Group B Strep - Childbirth experience

[lilseb]

I got group b strep picked up in my first trimester - I've looked into it and I'm not too worried, plus neither is my midwife/the nurse who told me. I just wondered how it likely affected childbirth? I was hoping that if I went into labour at home I could wait at home (ideally in the bath) until a bit closer to the second stage. Will I need to go in straight away though to make sure I get antibiotics/don't catch an infection? Also I did ideally want a water birth and it sounds like I still can, but does intravenous antibiotics affect it? Finally I've read mixed things about after birth monitoring and whether it happens after antibiotics and for how long. Any experiences giving birth with strep b would be appreciated

I can’t help I’m afraid but commenting as I’m in the same position and have lots of the same questions!

Generally, with GBS they give precautionary Abx during labour through an IV and monitor baby post birth for twelve hours by doing obs on them. Some places state that you can’t go in the birth pool with a cannula (which I find utterly ridiculous), that shouldn’t be a contradiction to MLC. You must go in fairly promptly if your waters break though as there can be a concern about ascending infection risk to baby.

If you don’t manage to get the Abx in time, then normally not so much of an issue but they’ll just do the post birth observations and monitor for any sign of infection.

GBS is normally not an issue most of the time, most people have the Abx and baby obs and go home without major kerfuffle. There would be a low threshold for intervention if they thought baby had a potential infection.

I think as GBS was picked up in the first trimester, you can always retest at 36/40 with a swab as it’s a bit of a come and go bacteria. I’d have to have a dig through the research to see what’s actually being said about it. Otherwise, Sara Wickham, who is a research midwife has written a book about GBS to assist in any decisions that you may make. I find her very balanced and evidence based.

Hope that’s helpful. Xx

Oh man I know two people that had incredibly sad outcomes but this was due to undiagnosed GSB. I would definitely do all the risk mitigating things you could such as being in hospital and not home birth etc.

One thing to bear in mind is that if you don't get the antibiotics in labour in time, it increases the odds of the baby needing antibiotics, which can prolong your hospital stay.

OP I absolutely do not want to worry you but I know someone who had undetected strep and her poor little DC was born with some incredibly life changing physical and mental disabilities. I tested with both DC in the third trimester, you can get a private test (not generally offered on the NHS) and it is easy to do (although not hugely fun swabbing your bum!).

There is a brilliant charity - www.gbss.org.uk who have loads of information on their website.

In my first pregnancy, I had GBS that had not been diagnosed (this was 2021 - i had covid when i was due to sort out the test and then DD1 arrived two weeks early). DD1 developed sepsis at 23hrs old and spent two weeks in NICU. She was very poorly. She had amazing treatment and is now a thriving 3.5yo.

For my second pregnancy, everyone took my GBS status very seriously. I was given a big sticker to put on the front of my notes, antiobiotics when I went into labour and DD2 was monitored for 24hrs after birth. She did not fall ill. One thing to know if that you need a certain amount of time between being given the antiobiotics and baby being born for them to be effective. But if you have a super quick labour, they will just keep you an extra night for monitoring.

You can absolutely still have a water birth with GBS. In fact the charity I linked to had a post about this on their insta feed today.

Whether you need to go to hospital straight away depends on when your water breaks i think. Both times, my water broke before contractions started, which is high risk for infection. I think if you are having contractions first, you can stay at home for a bit but please don't take my word for it - ask your midwife.

Please have a read of the website i linked to and they have a helpline you can call as well - they have some clear information on what to look out for after birth. It all sounds scary, but it's actually a good thing that it is found early as it's awful being in my position and only finding out when it's too late. Something like 40% of women carry GBS and only a very small % of babies fall ill, it is just about making sure you know the signs you should be looking out for.

I had this when pregnant with #3, picked up by a different screening.

I was told I would need IV antibiotics when in labour, and then nothing to worry about. I had a precipitous labour with #2, so had to be cautious. As it was, my waters broke before labour even started properly, I called in and they said to stay home until contractions were reliable. They then phoned back when they had checked my notes to say they had just spotted the big red strep b sticker along with the note about super speedy labours, so to come in asap.

Went in, had IV, baby appeared about 45 mins later, all well.

Not in the UK but I had IV antibiotics if I recall. I think baby had some too maybe by injection.. I can’t remember but it was taken seriously (not in a panicky way) but I was tested and it was included in the birth plan notes and discussed several times beforehand. I ended up having a C section, nothing to do with the strep B, but I do recall there were antibiotics. Might have had an injection of antibiotics aswell once my waters broke if I recall correctly. My SIL wasn’t even tested for it in the uk and did have it and baby was very ill after birth. In your shoes I’d discuss the risks of home birth and whether you’d still be able to have the antibiotics you’ll need. x

I tested positive at around 28 weeks. I asked to have a second test two weeks before my due date but my dc was 5 days early and I went to the hospital not knowing the results. I was 8cm dilated when I arrived and the midwives said that they wouldn't give me an IV because I'd give birth before the minimum 4 hours needed to be on the antibiotics. My dc was observed for longer before we were discharged. I had to chase the results after I'd left the hospital and found it was negative. My advice would be to get tested again later in your pregnancy but put pressure on the system to get the results.

The UK doesn't test as standard. It's really frustrating. There are currently about 50 hospitals in big study who are testing and are comparing outcomes with hospitals that don't test. I believe they are also looking at a potential vaccine. The charity I linked to are closely involved in both. Hopefully some positive changes to come to prevent more babies falling ill.

On a population level, currently around 0.66 per thousand babies had a diagnosis of GBS before 90 days in the UK during 2023. Of those, 0.40 were early onset (prior to 7 days old). Overall, 360 babies received a diagnosis of GBS in 2023 out of 591072 live births.

GBS statistics

I had it and I had elective c section

I had GBS diagnosed in pregnancy. I was told I'd be allowed to water birth if everything lined up right.

As it was my waters partially broke, so I was automatically kept in hospital and given antibiotics via IV, even though I was only 2cm. They want baby out ASAP if your waters break, as that begins the timer for infection risk. They wanted to break the rest of my waters and wait to see how my body responded with view to putting me on a drip if I didn’t progress fast enough, but if I progressed well I could have gone in water.

Then my waters broke themselves before they got to it - and had meconium and blood in them. They were worried about the blood (in case placental) and baby also started getting quickly stressed by contractions so needed continuous monitoring - so definitely no water birth for me. I naturally dilated 2 to 9cm in 2 hours. It turned out baby was getting stressed as in a bad position which caused baby to get stuck and very distressed when pushing so I had an EMCS.

Did my birth go to plan? Absolutely not. Was the GBS behind any of it? Nope. Really it was a good thing because it meant I was kept in so babies distress was picked up much sooner than if I'd been at home. There was nothing I could have done, baby wasn't ever coming out naturally alive. What was the outcome? A beautiful completely healthy baby and I also had a great recovery. I was up and about quickly.

I had GBS and found out in third trimester. I had my baby almost 1.5 years ago but still processing my birth. Up until the birth I was told I needed antibiotics. Then a midwife told me during labour and i vividly remember being told this. She said I didn't need antibiotics as the advice had changed and women with GBS didn't need it anymore. My birth was traumatic not because of GBS though and Baby was fine.

I was induced and when I went round to labour ward I was started on the IV antibiotics before they broke my waters, labour was 5 hours from when my waters were broken and they got another lot of antibiotics in during that time I think.... I was allowed home 4 hours after giving on the proviso that we came back in the morning for a follow up check