Hi ladies, I had a vaginal swab taken at 7 weeks and result has come back saying I have group b strep.. Obviously this puts me as high risk - is there anything I should do/know now? Also re delivery, is a c section safer than normal vaginal delivery? I'm aware a c sec carries its own risks but in this instance I'm feeling that a c sec might be preferable?
Any info please - am feeling confused and worried!xx

Hi, I was diagnosed with Step B at 22 weeks after a routine swap for thrush. To begin with I was really worried but after looking at some of the other Strep B threads on B&B and speaking to my midwife i'm fine about it now. It is really common, about 25% of woman have it. Untreated you can pass it on to baby during birth (think odds are about 1 in 1000) but if you have antibiotics at birth this pretty much eliminates the risk. Having a C-section also eliminates the risk but this was never given to me as an option and i'd personally much rather have a vaginal birth. My midwife said that all i'd have to do is go straight into hospital when I go into labour and i'd be given IV antibiotics every 4 hours during labour. I'll have a cannula in my hand so that inbetween antibiotics i'll be able to move around and I should still be able to have a water birth. Then baby will need to stay in for a couple of days to be monitored as a precaution to check that the antibiotics worked and it wasn't passed on to baby. As it's not routinely tested for in the UK, i'm just glad that I know and don't think the antibiotics will be a big deal. I'm a first time mum to be so staying in for an extra couple of days will probably be a good thing as well - extra advice and help! Hope this helps, being pregnant is stressful enough!

Thank you so much for your reply, I really appreciate it.
I feel pretty much like, bring on the next problem, with this pregnancy - so far it's been a nightmare! Feel really fed up - am guessing that's the hormones though too.

Thank you for sharing your experience, I think I'll feel a lot better once I've actually spoken to my midwife about it - so far I just recieved a letter saying I've got the infection and now I don't see my midwife until my 16 week appointment, so I'll see what she says then!

Honestly though, thank you so much for taking the time to reply - really helps just knowing I'm not alone in this!xx

Anytime, feel free to PM me if you want to chat about it or ask how I got on when my time comes, 11 weeks and counting....

I do know how you feel though, I had a threatened miscarriage early on, then got diagnosed with an amniotic band, then got told i've got Strep B, and i've just been told i'm anaemic and that my stomach muscles have split. I feel like the list just goes on and on but it does get better. I felt so lousy throughout the first trimester and really down about my pregnancy but although i'm far from glowing, I am beginning to enjoy my pregnancy more now.

I just got a letter through the post as well, and as it was over a month to my next appointment, I phoned my midwife to ask for more information. I had made the mistake of googling Strep B before I phoned her and had got myself all worked up about it but she reassured me that it really was nothing to worry about.

I am a bit of a worrier in general and as this pregnancy has gone on i've realised that I have to trust the professionals and if they are not worried then I shouldn't be either. I'm now trying to relax and enjoy what is left of my pregnancy.

Hope things go better for you from now on and search for previous strep B posts on here, there's lots of us ladies going through the same thing, made me feel better too!! x x

i had been told years ago that anti-biotics before and during birth were what to do and i guess in theory section would be somewhat safer?

They will hook an IV with antibiotics in it. I was also positive for my DD. It is actually very common!!

yes sadly it is very common

Hi ladies,

I was just tested positive for strep B and I am about 7 weeks pregnant. I thought I had thrush but no... it is strep B. Doctor said I could start taking antibiotics now if I want to.

Does this bacteria harms pregnancy? Is it possible that it would infect the placenta before baby is full term? I had a MC in Dec and was told it was due to bacteria infection. I was never told which strain of bacteria it was so I am now really curious.

Thank you.

Found out yesterday I'm positive for this too At least they know about it and can treat it even though I'm a bit pee'd off at having to be hooked up to a drip. Better to be safe than sorry though x

hey late reply to you ladies. I had Strep B with my 1st. My labour was induces due to pre-eclampsia so from word go every 4 hours I was given a dose of IV anti-biotics. Little one had to goto SCBU for 2 hours just to be monitered but thats all. And I have been told by my midwife that the baby doesn't need to be taken to SCBU in all cased and an ob/gyn told me that it will probably just be antibiotic injections this time instead of an IV. x