Group B Strep test - anyone done it? I'm being a dunderhead.

[BroccoliSpears]

Have I got this right:

I have to contact one of two clinics (The Doctors Laboritory, or Mullhaven Medical Laboritory) and buy a test? There are only two clinics?

Which clinic should I use?

And then I send the swabs back there when I'm between 35 - 37 weeks?

When is best? 35? 36? 37?

And they'll send me the results?

And I can do the swabs myself?

Don't they routinely test for Strep B then on the NHS? I'm confused.

I had strep B with DD1 but they found it when looking for thrush.

I had mine dnumerous times by NHS.

First on urine (was confused by this one)

Then by low vaginal, high vagina, urethra (ouch) and rectal swabs. All these were not routine and done as part of a package looking for other things.

Urine was done at booking appointment. Swabs all done before 30wks.

Nope. Strep B not done on the NHS. I'm happy to pay for it though, if I could just work out how exactly. Asked midwife today and she gave me a leaflet. I think I've got the jist but wondered if anyone had done it and could give first hand advice.

Sorry - didn't meant to imply that I'm doubting that you got it done on the NHS, but evidently it's not an option for me without paying. I think this is true for most people.

IT probably varies from NHS trust to trust.

I thought most were starting to offer it though. You must be one of the unlucky (or lucky given what I went thru ) ones.

I used TDL and they sent two swabs through the post. 1 x vaginal (lower), 1 x rectal.

I asked the midwife to do it at my ?36 week appt (no ouch). Probably could have done is myself but she was familiar with the concept of private tests and happy to do it for me.

All posted off in the packaging provided and text messasge with result (GREEN = negative) in a couple of days, letter followed quickly after.

Not routinely tested for on the NHS in most areas. Where they do test they normally do only a high vaginal swab test, which is less reliable than the Enriched Culture Medium (ECM) method (which uses a low vaginal swab and a rectal swab).

Yes, you do the swabs yourself between 35 and 37 weeks. You are supposed to get the form countersigned by a "Requesting Practitioner" -- i.e. medical professional (doctor or midwife) and the results go to them but can be copied to you if you request it.

Just to add I used TDL as their details were the ones given in the "Pregnancy & Birth" magazine.

They used to (and probably still do) have a regular feature as part of their campaign to get nationwide screening.

Not sure how many other suppliers there are or what various costs are. I paid about £30-ish I think (Nov 2006)

Try this...

www.gbss.org.uk/?gclid=CM3mhfrD1ZECFQuHMAodkxotbg

Mulhaven uses the ECM method which is supposed to be best (don't know about the other lab).

I did the swabs myself and had the results sent back to me so that I was in control of how the info was used if positive (I turned out to be negative).

I did the test at 36 weeks, that's what Mulhaven recommend.

I suppose, ideally, you'd do the test twice. Say once about 30 weeks, then if you went into prem. labour (one of the risk factors), you could act accordingly. And then again at 36-37 weeks, knowing that prem. labour wasn't a possible risk factor any more, and that your status might have changed.

Mulhaven was very fast, I really did get the results back in 2-3 days. Bit funny taking swabs on onself, but all childbirth things are undignified!

Thank you for these replies.

It's the ECM test I want to do.

I'll pick one at random and phone in the morning. Hadn't thought of doing 2. Am 32 weeks now, so perhaps not as much point. Good thought for next time though.