Group B Strep

[kayzisexpecting]

I am expecting our 2nd baby. I was wondering if Group B strep can be in a second pregnancy if it wasn't there in the first.

If it can I will be having the test privatly(stupid NHS) as I spent the last few weeks of my first pregnancy scared about it as the step in MW said the test was pointless.

there have been a couple of interesting threads about it recently. one on friday night IIRC.

the NHS test for strep b, a high vaginal swab , is not that reliable, and can give flawed results. the test you can have privately through www.gbss.org is far more accurate

if you did not have it before, and you are not in a risk category then you there is no reason to panic.

a lot of people carry it harmlessly in their bodies.

Thanks Lulu, it was dh that brought it up as his cousin had it when she had her dd on Friday and he has got all in a panic over it.

if you can afford the test, then test, bear in mind that if you are positive, you will need to have IV antibiotics in labour and there fore water birth and home birth might no longer be open to you.

worth investigating, and looking at the pros and cons .

I hate needles and an IV would be horrible for me. No home birth here. Far too scared even with MW's saying it would be better for me.

I will look into it, Dh's cousin didn't get tested and her dd is in SCBU.

Yes you can get group b strep in a second pregnancy even if you didn't have it in the first. It can be contracted at any time throughout our lives.

If you want to test for it then do the test via gbss.org.uk. As it is the most reliable test available at present. My midwives told me it wasn't necessary to test but I decided to do it anyway.

I had a private test during my pregnancy and was found to be positive. I had the IV antibiotics during labour and didn't find them too much of a hindrance and was told that a water birth may still be possible.

Oh, on another note, I was given lots of info when I was found to carry GBS and a lot of the literature stated that carrying GBS very rarely caused illness in the baby but that they give antibiotics to reduce the risk.

Thankfully my DS was fine but I was glad I had the test and found out about it.

Thanks Lukesmammy, I think I will do the test just to be on the safe side.

My sister and a friend both tested positive, my sister in her third pregnancy.

Forogt to say, I did a private test which I sent for and cost me about £18 I think. You can do it yourself but my MW did mine for me. You need to do a vaginal and a rectal swab.

iirc you need to do the test at 37 weeks.

Yeah I've seen them on the internet.

have a look on the GBS website

Yeah I have done. But I have ages to wait. I will talk to my MW about it.

if you did want a waterbirth and found out you were a carrier you might be able to persuade them to let you have one if you show them that lots of other hospitals allow it (and they do)

I'd love a water birth. Last time I couldn't as the hospital only have 1 pool

I would absolutely get tested for it. I had never heard of it before I had my first child and the NHS never tested me. I was diagnosed with STrep B five days AFTER I gave birth and had to spend 10 days in hospital getting intraveneous antibiotics. Although the chances that my daughter had caught it in labour were 1:200 they never treated her and told me that 'I would know if something was wrong.' I spent the first 3 months of her life terrified she had meningitis or one of the other things babies can have as a result of STrep B.
Strep B in pregnancy is extremely common - I have several other friends who had it (but were diagnosed before the birth). Please make sure you are tested.

IIRC some of the points that came out of the previous thread was that giving IV antibiotics in labour is not without risks to both mother and baby (and less directly the wider populace).

That's not to belittle how serious it can be for a new born to contract GBS disease, just to highlight that there are risks as well as potential benefits and they should all be considered before you decide whether to accept IV antibiotics or not.

I had my 3rd baby in August, I never had GBS test for any of my pregnancys and first 2 were fine. When DS3 was 4 days old he was making strange grunting noises when he was breathing and had a high temp. I took him to hospital who kept him in for 24 hours, they then discharged him and he was rushed back in 2 days later with a temp of 40. They found Group B strep in his cord and had him on IV antibiotics for 10 days. He thankfully made full recovery but it was terrifying and it took days for them to get his temp down, I was convinced I was going to lose him. I wouldnt think twice about getting tested if I was to have any more(which I am most definately NOT)I think it is crazy that the NHS cant test you properly yet a test on the internet can.
I didnt realise how common GBS is, I didnt know too much about it until DS had it. I certainly didnt know it could develop into Meningitis which I was glad about at the time. My DS2 developed Meningitis in January and consultant told me about link to GBS and Meningitis. It is too serious to take a chance so pay the extra money and get tested. If nothing else it will put your mind at rest.