Group B Strep Positive

[TexAnn]

I am getting scared about delivery with group B strep. I was told last week that I am positive for it and would simply have an IV during delivery.

At first I thought, OK at least they know and are ready for it. But now IM worried about being on IV long enough, possible bad effects of being on IV and the effect early antibiotics will have on baby. No one wants an ill start for their baby. Perhaps I need to chill out?

This is my first baby, and Ive had it easy till now, and I hate that I am so negative right now. Please know, I am not interested in homeopathic methods of ridding GBS from me; i am looking for factual experiences involving using the IV and the results of doing so.

Ive read too much about antibiotics being harmful to a newborn, resulting in lifelong problems. But i am not willing to not use them and risk infection of GBS.

Please, let me know if you have had a delivery on antibiotics for GBS, and how it went and if your baby had problems later so I can be realistic about this. Be honest! Thanks for your time!!

 

[whattoexpect]

I was gbs positive and had the IV during delivery. I noticed absolutely nothing for me or the baby. Knock on wood she has been amazingly healthy and well. She never so much as had jaundice or a fever in her life (she is 20 months) I have never heard of it being a problem with any baby, but maybe I'm wrong. Enjoy your uneventful pregnancy and hopefully labour and delivery go smoothly as well!

 

[TexAnn]

Thank you for a fast reply! I am smiling now. I was hoping to hear from someone like you. I will stay away from serious, scary medical websites for a while...

Thank you for the well wishes, and all the best in your pregnancy, too! Your daughter is adorable

 

[Laylagirl]

I just had my gbs Saab done in wednesday..haven't heard anything back yet. Do they usually wait till your next Appintment to let you know? Or would they have called me?

 

[TexAnn]

The appointment the week after my swab my dr asked me if we already did it, and I said yes. So I assumed it was OK. While I was making my next appointment she approached me to say I am positive. So it must take a few days to a week, BUT just ask

 

[mandaa1220]

I just had my gbs Saab done in wednesday..haven't heard anything back yet. Do they usually wait till your next Appintment to let you know? Or would they have called me?

they usually wait until your next appointment to tell you the results, negative or positive.

 

[Laylagirl]

Eeeesh...so I may not be in the clear yet... I go back on Wednesday..

 

[Luvspnk31]

I was gbs positive for 2 of mine. I received 1 dose of oral antibiotics the morning I was induced with my first. With my second gbs baby, I received IV antibiotics. No negative effects from it that I could ever tell. I'm one of those people that try to go as natural as possible, but I don't mess around with gbs. Babies can go downhill incredibly quickly from it.

 

[Angelbaby_01]

My obgyn did the test last week with my 25 week check-up. I asked him about an IV and he said no, that if it's positive then he will prescribe antibiotics that I can insert "down there" so that it doesn't get absorbed by the amniotic fluid, but would get rid of the infection. Maybe something to look into?

 

[MummyToAmberx]

I think its very personal choice after youve done your research and understand the benefits and risks.

I wont go into great detail but birth plan ive got is pretty simple. I will only accept IV if
1) labour before 37w (which im very past)
2) if my waters break and dont go into labour within 18hrs
3) i have high temp or show infection while in labour
4) baby looks to be in distress in labour

I am birthing at home, will be monitoring baby myself if everything goes smoothly after.

 

[Pix]

I had GBs with both my earlier babies. Have not been tested yet. However I can give you great perspectives.

With DD when my water broke I had to go in immediately and be put on IV antibiotics. She came out perfectly healthy no issues what so ever!! All in all for a first birth it was hard but a great experience.

With DS I labored too fast and they couldn't get the antibiotics pushed through fast enough!! I was only there for an hour before I had him and in that time they push 2 bags through but they weren't sure it hit fast enough. Luckily he was born in his sack so when he passed the birth canal no part of him actually touched my vagina. This is a good thing! They still watched him for 48 hours just in case!

My aunt however wasn't as lucky and my cousin got sick. Spent 2 weeks in the nicu. Please educate yourself on GBS and what CAN happen.

This time around because of my previous quick labor I'm going to ask for antibiotics to take when labor hits at home. I haven't been tested yet but I'm assuming I will because I've already had 2 with it. You CAN ask to be swabbed closer to delivery. Sometimes that comes back negative the further you are or at different stages of pregnancy. It's up to you. My own feeling is if it was positive once I won't risk it.

 

[lemongrass]

I was gbs positive with my son, don't know yet about this time. I was induced with pitocin so I didn't notice the antibiotics since I already had an IV. My son was totally fine. Many of my friends also had gbs and none of their kids had issues. This is definitely one of those things where the benefits outweigh the risks so you should remind yourself that you are doing the best for your baby and put the rest out of your mind.

 

[TexAnn]

Thank you, everyone, for sharing your experiences with me! No one I know had GBS, so I was feeling very alone and weird.

Thank you for providing me some calm

 

[Kitten]

I had a womb infection after giving birth to my first but didn't know until I collapsed a week later. I tested positive for GBS but obviously there was no way of knowing if I had it during labour and we were already past the risk of early onset so I just had to keep an eye out for meningitis for the first 6 months.

With my second I was swabbed at 36 weeks and was negative so all was fine.

I haven't decided whether to consent to the swab this time round or not. I am under a home birth specific team this time (had the other 2 at home but was under the hospital in terms of 'team') so will have to see what their stance is as every midwife has their own opinion.

 

[maddog37]

I was gbs pos with my first and am again this time. No effect on DS or myself. I assume I had 2 doses of antibiotics since I was in the hospital for 8 hrs and they give a dose every 4 hours.

I've heard on some podcast that being on iv's for too long sometimes can cause water retention which may make it a bit harder to breastfeed at the beginning, but that's not anything serious and it's a maybe.

Look on the bright side, with gbs if your water breaks, they have to let you into the hospital once your water breaks no matter how dilated you are. They can't send you back home and make you do another car trip when you're already in pain.

 

[bbbbbbb811]

I'm in the UK, and they don't test for GBS routinely here as your levels always go up and down. You could test positive at 36 weeks but then negative at term/when you give birth. Although with my daughter, I can't remember the reason(think it may of been thrush) but they tested for GBS as well.

The plan was to have IV antibiotics in labour(for 4 hours) and give birth naturally, although they didn't have time to administer the antibiotics as I was only in labour 1hr 40minutes!! But as a precaution they tested my daughter and have her antibiotics directly until the results came back, as it was she didn't have the infection and didn't have to have any more antibiotics and it could of just been my levels had gone down?
Now she is a healthy 3year old! Hope that puts you at ease a little

 

[kksy9b]

Like others on here, I was GBS positive with my DS. I was admitted at midnight and started pushing at 8am so they were able to get two full doses in. Other than some burning if the penicillin was dripping in too quickly (no worries about this- they do a saline flush which will lock your arm up for a moment but then adjust the flow so it doesn't burn) there were no ill effects on me or baby. Its pretty common to have GBS so please don't feel like you are alone and definitely stay away from Google!