Group b strep found on swab. Advice? Any information?

[MissMollyx]

So I had a swab taken the other day as I had thrush, my doctors have just informed me I have beta haemolytic streptococcus and she's informed my midwife and obstetric team also.

I am FREAKING out. My gp sent me a link to read about it on the NHS website and I feel no more insightful of what it is? Will it harm my baby? Will it harm me? Will it harm my whole labour process? I am 18 weeks pregnant so I know labour is a long way off. But I would like to be a bit more educated at least. Has anyone had or has this? What is the extra care if any? Can I do anything? My god I am panicking

Hey! As far as I'm aware, it isn't harmful for you. You will get antibiotics in labour to reduce the risk of baby contracting strep B to almost nil. To be honest it's good that you know beforehand. I paid to get tested last pregnancy and it came back negative and my wee boy was born and was unwell with group B strep. He is absolutely fine now but this pregnancy I will be offered the antibiotics in labour.

It can come and go in you and today you might test positive but tomorrow you could be negative. Don't be worried about it and don't Google lol!! But talk to your midwife and she will hopefully put your mind at ease. Sending a big hug xx

It’s a really normal thing I think, I was given antibiotics during labour and it was that simple. it does affect the good bacteria the baby is exposed too I think but I didn’t worry and Dd is now 14 and v healthy

I also tested positive for this! It's a bacteria that lives inside every 4/10 people. It causes no harm to us but can cause infection during labour.so they'll administer antibiotics to you during labour, and keep you in for at least 24 hours after birth to check baby hasn't got an infection (highly unlikely if you've had the antibiotics). My DD is now 6 weeks old, and did not have an infection

Hi. I had this - also revealed by a swab due to suspected thrush but in my case no one mentioned it to me until I was in hospital getting checked over 12 hours after my waters broke! Then there was a right rush to get me induced and get antibiotics into me due to increased infection risk with waters breaking (no contractions yet). But all was fine. Dd was monitored for 24 hours after birth (temp, pulse rate etc, nothing invasive).

With my second they said they would treat as if I had it without testing as it comes and goes quickly but tends to recur. So antibiotics in labour and monitoring afterwards again.

No risk to you and i believe very little to your baby now they know about it so can give antibiotics. Just means you probably need to be consultant led and have a slightly more medical labour and 24 hrs in hospital afterwards.

I have this in my current pregnancy..it depends on what country and region you’re in as different hospitals have different policies but generally means IV antibiotics during labour every 4 hours (they don’t get you attached to a drip so you can still move around and have an active labour if you like, they keep a canula in your hand).

A previous poster said it might mean you’re consultant led / medical labour but check with your midwife as at my hospital I can still give birth in the midwife led unit and still have a water birth even as they can tape over your canula and just keep hand out the water! :) also my hospitals policy is for no additional monitoring if they get anti bs in you ...if you have quick labour and they don’t have time to give you them it’s 12 hours monitoring

Just because you tested positive now, doesn't mean you would still test positive by the time you go into labour (which is the only time it imposes a risk to baby, I believe).

Beta haemolytic strep is a type of Group A Strep, not the Group B strep that can be more dangerous to babies.
Talk to your midwife about it, but you need to find out if it is a Group A or a Group B strep you've got because title of the thread says one, and your first post says another.

@SouthwestSis

Beta haemolytic strep is a type of Group A Strep, not the Group B strep that can be more dangerous to babies. Talk to your midwife about it, but you need to find out if it is a Group A or a Group B strep you've got because title of the thread says one, and your first post says another.

I just presumed it was group b as that was the title of the information link my gp gave me. I really didn't know there was an A or B🥴

Thank you ladies for all your advice and experience. I was really worried last night. I'm already consultant led and high risk due to a stillbirth at 24 weeks with twins and I've had 4 early miscarriages. So this really did scare me since this pregnancy has been going so well and almost perfect

I had GBS with both of my pregnancies. With my first the midwives only managed to get one dose of antibiotics in to me before DC was born, so we needed to stay in for 12 hours for extra observations (all fine).
With DC2 I had enough antibiotics in my labour, but I passed it on anyway so we had to stay in for 36 hours for a course of antibiotics and other tests - after which it had cleared and we were allowed home.

I've just got home from work and the hospital have sent out a letter to me explaining and it is group b strep. They've also given me an alert sticker for my notes and said to take it to my next appointment. The leaflet explains a lot. Thank you all again ladies x