Strep B and hospital stay

[Reduceddutiesboredom]

33 weeks. A few days ago I had to go into hospital after having some bleeding, baby and I were fine. Had an exam and the doctor said I’ve got cervical ectropion (nothing to worry about) and took a swab.
Just had a midwife phone to say the swab shows I’m strep B positive. Which I know is common and not a huge worry, but, from what I’ve seen online baby is normally kept in for monitoring.

Has anyone been kept in hospital recently for monitoring and can tell me what the script was for visiting & when fathers were allowed in etc.

I’m in Scotland.

You'll be kept in for 24 hours after birth. Each hospital trust different with visiting so best ask the hospital you're booked into

I had my baby 6wks ago and was kept in for 24hrs. I am in Wales and each bed had a 2hr time slot for one visitor though they weren't too strict if other beds were empty.

@Funauntienowmummytobe two hours? Did that include the dad/ partner?

At least its only 24 hours.

Congratulations, hopefully you are both doing well

Did you give informed consent for the strep B test? And would you give informed consent for your baby to be taken away from you and hospitalised for 24 hours? I’ve just rest “how to give birth like a feminist” by Milli hill and it’s amazing how much medical BS they tell you that you have to do when you don’t

My bed slot was 10am to 12pm, had to be the same birthing partner, so for me was the Dad (my DH) and he had to show proof of negative lft, luckily our ds was born at 6am so by the time we moved to the ward it was about 10 and he stayed until 2:30pm as they were quite relaxed as no one else was on my part of the ward, then the next day we should have been discharged after breakfast as 24hrs was 6am but they needed to discharge a mum who had a baby already in Liverpool so I left around 1/2pm, that meant my husband came for another visit and then back to take us home.

We are well, we only managed one dose of antibiotics due to labour being so fast so that also meant less contact with strep b whilst being born.

@SweetBabyCheeses99

Did you give informed consent for the strep B test? And would you give informed consent for your baby to be taken away from you and hospitalised for 24 hours? I’ve just rest “how to give birth like a feminist” by Milli hill and it’s amazing how much medical BS they tell you that you have to do when you don’t

Yes I gave concern for a swab.

There has been no mention of baby being “taken away” from me after birth, we’d both be kept in.

I will and do always question anything I’m told by doctors/ midwife/ nurses. I’ll add “how to give birth like a feminist” to my reading list while I’m off.

Consent for a swab * not concern

@SweetBabyCheeses99 the baby stays with the mum and is monitored for signs of infection, they don't send mum home without baby.

Don’t they give antibiotics during birth?

@puffylovett yes, antibiotic every 4 hours by IV from what I can gather.

My consultant did try and tell me I HAD to be induced if my waters broke, I questioned that as I had only heard about antibiotics before, she then said that I could have 24hrs of antibiotics if that happened before I would have to have induction. I was thinking who is she to say that I wouldn't go into labour naturally and low and behold my waters starting leaking, went straight in but contractions started fast and baby was born 4hrs later, I was 8cm when I got to hospital!

Not at all recent, but my experience was once you have the right amount of antibiotics in labour, they just monitor the baby. It is possibly a reason not to stay at home till the last possible minute however, as if they get less than I think 4 hours antibiotics into you in labour they do want to give antibiotics to the baby too. In my case, I actually spiked a fever in labour as well, so baby and I both got extra bonus antibiotics and were kept in 48 hours. I still have strep b but am having a planned section this time around so will be in minimum of 48 hours this time, but again have been told I'll have antibiotics but no need for baby to have them directly unless something happens.

Its really not common practice for the baby to be taken away from you, @SweetBabyCheeses99, is that something you're aware of happening just because the mother tested positive for group b strep? I think things would be different if there was any sign the baby had developed it, but that is serious and life-threatening.

I had PROM and went into labour before i could have the results of Group B Strep test. My baby caught sepsis as a result of GBS and was in NICU / SCBU for two weeks. We nearly lost her. Do you know how serious GBS can be?

Not all trusts do anymore - a senior midwife told me that it isn't NICE guidelines to give antibiotics in labour to every GBS positive woman, hence the extra monitoring instead.

@GuidingSpirit
Sorry to hear your little one had such a scary start to life! Hopefully no long lasting effects.

I am aware - although still looking into it as I only found out today - how serious it can be. However the chances of baby catching it or having complications are thankfully very slim.
The midwife I spoke to assured me they administer antibiotics as soon as they can and advised to let them know and head to hospital as soon as waters break or labour starts.

@Funauntienowmummytobe sounds like an awfully quick birth! I have my next MW appointment on Wednesday so I’ll be able to discuss it properly with her then.

Hey, we recently had a baby and I was group b strep.my waters broke same day I had a mw appt. I was set home and advised to monitor my temperature etc and told they'd need 2 induce if nothing had happened in 24h. Got called back later that day and told to go in, was induced the next morn as wasn't v dilated and had IV antibiotics during birth and baby was goinf to be monitored for 12h after. However as he was born more than 24h after waters broke apparently there was a sepsis risk so had 2 be monitored for longer and he was given iv antiobiotics and monitored for several days so we had a longer than expected stint In hosp. To be honest I'm now hazy about what was GBS related and what was sepsis risk related due to waters going and labour not starting. V lucky that we were allowed a visitor from 10am til 8pm. Not sure I'd have coped for 5 nights in without that good!! good luck!

I'm 10 weeks pregnant and I am on progesterone pessaries due to previous 4 miscarriages. Because of those pessaries I got thrush and went to the doctors and they did a swab and when they did the the swab for thrush group b strep also showed up. They said nothing to worry about and just to let my midwife team know about it. I haven't had my first midwife appointment yet, I will on Monday. Which I'm going to ask all about not I've stumbled across this thread.

I know I'm well behind to even make this choice yet, but would a C Section be a better option? I wasn't at all concerned about it until I've just read all your responses

@MissH995
Congratulations on your pregnancy, fingers crossed for you!

I did ask the MW who phoned about having a vagina birth, she said there was no reason not to. Try not to be concerned (easier said than done I know) there is a risk, but it’s tiny! Around 1 in 4,000 if you’re getting the antibiotics.