Strep test

[kylahh]

Hi I'm just curious is a group b strep test always carried out during pregnancy ??

Not in the U.K., but you can pay for it, they do it in America routinely, but it’s very rare that complications arise from strep b. I tested positive for strep b when I was pregnant after finding it in a routine swab test for thrush, but I didn’t want to have the antibiotic drip during labour so I explained this to the consultant and they told me they’d test again a couple weeks before the pregnancy. I did apple cider vinegar sitz baths every 3 days leading up to the birth and when I had the second test, the strep b had gone. So I didn’t need a drip in the end. But there’s a lot of babies born to strep b positive Mothers every day, and they’re fine. Think it’s a 1 in 10,000 chance that complications arise from it, and if you’re in the hospital they’ll be able to spot it.

No, it’s not - but I believe it’s not expensive to have done privately.

Its not routine in the UK, though there are calls for all women to be tested.

I had a private test in my first pregnancy and it was positive so I had the drip during labour. I was treated as positive during my second pregnancy as is process (even though I didn't have a test this time). My labour was very quick and I didn't have time to have the drip. They just monitored DS closely for 24h post birth.

@saywhatwhatnow at what stage did you have the private strep test? I'm only 13 weeks but would definitely like to have it done. Is it best to have it around 30 weeks?

@ChampooPapi I tested at 36 weeks. I used gbss.org.uk/info-support/group-b-strep-testing/should-i-get-a-group-b-strep-test/

They were really quick at sending and processing my test.

I'm from the UK and just did my test a week ago :) it was £35 and they send it out in the post, you swab yourself, then send it back and get the results by text within 3 working days!

@saywhatwhatnow great, thanks for the information. I will definitely be doing it myself. It really should be routinely checked in my opinion here in the uk

We paid for it privately 11 years ago. Some hospitals will test, or at least there was talk of it a while back.