’ll just need the antibiotics as everyone has said above!

I had this, try not to worry because knowing is a good thing! It's easily managed and it's when you don't know that the risk is much higher. I'd really recommend contacting Group B Strep Support if you're anxious. They are amazingly reassuring and can talk you through everything : gbss.org.uk/