Do you get screened for group strep B in pregnancy ?

[AlwaysBelieve19]

I'm in my second trimester and came across this article where a poor young lady lost her healthy baby boy to strep B this has really worried me so we get screened for this ?

I messaged my midwife asking but since it's late she will not get the message until the morning

Not routinely. Usually only if you have had the infection before. Try speaking to your midwife if you are concerned.
If you are found to have it at any point, you will be given IV antibiotics during labour at regular intervals.

I didn’t know I had it, but really early on I’m pregnancy wanted to get my discharge looked at, the GP did a swab and it came back positive for GBS but no other infection. So I will be re-swabbed at 34-36 weeks to see if I need the IV anti-biotics.

No not in England. With my first pregnancy I said I had a discharge so they would swab me and I was fine. Second pregnancy I had a weird feeling and done the same line but it was a different midwife and she wasn't buying it so I paid for a private test. It came back negative. Once I had the baby though he got rapidly sick after birth. Turns out I had it! Luckily my baby got better with no apparent ill effects 2 years on. The infection can come and go within a matter of weeks which is why they won't test for it on the NHS. I had the test about 2 weeks before my planned labour, but obviously in that small amount of time the infection reappeared. If you decide to have it done privately, try to aim to have it as close to your labour as possible, and know it still isn't 100% guaranteed to be fine.

You can pay around £30 to have a test done privately if you want. If you have infection symptoms and have a vaginal swab at any point, it would likely show up on that but a standard mc&s isn’t as accurate as the testing offered by private labs AFAIK as they use a GBS specific ECM test. GBS may also show up in the urine if it’s sent for testing (not a standard urine dip done by your midwife done in appointments but if it goes to the lab).

One of the problems with GBS is that it is transient so a test may only be as good as the time it is taken. Babies also do tend to show symptoms if they are becoming unwell and IV antibiotics tend to be quite effective. Sadly a small minority are missed or don’t respond as well to treatment.

Your midwife should have leaflets available (you may already have one in your notes/booking pack) that will give you the exact statistics.

It's not screened for, but if you get a swab taken for anything else, so like excess discharge, itch or pain then the lab will tell the midwife and you'll get the antibiotics when you are in labour.

Not that I'm suggesting you do that of course!

Group b strep is really common, and its completely harmless to be colonised in the vagina with it, it's only dangerous to your baby, but it's a really tiny chance of that happening.

Not on the NHS but I ordered a swap for about £30/40 when I was pregnant to give me some peace of mind.

Thank you to everyone for your replies I might have to just do a private test @Teakind can you post the link of where you got your test kit from thank you and when did you do the test was 2weeks before baby was due or before x

If I could change things I'd have done a private test. Fell ill during labour (just feverish) and so they tested and I ha sit.

But because I'd already given birth we were both on anti biotics for a week in hospital.

It was fine, I got loads of support breastfeeding and a lot of sponge and custard but could have been avoided if I'd have known.

Nope. Not where I live in England anyway. They also do no swabs. I got diagnosed with it because the urine sample they have plated from the booking appointment had it in. Private tests cost about £35 and are advised from 35 weeks onward. I did mine at 36 weeks- still positive.

Find out more, including how to order a test from a reputable supplier, here:

gbss.org.uk/

I fought for it with my 1st because i was really worried about it, my cousin is blind and brain damaged due to it and my mum was positive for it too. Was pointless though, i got the result a week after he was born prem. Was tested with 2nd and was negative with her.

@AlwaysBelieve19 I got The Doctors Laboratory one from the list on here I think gbss.org.uk/info-support/group-b-strep-testing/ecm-test-where-how/