Strep b positive

[twinkle93]

Some basics about first pregnancy;
28 week prem labour
34 week prem labour and waters broke
35 week confirmed strep b and delivery

I’ve just had the call to say I’m strep b positive again. I was hoping for a normal delivery this time obviously, shorter stay in hospital, baby not to be taken away and cannulated, kept in special care without me etc. It seems it’s not to be 😞 anyway I’m looking for anyone else’s experience with strep b

Consultants weren’t sure whether the strep b infection had cause my waters to go at 34 weeks (although due to prem labour at 28 weeks could have been not related at all) so this worries me. Also, not sure whether baby will have to go to special care (daughter had other problems so had to go anyway, not sure whether she would have for only strep b)

Any other experiences most welcome
Thank you x

 

[missielibra]

Are you currently close to delivery?
Because they usually test you at (I can't remember right now) 35 or 37 for strep b, because if they test you sooner, it doesn't mean that getting a positive then, is a positive the whole pregnancy. Its 'comes and goes' which is why if a mom goes over 40 weeks, they will re-test you. I'm *pretty* sure the result is good for about 5 weeks, after that you get re-tested (that you had a negative or a positive). So if you're still early (I'm gonna guess just because this is posted in 1st trimester), it doesn't mean you'll still test positive at the time of birth/near the time of birth!

I wouldn't give up just yet!
Also, my sister had it for one of her kid, she delivered at 39 weeks. They just treated it and baby and her were fine, no extra time at hospital or nothing!

Sorry you had such a hard time the first time around, and I hope everything goes well

 

[BabyBrain80]

I tested positive with ds2. I was supposed to get iv antibiotics in labour, at least 4 hours before birth, but labour was so fast I was crowning in the hospital car park! So unfortunately ds2 had to get antibiotics iv twice daily for next few days. We stayed in the hospital on a lovely wee ward with 3 other ladies. He was taken away at 8am and 8pm each day for the antibiotics, but only for a short while and stayed with me the rest of the time. He was born on the wed afternoon and we were home on the Sat evening. He did test positive so we were lucky it was caught as women here are not routinely tested, I found out when I was tested due to thrush.

Forgot to mention he was born at 41wks

This pregnancy they will test me later due to my history and I was told last time that I'd automatically get antibiotics in labour anyway. We will see.

Good luck, hope all goes well x

 

[xarlenex]

How far on are you? Like a previous poster said it does come and go. I discovered I'd been group b positive during my daughter's labour but only days after she was born due to results from a urine sample going elsewhere first. So we didn't receive any antibiotics, she was born at home and is absolutely fine.

I want another home birth but have to wait until 36-37 weeks to be tested for the result to be a proper reflection of whether I'm likely to have it during delivery or not. If you aren't close to delivery then you should request to be tested nearer the time for a more accurate result, if they refuse you can get a private test, it's not much at all from what I remember. If you are positive for it during the delivery the hospital will give you antibiotics during labour and as long as theyve had enough time to get through to baby then most hospitals would be happy to let you leave after observing the baby for around 24 hours, some even less.

 

[Elsa50501]

I was group B positive in my first pregnancy, and because of that they checked for it in my 8 week appointment to see if I was again. I am also Group B positive this time around.

The only difference with a Group B pos pregnancy and labor is that you need antibiotics before delivery so that it doesn't pass to the baby as he/she comes through the birth canal.

I was told last time that I'd be able to labor at home in early labor and then come in and get the IV antibiotics once labor became more intense. However, my waters broke, so they had me come in and do all of my labor in the hospital. They just gave me IV antibiotics and fluids, then I labored for around 23 hours and gave birth. No intervention for baby needed. She was fine.

This time around it'll be the same. I got antibiotics in my first try (oral ones) and I'll get an antibiotic drip if my waters break, or later in labor before delivery.

It reduces the risk that the baby will receive the infection. My sister in law didn't have the antibiotics when she was group B positive (against medical advice) and her daughter became infected and had to stay a couple extra days in the hospital, but was never taken away from her, it was just for monitoring.

If your first was on the cannula and needed more intervention it was probably more related to lung development (because 35 weeks is pretty early still). The group B status probably didn't change your preterm birth. It just happened along side it. A lot of people are group B positive so they have pretty standard procedures for that.

It is a bummer, but it's not that bad. For me, it actually took the guess work out of when to go in, because they couldn't turn me away onces my waters broke, lol.

 

[twinkle93]

I think maybe intervention with baby was needed because they left me with broken waters for 5 days or something. Which I wasn’t happy about but they just wanted her to stay in a little longer. I’ve calmed down with the strep b in this pregnancy now after speaking to midwife who has confirmed baby shouldn’t need intervention unless he/she shows signs of strep b in the 24 hr period.

Thanks for all your experiences and help, it really does help to put my mind at ease. I know it’s common but it’s still abit scary

Thanks ladies