Group B strep - UK ladies

[MrsT2B]

Hi ladies,

Im after some advice/information on group B strep following some rather devastating news

I dont really know much about it, never had any tests with my first LO and am now 33 weeks with my 2nd.

My step sister had her 4th baby on Monday evening, baby girl, and they discovered the baby had strep B after 24 hours, very sadly the baby passed away yesterday and we are all devastated

I do know this is fairly rare and happens to a low percentage of babies but I just cant believe it, my heart is breaking for her.

I have tried to research it but everything I can find says its not routinely tested so you could/could not have it when you give birth.

Does anyone know if this is a test you can request from the midwife or you can pay for privately? I am now worried and my dad and step mum are panicking about my LO (which is making me even more anxious).

Im sorry to have to ask about something which may upset people but i cant get hold of midwife and figured some of you ladies may know

Thanks so much

xxx

 

[CatherineK]

I am from the US (where it is routinely tested for in your last month) but I have seen that many UK ladies pay for a test somehow, so I hope someone pops on. The test should be done in the last few weeks, as it can come and go. I'm always amazed that the UK doesn't find it 'cost effective' to make routine, when it's such an easy test that can have the possibility of saving a child's life.

 

[Elljo3]

Firstly I'm am so very sorry for your step sisters loss

With my first two pregnancys I never was tested either....... It wasn't till I was getting a lot of pain the the doctors took a swab about 2 months after second was born and it showed strep b.... I was then told to make sure I told the doctors if I want or become pregnant again..... Fast forward to last year when I had my third.... It old them i had it and they said near the end of my pregnancy they would test me and whatever the results were it would be my choice to have the anti biotics in labour, so I just said I will not even bother with the test and just have them anyway.

I would speak to your gp or midwife and explain the story and that you would like the medicine during labour too.

Xx

 

[ladyfrankee]

Im so sorry for your familys loss!! I had group b strep in my last pregnancy so had anto biotics in labour, however i have been told this time that unless i show symptoms they will not swab for it nor give anti biotics, the policy has changed only recently, my ibstetrician told me recently that if im worried then to basically go to my gp, lie and say i have a heavy discharge and that they will swab me, this way you wont have to pay, and your own and your parents mind will be put to rest.

Elaine xx

 

[chichifab]

Hi,

I'm so sorry for your step sisters loss. I had mine done 2 days ago at 34 weeks. I spoke to my midwife about it as I have heard stories about it and she said to do it after 34 weeks.

You can order the test for free online then pay for the lab work which cost about £35. I personally don't mind paying for it to avoid the risk. I took the test to my midwife who was happy to do it.

 

[Eleanor ace]

I'm so sorry for your SIL's loss . As others have said, there is a test you can order and pay for privately, it's pretty cheap and quick. If it comes back positive you just give your MW the results and they'll treat you with antibiotics in labour. I would expect that if you tell your MW about what has happened she would swab you, as worrying about whether you have GBS will obviously be causing you a lot of stress .
I was GBS+ and treated for it in labour. It is very common (1 in 4 people have it at any one time and it comes and goes) and most people don't know they have it. If you do have it you'll be given antibiotics in labour to protect LO. Even if you don't get the antibiotics there is only a slim chance that LO would develop it (I think its 1 in 1000/2000 but I can't remember), and they would have observations done to look for it. I didn't get the full dose of antibiotics in labour and LO was closely monitored for 12 hours

 

[Inoue]

Im so sorry for your step sisters loss, how awfull

Im in the UK and they dont routinely test for strep b unless necessary (like strange discharge, early loss of water etc). I paid privately on the internet, was about £30 for test packet and the lab work. I got my results by txt msg saying I was tested possitive, was quite a shock as I had no issues with this pregnancy, it was just on a whim what I did the test.

Come to D-day and I went into hospital earlier than the standard 3-5 min contractions and when I reached 8cm they injected me IV with two doses of penicillin about 2h apart.

5 months later and my LO is fine, we had no problems since her birth but im glad we had the penicillin as things could of ended differently.

So my advice, order a test around 35 weeks pregnant and take action from there depending on results. Again, im sorry for your step sister but its time to check yourself out. Hindsight would be a wonderful thing x

 

[Abz1982]

As far as I know you wont get a test unless you tell them you have funny discharge. Well they do a test really early on but things change!

Up here even if you havet he test, the MW doesnt bother to tell you the result........even if positive!

 

[TrixieLox]

I read about this the other day, some UK MPs are calling for tests on NHS. The argument against it is that sometimes tests bring up false positives so a mum will get antibiotics unnecessarily which can have their own consequences. But better than the consequences of this infection, right? I might look into a private test, is worrying.

 

[melonbelly]

I was tested early on my first and it came back negative. However my gp had sent a urine sample to hospital at 39 weeks as I had a UTI. long story short I found out I was positive two days after I had ds. I had no antibiotics in labour. Fortunately ds didn't contract it. This time it came back negative at fourteen weeks but they will do a swab test at thirty seven just to be sure.

 

[Lawgirl]

Thank-you so much for this post. It made me remember that I had a 'funny' result from a swab during my fertility investigations a few years ago. Having dug out my medical records, it seems I had a Strep B infection so I 'm going to speak to my consultant about it next week.

 

[iwantabub]

I just wanted to say that I had this done Wednesday... The doc said that it usually presents with absolutely no symptoms what so ever.
It was actually an infection we got as humans from buffalo or
Something like that... It's nothing to be concerned about unless u are pregnant... Even while pregnant most women display no symptoms whatsoever....

I think it is terrible this isn't included in your tests in the uk... I really hope it gets changed soon.
Even if the risk is below 1% it can happen...

I'm so so sorry for your family's loss and to your sister.

I wish u all the love in the world to your family and if I were you I'd explain to my ob or mw what has happened and hopeful they test u... If not then I've heard of those send off tests as well.

Good luck

 

[TrixieLox]

I forgot to also say, so sorry for your family's loss

I found this NHS page on it which sets out both arguments, interesting. https://www.screening.nhs.uk/groupbstreptococcus

 

[kitchenware]

Hey

I tested positive last time when I was swab on unrelated matters and even though I was positive last time they still wont test me this time. Grrr. My daughter was fine but they only found out 5 minutes before I delivered so they had to rush pediatrics in and everything - it was really frightening.

Doing private test this time round. Here's the link for getting a private test.

https://www.gbss.org.uk/sub_sub_sec...=21&sub_id=121&content=ECM test. Where & how?

Think you do them yourself at home and they send the results to you and your midwife a couple of days later. You need to do it between 35 and 37 weeks beause the results are only valid for 5 weeks or so.

Hope this helps. Very sorry for your step sister.

 

[Rato]

I had been wondering about this myself. I think it is a SHAME on the UK for letting this happen. I mean if they're not testing people for finantial reasons at least they should give us the option to pay for it. Even if there's only a 1% chance - I mean they're letting completely healthy babies DIE because of this. It doesn't matter if it's 340 or 2 babies a year - it shouldn't be happening. I feel very sorry for your SIL. Maybe she can sue the NHS or something for that? We pay our taxes so they should have looked after her and the baby properly. I am so angry for her and for everybody else I have heard of...

I mean I asked my midwife last time I had my appointment and she seemed very nervous and very uncomfortable explaining that they don't test for GBS... I couldn't believe it!

I'm thinking of paying for a test privately as I am not happy with this...

So they scan the babies for abnormalities and for Down Syndrome and for everything else (and they would advise you to abort it if there's something wrong), but they don't bother testing us for a bacteria which can possibly kill the baby? I don't understand this!!!

Just hope you and your baby will be OK. Your poor SIL I can't imagine how she is feeling now

Good luck xx

 

[MrsT2B]

Thank you for sending the link, am going to speak to my midwife and explain and if they wont do it I will pay for the test myself xx