Group B strep. Tested positive.

[Alovelikexo]

I don't know what this is. I didn't even know the test was done to be honest. Can someone please explain, I've just had medical words thrown at me by doctors and my partner searching google talking about fatality and still birth risk.

 

[supersherwolf]

I had it done yesterday. Doctor said its just a bacteria that can be found in alot of people, that can be harmful to baby so they do the test to make sure you don't have it and if you do they'll treat it so it doesn't Impact baby.

 

[Feronia]

Your care provider should have told you what he or she was doing when you were tested, that's not right.
A lot of people are positive and it ends up not being an issue. You can even go back and forth between being positive and negative. There are some natural remedies you can do to increase your chances of being negative, and then you can ask for a retest. Or you can accept or decline the antibiotics you'll be offered in labour.

I personally don't even test for GBS since I would decline the antibiotics anyway. The biggest risks are if you go pre-term or if you have prolonged rupture of membranes, and if I were in either of those situations I'd test, but otherwise not.

 

[Kato2]

I had this in my last pregnancy and will be tested in a weeks time for this one. Many people are carriers of strep b and through birth it can infect the baby so they will put you on IV drip at least 4 hours before baby is born so they also get antibiotics in utero- if not they give direct to baby after birth. I was so upset when I found out I had strep b but I have opted for the same monitoring this time round as I me and baby were monitored from start to finish which was so reassuring!

Here is more info but please look at stats of people who are treated as opposed to those who don't get treatment.

https://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/2037.aspx?categoryid=54

 

[RebeccaR19]

I had it last time. I was on a penicillin drip well before I had my son. You have to be on it for a few hours before you give birth. It's a bacteria that can cause sepsis in an infant exposed to it.

I have heard that it can come and go easily. I have also heard that eating a lot of probiotic types of foods can rid your body of it. I'm not sure how true this is, but I've been trying to get rid of it this time.
I've been eating tons of yogurt, kefir, sometimes saurkraut. I've also taken extra vitamin C daily as well as garlic, which are supposed to help fight off group B strep. My test will be done at 36 weeks. I'm tempted to ask for it early to see if I actually have gotten rid of it.

However, the first time around, being on the drip did the job. There were no issues at birth.

 

[mummytobe_93]

My baby was born with this and I didn't know I had it as wasn't tested. She was fine for a few weeks but got really unwell and was told at one point to prepare for the worst. Sorry not trying to scare you but trying to urge you to get antibiotics offered! My daughter was fine after all thank god. But in this pregnanxy I'll be getting antibiotics at delivery. They are testing more women for it because its an increasing problem xx

 

[mummytobe_93]

I know everyone has posted saying they had monitoring etc and a few declined the antibiotics Etxt but it's one of them that could go either way it could affect your baby or it couldn't if you don't get treated. Fair enough most women here had positive experiences and weren't affected by it. But as a mother watching my new born baby with countless drips in her, pale, lifeless and literally about to die I am on the other side of that perspective about getting treatment x

 

[Inoue]

Sorry to hear about the above stories, how terrifying for you .

I tested strep b positive last pregnancy, its really not something to get worked up about (as you now know about it). I had IV of Penicillin about 4h before delivery, stayed in hospital over night, then out the next day with LO.
I will be having the antibiotics again with this birth, didn't even cross my mind 'not' to have antibiotics tbh. X

 

[Alovelikexo]

Thank you ladies, before I had posted this I had already decided I wish to take the treatment offered, my baby is measuring very small, and we had a scan that confirmed he is rather on the small side so this adding to it I just want to give him the best chance in life.

With my daughter I had the worst pregnancy, sickness all through, insomnia, pid, sciatica, I was bed bound for the last 3 months and yet no complications, happy and healthy as anything. This pregnancy has been a breeze, no sickness, mild heartburn and a touch of sciatica yet I'm facing all these complications. Just goes to show how different each pregnancy is!

 

[Alovelikexo]

Apparently they tested two weeks ago when I was in hospital due to suspected waters leak... I had no idea it was done as I was suffering a severe sickness bug and hadn't eaten for two days and had been violently sick for 3. Was all a bit of a daze. My other half said they didn't tell me or him though.

 

[Alovelikexo]

My baby was born with this and I didn't know I had it as wasn't tested. She was fine for a few weeks but got really unwell and was told at one point to prepare for the worst. Sorry not trying to scare you but trying to urge you to get antibiotics offered! My daughter was fine after all thank god. But in this pregnanxy I'll be getting antibiotics at delivery. They are testing more women for it because its an increasing problem xx

I am so glad your daughter was fine after all that heartache! Thank you so much for sharing your concerns with me I really appreciate it.