Group B Strep in urine

[musicmaiden]

Hello ladies
Hoping one of you might have some experience of this as I am at a loss as to what to do.

Found out on my 15-week consultant appt yesterday that my booking-in urine test at 10 weeks showed GBS in urine. No-one told me about this though! In the interim I did go to my GP about a possible urine infection and she gave me pregnancy-friendly antibacterials (like antibiotics but not, I suppose).

So aside from the whole anti-bs in labour (which I am not going to think about yet), what I am worried about now is that the consultant was quite cheery about the whole thing and told me not to worry as they would 'monitor it all', but did not say GBS in urine means you should get anti-bs straight away (only found this out from the GBS support site).

So should I go immediately to my GP and get anti-bs now or wait until the new urine sample results are back from yesterday's appt to find out if GBS is still present?

And does anyone know how long the proper urine results take to come back?

I have no more appts booked except a scan until 25 weeks btw.

Argh! I hate uncertainties...

The reason the consultant was quite cheery about it was because its nothing to worry about. Loads of people will test positive for GBS, and its not something that will effect them or needs treating. The only time its an issue is when you are about to go into labour as there is a very small chance the baby might get it, and it would be very serious if that happened. Thats why you will get the antibiotics when you go into labour. What you have to remember is that most people don't get tested for it (I am surprised that you got this test as a matter of routine) and so don't know that they are positive. The chances are that the baby would be fine as well so people just don't know that they are positive.

I didn't know I was positive until after the birth of my first. I was tested because of other unrelated complications. She was showing no signs of having picked it up but they decided to give her the antibiotics anyway. This time I will have the antibiotics when I go into labour as its better than giving them to the baby afterwards.

Don't make the mistake I did though and tell your Mum about it. I was really upset after watching a doctor put a canular in my new born babys hand so they could get the antibiotics in, rang my Mum, and she went mental and demanded to know what I had been doing to pick up such an infection, and never asked if my daughter was going to be OK. Not that I am bitter or anything

Forgot to say, I mentioned GBS to the doctor I saw the other day and she hadn't noticed it in my notes. She wrote it in big letters at the top of the page so that no one else misses it. I have done the same on my birth plan. I know that when I go into labour and arrive at the hospital I will forget to mention it and what to be sure that someone will see it in my notes asap.

Try not to worry, although urine infections are not uncommon in pregnancy the majority do not lead to major problems (ie.Kidney infection and preterm labour). Before universal urine testing many women presumably had asymptomatic grp B strep in their urine without knowing!
Once it has been identified your urine infection should be treated and ideally a repeat sample should be tested after treatment to confirm the urine infection has cleared. Group B Strep is a normal commenssl bacteria which tends to occur normally in the bowel and the vagina of many women. There is no evidence to suggest that routine anti-biotics during pregnancy(before labour) for vaginal Group B Strep are helpful. If anything they may transiently clear this bacteria from the vagina but it tends to simply re-colonise in women who are carriers for it. In contrast the urine should not contain any bacteria and so treatment should be recommended to avoid the above mentioned(albeit very small) risks.

Just realised that I have totally misunderstood the OP - you were tested postive for GBS in a urine sample . Now I feel stupid. I think I just assumed that this was a vaginal infection which is when people normally worry about GBS. Losing the ability to concentrate on anything, must get more sleep

Thank you both very much. Am a bit calmer now. Bumping for evening folk in case anyone has anything to add?

CookieMonster ? LOL about your mum! I will avoid telling my m-in-law for the same reason...

God, it's so much responsibility growing a baby!