Strep B confirmed in pregnancy and scared

[Lolly127]

Hi all ,
ive had what I’ve through was thrush for basically years. Symptoms burning , lots of discharge which can crust . Green discharge , general thrush symptoms . I am livid that it’s never been investigated further and only treated with thrush and I’ve been left to suffer . However now I’m pregnant I’m more livid and petrified about us both . I asked for a swab due to thrush treatments now working and guess what it’s negative ! But I’ve got STREP B ! Now I’m horrified and worried ahout maternal sepis and can’t stop crying . Midwives are very blaise and just said it’s good that we are aware fot labour. But what about my symptoms that indicate something . Feel like I’ve been left

Don't be scared. I had it too, all that happened was they put me on antibiotics whilst I was in labour and not that I understood why, but that was all that happened and my baby was fine.
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I had it too but neither the midwife or the GP had done anything about the test results, so nobody knew anything until I was on the delivery ward and the midwife came in, asked if we knew about it (we didn't!) *and to cross my legs for the next few hours while I was umped full of antibiotics!

Dc arrived safe and well.

I think I’m more worried about the now too . I’ve got vagina infection symptoms but all that’s come back is STREP which they won’t treat till labour . Now I’m suffering with uncomfortable symptoms but also fear about becoming septic

Strep B is a normal vaginal organism. It won’t be causing infection symptoms and is no risk to you whatsoever. They give you antibiotics to protect your baby during birth, but it’s not necessary to treat you right now.

Your symptoms are likely to be something else, so I’d push them for an explanation for that.

sorry to hear this, have you had STI tests as well? please do try and get some answers . Green discharge is generally infection (eg. trichomoniasis) not thrush. I found I had strep b asymptomatically ,was gutted as desperately wanted home birth but its really something far better found out now than later, only thing annoying was my labour was too quick ,they took ages getting a dr to get venflon in and so didn't have IV antibiotics for long enough.... so had to stay in hospital for week after so baby could have full course. best of luck xx

Not sure what else I could be swabbed for at this point no STI

I live somewhere they test for strep B systematically during pregnancy. Mine came back positive (I had some mild thrush symptoms but nothing too bothersome -I probably had thrush). The protocol is 2 lots of IV antibiotics 4 hours apart during labour (as far as possible q’- it’s not a big deal if they only manage to get one dose in). Then they just monitor mother and baby’s temperatures for 24 hours. That’s it. The risk of sepsis is minute. It’s only a very small risk anyway, and when they administer antibiotics the risk reduces to almost nothing. You will be fine - they’ll just stick a canula in your hand/wrist - I had one in each arm because I had an induction. Many women need some fluids or something during labour and delivery so a canula is pretty common anyway -where I live they put one in every mum’s arm during labour as a precaution.

I have massive health anxiety anyway and hate medication . I feel like I’ve a gun to my head now. Already allergic to penicillin and I’ve heard about servers reactions to AB in these large doses. I’m heartbroken and only just starting accepting this pregnancy and managing to function . Now I know I’ve got this thing in me for life and I don’t know why Or how I’ve got it

OP we are all absolutely covered in bacteria all the time. We have 2kgs of bacteria in our intestines. You haven’t done anything wrong and you aren’t going to suffer anything major from one dose of antibiotics. They will give you an alternative you to penicillin since you’re allergic.

I also found out I had this after being swabbed for thrush symptoms. I too am also allergic to penicillin and they will just give me a different AB - only issue being it's 8 hours between the two doses instead of 4 so I have been encouraged to head in as soon as Labour starts.

It's not nice learning you have this and there is a risk to baby but there's even more of a risk not knowing so try to see it positively! X

Does anyone know why this never came up in my urine samples ? I have only had the swab as I asked for one due to frustration of constant thirst symptoms and treatment not working

I lived in Australia for a while and tested positive for it there. I was told they don’t routinely test for it here, although that was some time ago. I was completely asymptomatic. Would agree with others - although classed as high risk, they just give you antibiotics to protect the baby. Please don’t panic I had 2 healthy babies and all was well.

I’m just wondering why they let us walk around with it and not treat it now ? If it’s an infection .

Because it's not really an infection, it's a colonisation. Which does you no harm but could - not definitely by any means - cause an acute infection in your baby. It wasn't in your urine sample because it's not in your bladder, just your vagina. The symptoms you are reporting dont sound like strep.

It’s carried by half the population, the NHS don’t routinely test for it because it would flag up in loads of women who don’t actually need any treatment - if we treated everyone who had it with antibiotics we would have an even bigger antibiotic resistance problem. For 99% of women giving birth with strep B it doesn’t cause any issues at all.

dr sara wickham has lots of great info about it!

www.sarawickham.com/topic-resources/group-b-strep-resources/

My midwife recommend Group B Strep Explained by Dr Sara Wickman.
It's really nothing to worry about though.

I am extremely anxious and I’ve serious health anxiety and wanted less intervention as possible so this has come as a shock . I was expecting thrush or similar . I’m under peri natal for my anxiety and as dramatic as this sounds , my Christmas is ruined with worry . I’m about to blast my GP as I’ve had various issues down there over the past year and swabs and no further investigations were done and perhaps this could have been prevented

OP I can really sense your panic. I’m very sorry you feel anxious - it’s a horrible way to feel especially when pregnant.

I suggest you try to take a break from thinking about the strep b right now. Go away and do something that you find helps when you’re anxious (reading, bath, walk) then try and get some sleep. In the morning, read over the responses you’ve had here with a calm and open mind, because people here are trying to reassure you and you don’t seem to be able to engage with the very reassuring facts you’re being given.

I mean this very sympathetically.

PS I’m another who tested positive before birth - my midwives were blasé too because it’s really not a concern. Like I said - reread PPs’ comments calmly later.

good luck

Don't want to worry you any more but
constant thirst & thrush could indicate diabetes - have you been checked out?
I was drinking a lot prior to diagnosis but didn't make the link as I had horrid taste in mouth & coated tongue.
But luckily doctor was listening& checked 'in case'
I was swabbed & diagnosed with strep just as went in labour but antibiotics sorted that out. No problems with that!
All the best with your pregnancy.

I think the op might be confused with strep a which can, and has, led to maternal sepsis.
strep b doesn’t. But can lead to serious neonatal infection, hence why antibiotics are offered during labour.

no she's right to question /double check as continuously presenting on and off with a green discharge/vaginal symptoms is not normal and there may be something going on separate from the strep B....some STI's can be dormant before they become symptomatic and I wonder if all the thrush treatment has been compromising the vaginal biome or disguising other infection. sometimes we can wipe out our good bacteria and i'ts looking at re establishing this to return to normal health.

Completely agree with everything you have said.
But I was referring to her worries about the connection between GBS and maternal sepsis.

I had group b strep in pregnancy. Diagnosed because I had thrush symptoms.

I never ended up having antibiotics because my labor was too quick for it.

Me and baby were fine. Just had to stay in hospital an extra 24 hours.

Between 20 to 40% of women have strep B in their vagina.

Hi OP

The midwife being blasé about it is normal.

I found out I carry Strep B about 5 years ago.

I'm 16 weeks pregnant and my midwife just put it in my notes that I'll need antibiotics during labour and baby too if I have a vaginal delivery.

What is it that you're actually panicking about? Can you pinpoint what it is exactly that you're worried/concerned about?

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