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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

36 weeks and have Group B Strep

45 replies

littleboyblue · 14/01/2009 16:27

My baby will be ok won't he?
I have to got to DAU tomorrow morning, but they've told me to call an ambulance if I go into labour because I'll need anti-biotics on a drip through labour.
I've known a baby to die due to this infection, but mine's pretty much full term so he'll be ok?

OP posts:
Picante · 14/01/2009 17:08

Why would you need to call an ambulance? You just need to get to hospital in reasonable time. Don't worry. Your baby doesn't have the infection, you do - and the drip will prevent the baby from getting it.

dinkystinky · 14/01/2009 17:14

Your little boy will be fine LBB - both you and your hospital now know, and will be monitoring both you and baby very closely. The anti-biotics will sort it out - and if need be, they'll continue to give your baby more antibiotics post birth to finish off the course. All you need to do is head off to the labour ward at the first sign of labour actually kicking off. Big hug.

Original poster
littleboyblue · 14/01/2009 17:21

Picante That's what they told me.....I'd obviously rather avoid the drama of an ambulance tbh, but that's what they said to do

OP posts:
LJ29 · 14/01/2009 17:52

LBB they won't give you the anti-biotics in the ambulance and won't even give it at the hospital until labour has been properly diagnosed so calling an ambulance would be absolutely pointless unless you had no other way of getting there. What you should do tho is to go to hospital as soon as you think labour is starting or if your waters break.

Aitch · 14/01/2009 17:54

i have this, loads of people do. there's nothing to worry about, really, they just put you on drip once you get to hospital. certainly no ambulances for me.

Aitch · 14/01/2009 17:55

yea, the onely differernce for me is that when my waters broke they wanted to induce me rather than let me hang around for 48 hours waiting for labour to start.

Original poster
littleboyblue · 14/01/2009 18:12

Yes LJ, will go in car if dp here but if he not then will have to I suppose.....

Thanx Aitch.

OP posts:
Original poster
littleboyblue · 14/01/2009 18:26

What if I go into labour but don't recognise the signs at first? Is it just a huge risk after waters break? What if that doesn't happen until halfway through pushing stage?

OP posts:
Aitch · 14/01/2009 18:45

i think the risk is bigger if your waters break. although my doc told me that even if the child is exposed it's a one in a 1000 they'll get it, and a further one in a 1000 that they'll die from it. i don't know if that was hyperbole but he really did seem to be saying that the anti-bs were worth having, but the risk was pretty minimal.

i can understand, though, if you know someoen who lost a child through this, that it would be more difficult to shrug off.

but i think about a third of women are strep b, so that's a lot of babies born safe and well. the docs know what they're doing on this one i think.

elibumbum · 14/01/2009 19:00

Hi LBB - please don't worry too much about having GBS. Just because you are a carrier doesn't mean your baby will get ill from it - 25-30% of the population are carriers so think of all the women that give birth to perfectly healthy babies who don't even know they carry it.

I had it when pg with DS and had plenty of time to get the antibiotics before he was born. I turned up at the hospital at about 2-3 cm dilated but they didn't start me on the antibiotics until I was 5cm (I had 2x doses of IV antibiotics at four hourly intervals).

Even if your labour is too quick to get the ideal doses into you they will be keeping a close eye on your baby after the birth to look for any signs of infection.

I found the Group B Strep Support website really helpful. The link is here: www.gbss.org.uk/

They have a really detailed and helpful information booklet in pdf format that you can print off - giving you all the info you need if you are GBS+.

Original poster
littleboyblue · 14/01/2009 20:30

Thanx again Aitch I will def have the a/b's there's no question on that, and yes they know what they're doing, the logical part of my brain knows all this, but there is that other part too.......

elibumbum I looked at that website didn't get far, watched a bit of the birth diary video about the couple whose baby girl died 20mins after being born and had to turn it off! I think I'll have another look tomorrow after I've spoken to mw and all this has sunk in and I'm in a calmer state.
Thank you so much for replies.

OP posts:
themildmanneredjanitor · 14/01/2009 20:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WorzselMummage · 14/01/2009 20:38

I had GBS last time with no waters for weeks and no antibiotics before the section and ds didnt get it. I was told if i didnt have the antibiotics during labour hen he would after delivery, he did as the section was a rush job and he is fine.

I was told its much more of a risk if they dont know about it.

TheFallenMadonna · 14/01/2009 20:41

My waters broke at home, we went to hospital, came back home because DH had forgotten his wallet and went back again and there was still plenty of time for the Abs

You know you have it, which means it can be dealt with. Most people with it don't know. Most babies(thank goodness) are fine either way. I do understand knowing one who wasn't makes that a bit hard to appreciate.

noonki · 14/01/2009 20:50

I had strep B and they only found out after DS1 was born. So he and I had no drugs but he was totally fine.

For DS2 I referred to this group and they were really good. From what I remember the real danger is not being diagnosed. So you are in the best position possible as you will be given the appropriate treatment.

[http://www.gbss.org.uk/?gclid=CI6A3p33jpgCFRNnQgodx23EDg strep Bsupport group]

noonki · 14/01/2009 20:51

sorry I am truely rubbish at links
here

noonki · 14/01/2009 20:51

and spelling

Original poster
littleboyblue · 14/01/2009 20:51

Thank you all, am starting to feel a bit better.

OP posts:
MavisGrind · 14/01/2009 20:55

Another one here who found out after ds was born. He was on ABs for 5 days but only because there was more than a 48 hour gap between waters breaking and him being born, he was a very reluctant and sleepy feeder and the GBS positive swab came from the placenta. He was absolutely fine.

As you already know you have this (and I believe it can come and go which is why they don't routinely screen for it) then there shouldn't be a problem.

Best of luck with the birth!

Original poster
littleboyblue · 14/01/2009 20:57

Thanx Mavis All of this is very reassuring

OP posts:
stanausauruswrecks · 14/01/2009 21:05

I had GBS too, had to go to hospital as soon as my waters went. I was told that as long as you have two lots of AB's before the baby is born, then baby won't require treatment.It did mean that they ruled out a water birth for me.

Good luck with it all!

Original poster
littleboyblue · 14/01/2009 21:12

I ask this because I don't know when waters went with ds
What if I go into labour without waters breaking, if I get strong contractions, do I need to get to hospital as urgently?

OP posts:
rainbowdays · 14/01/2009 21:41

I had a homebirth because ds2 came so fast, I was told that I could not have a homebirth due to needing antibiotics in labour. But with ds2 taking less than 90 minutes to arrive and only about 30 minutes after waters breaking, there was no way that I could possibly have got the antibiotics required 4 hours before birth. When the midwife rang the hospital to ask if they wanted the baby and I to be transferred into the hospital for the baby to recieve antibiotics, the answer was NO! They said that if the baby looked ok and continued to look ok then we could stay at home. But I was warned to monitor the baby closely for 48 hours.

The risk of transferring GBS to baby is only there if the waters have gone, so if they are still intact there is minimal risk, the risk increases the longer the waters have gone. Also as has already been mentioned here, 1/3rd of woman have GBS, many of them don't know it, as it comes and goes during pregnancy and is not easily detected anyway. Of those who are KNOWN to have it only 1/1000 babies get sick with it and only 1/1000 of the 1/1000 die with it. I am not trying to minimise the pain that people suffer from experiencing this happening to their baby, I realise that there is at least one person on mn that has lost a child to BGS, but I want to put the risks in perspective.

Once you know you are in labour you need to get to the hospital ASAP as the antibiotics have to be administered to you four hours minimum before the baby is born. If the baby arrives faster than that, it depends on hospital policy and how long after your waters went the baby was born: whether they will monitor the baby for 48hours, or admisister antibiotics regardless of how the baby appears.

I hope this helps.

Original poster
littleboyblue · 15/01/2009 15:50

Thanx rainbow that does help.
Saw mw today, she was very nice, she read the leaflet to me, just incase I missed a bit or can't read myself but shewas very nice, understanding and sympathetic to my feelings at the moment.
She has covered my notes in stickers so there's no way anyone will miss all of that.
She has made an appointment for us to see the consultant about inducing early (will be 38wks then?) so we'll see what happens.
I have been wearing pads for months on end due to an increase in discharge (TMI) but will stop that now in case waters start to trickle iyswim.........

OP posts:
jen992 · 15/01/2009 15:54

littleboyblue - why do they want to induce you early? is it just because you carry GBS????

I too have GBS (such a pain!!)... i have been told to contact the hospital once labour starts but only go in when the contractions are 5mins apart (this is my 2nd baby)... hope he doesn't come too fast, but even if he does i've been told not to worry as it doesn't matter too much if i don't receive abs as baby will be monitored for 24 hours anyway.

such a confusing issue isn't it?!