Group B Strep Support Thread

[HannahGraceee]

yeh i am! They didn't find out intill she was born and nearly died - ive always wanted a home birth but never thought it was possible now that i know im a carrier!

 

[PeanutBean]

So did she have GBS infection? Was it definitely GBS? The risks of it happening again go up quite a bit if you have already had one baby who was infected with GBS BUT often an infection is treated without necessarily knowing if it was GBS or not as antibiotics might be administered nad be taking effect before tests can be done.

Most importantly though, once a carrier is not always a carrier as it is transient. The thing would be to do your research, look at the various risks for you given the history, then get a swab done at 35-37 weeks to see if you are a carrier. A positive test at that stage gives a very high probability (though not 100%) that you will be carrying during labour.

Have a browse through some of the links. I've been looking from the perspective of not having a history so wouldn't want to to say I found x, y and z in case it misled you.

 

[PeanutBean]

Oh and was it early onset (up to 24 hours) or late onset (up to 7 days) as this is important for what interventions might have an effect (or rather no effect)?

Feel free to post your story here and we can be keeping it in mind as we look through links and articles.

 

[HannahGraceee]

well i gave birth to her via c-cestion on the 22nd and i had trouble feeding her so asked a midewife to help, she helped me feed a tsbp of breastmilk and said she need to wind as she was making a grunting noise her outside in the light ( i have no idea why) a hour late i got told she taken to special care.

They said they didn't know what was wrong with her and needed to take some spinal fluid and run some tests, the told me she had strep b and if that midwife didn't take her to special care she could have died! they treated her with a 10 day course of antibiotics x x

 

[PeanutBean]

Yes grunting is one of the symptoms. But it sounds like you were never actually tested? There is always a possibility the GBS was from another source! I would try not to panic about it, discuss it with your MW when the time comes and get the appropriate tests to see if you are a carrier. Section is entirely unnecessary and doesn't reduce the risk of transmission to the baby and technically most other things can be as easily done at home if a homebirth is what you want. You might be interested in the links that refer to the use of intravenous antibiotics which is a sticking point for the homebirth. I should've thought you could get them at a birth centre... There are definitely options for you though so it's worth looking into it when the time comes.

 

[Reid]

been looking in2 it alot since they told me i have this on fri there and found some great web sites by the nhs and the collage of obstetricians and gynaecologists that have alot of info on it that i have found very helpfull and reassuring.
spoke with a mw after 1 of my classes on sat and she said there is no reason what so ever that i cant have the water birth i would like x

https://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/2037.asp...categoryid=137

https://www.rcog.org.uk/womens-health...newborn-babies

 

[PeanutBean]

Hi Lynne, thanks for the links but they seem not to be working! There is an rcog link on the first post so I wonder if that info is already up?

As an update I've just popped some simple statistics into the first post.

 

[Ellie130891]

Hey girls

I was diagnosed with Strep B at 34 weeks pregnant. They found it by doing a swab test as I had a slight bladder infection.
I was on antibiotics during the labour, had to be injected towards the end instead of UV because they didnt realise I was 9cm
Baby was fine but had to stay in hospital 3 days to keep checking her temp.
private messages would be welcome to hear your stories. i found the only bad thing about strep b was needing the UV during labour as my hands really ached

xxx

 

[PeanutBean]

Hi all. I wanted to give a small update on my situation. I decided not to have the test (36 weeks tomorrow) not that I've been offered it! At my 34 week appointment my mw surprised by putting a big yellow sticker on my notes saying to give iv antibiotics which ticked me off no end! So I wrote refused on it and signed it. Tomorrow I see the consultant mw for my debrief and to discuss antibiotics. I've decided I don't want them unless there are signs of infection but also that I am going to pursue trying to get them at home as I'm not prepared for a need for antibiotics to be sufficient reason for transfer in the middle of labour. So we will see how that develops!

I'll post tomorrow after the appointment with an update.

 

[KandyKinz]

Hope the consult goes well for you tomorrow. Transfering in for abx is just ridiculous in my opinion and you certainly seem more than capable of monitor your baby at home postpartum for signs of sepsis.

 

[ttc bubby no2]

I tested Step B + with DS (36 weeks I think) and they forgot to give me the antibiotics as my labour progressed faster than expected. After he was born they did a heal prick test to test for it and he was fine. This time I won't be getting tested.

 

[PeanutBean]

Ttc bubby - over here your LO would've been given antibiotics as a precaution, or at least the medics would want to do that. It's great you didn't have that pushed on you! I didn't know you could test with the heel prick, perhaps that includes a white blood cell count does it?

 

[ttc bubby no2]

Ttc bubby - over here your LO would've been given antibiotics as a precaution, or at least the medics would want to do that. It's great you didn't have that pushed on you! I didn't know you could test with the heel prick, perhaps that includes a white blood cell count does it?

I'm really not sure exactly! I was getting stitched up and DH and a midwife took him to the nursery for the test. I want to get my hospital notes so it might say something on there, otherwise I may need his notes to get the info.

 

[KandyKinz]

It seems quite strange they would do a heel prick test to check for gbs as I was always under the impression that venepuncture was necessary for cultures to avoid potential contamination.

 

[PeanutBean]

Well I am back from my meeting. The consultant MW was really good. She was cross about the swab being taken without my consent and is going to look into that. On the GBS front she asked what I knew about the risks and implications and was evidently entirely satisfied with my answer. I said I don't see a positive swab taken at 24 weeks a couple of hours after sex as being any indication that I more likely a carrier than any other woman routinely not tested by the NHS. She agreed. I summarised my understanding of the risk the end point being a 1/10000 mortality rate, 80% of which is premature babies and given I am now 36 weeks it doesn't seem that the liklihood of anything serious coming about is much of anything at all and far less than a great many other potential complications. She was happy to write in my birth plan that I don't want antibiotics unless there are visible signs of infection or other risk factors present (I added the caveat that I want to assess at the time if I have waters gone 18 hours or more as transferring then will put me in the same position as Byron's labour). She is going to circulate to the MW team and to paediatrics in case for any reason the baby ends up needing to go in. I said I don't want the baby to have antibiotics as a precaution when no signs of infection are evident.

She didn't try to change my mind or anything and said it was obvious I've carefully considered everything and she was happy with that. So it's all systems go! Have confidence ladies, it's your decision.

 

[KandyKinz]

I'm super happy things went so well for you! guess it's time to hang up the boxing gloves...

 

[madcatwoman]

Its time i joined this thread i think. For some reason i had a gut feeling about GBS and needed to get the test done. I asked my MW about it and 3 times she told me its not done on the NHS.

I did it myself with a home test kit in the end(i found the link to the company on the GBS support website). they sent a quick early message via text to say i was positive and are aparently sending the paperwork to my MW. Im a bit gutted but on the other hand pleased ive got it done as i would have never forgiven myself if baby had it and was ill or worse from it just because i didnt fork out the £32 for the test. It was easily done too and better than having anyone at the surgery digging around in there!.

Ive spoken to my MW who changed her tune when i said i had it done privately, she told me they would have tested for it!. Shes told me what will happen with my labour which im fine about, theres just one thing i need to be sure about and that is that an allergy to penicillin in the family hasnt been inherited by me.
She wants me to see her and a consultant on monday, but didnt say why exactly. she also said shes not sure about these companies who do the home test and whether theyre just after our money, but ive heard these private tests are more accurate than the nhs ones!. A bit like peanut- i dont want them fishing around in there doing another test, i feel confident with the results ive got from the one.

 

[PeanutBean]

Hi madcat! The private ones ARE more effective, they use a different culture method which doesn't give the 50% false negative the NHS one does. Interestingly I've not been offered the 35-37 week test anyway. I wouldn't have it but they didn't know that. Strange they are so ready to push for antibiotics on a shaky result months ago, antibiotics they're too afraid to let me have at home!

Good luck with your meeting madcat. I've not heard of anyone going to see a consultant about it so do update us.

 

[madcatwoman]

i cant remember where i read it now, that the private tests were more accurate, but like you say, ive read it somewhere and will tell them that, i reckon they will want to test me again,but i think i'll have to say that im more confident with the private test thanks!. I think maybe thats what the consultant will want to do and probably what my appointment is about, guess i'll have to stand my ground a bit.

 

[PeanutBean]

The gbss site details the different types of test. I think it should be linked in this thread somewhere...