Anyone else urine test positive for Group B Strep (GBS)?

Jazma11

Anyone else urine test positive for Group B Strep (GBS)?

AcaAwkward

I haven't personally, but it's pretty common. It also cycles in and out of your body constantly, so it's likely that you could test positive for it now but test negative closer to delivery. This is why my OB doesn't even test for it until something like 36 weeks.

homediva

I did last time, closer to the end. It was annoying because I had to have an IV during labour. It wasn't a huge deal...just one more thing.

Rrrrrachel

I've never heard of testing urine for it. Usually it's a vaginal/anal swab. It's also really early to be testing for it. I had it last time and had to have abx during labor. Nbd.

Jazma11

Yes, normally they do a swab towards the end of pregnancy. However, it showed up in my urine which means I have A LOT of it, this is why they are treating me right now. Doctor said I will definitely be put on antibiotics during labor as well since I have it now and enough to show up in my urine.

baylorlinda

If you have GBS in your urine, it means that your vaginal/anal area has a lot of GBS. If you have GBS in your urine during pregnancy, they usually give you antibiotics to treat it and you get antibiotics during labor.

Linnea503

I did last pregnancy. It was a swab though, not in the urine. I had to have iv antibiotics during labor to protect the baby. No big deal.

Rrrrrachel

I guess I don't see the point of treating it now since it can just come back, but whatever.

Jazma11

Rrrrrachel said:

I guess I don't see the point of treating it now since it can just come back, but whatever.

I am not sure either. I am guessing because it could give me a UTI? IDK.

baylorlinda

Rrrrrachel said:

I guess I don't see the point of treating it now since it can just come back, but whatever.

If you have bacteria in your urine, you have a UTI and all UTIs get treated during pregnancy.

ETA posted too early

Rrrrrachel

That makes sense I guess.

Pandamom14

I do and will be treated during labor. They will intermittently give me antibiotics as I am trying for an all natural water birth.

AcaAwkward

LalaMama81 said:

Pandamom14 said:

I do and will be treated during labor. They will intermittently give me antibiotics as I am trying for an all natural water birth.

I wouldn't get the abx unless you positive a few weeks before your due date.

Ditto. Why take the meds unnecessarily? Plus it's another annoying IV during labor that may very well not be needed.

Jazma11

Looking up info on what can happen if the baby gets it, is scary! Since they found GBS in my urine, I am now considered high risk for it, and therefore will be getting antibiotics during labor. Not even sure if they will do the swab for me.  From what I am reading, when they find it in your urine it means very high levels!

spocker

*puts on nurse hat*

GBS usually only lives in the vagina/rectum. If you have so much that it shows up in your urine, you are "heavily colonized" and considered to be GBS positive for the remainder of your pregnancy and you are a candidate for antibiotics when you go into labor. Many providers don't bother doing the swab in late pregnancy if you had GBS in your urine.

Any time there is bacteria in the urine in pregnancy, it should be treated no matter what kind of bacteria it is, because untreated it can lead to infection which in turn can lead to premature labor.

*puts away hat*

spocker

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr5910.pdf

page 7

porterlove525

I tested positive in my swab and urine test at 8 weeks and for all the reasons @ellendee mentioned above, I was put on antibiotics for 7 days and will automatically receive IV antibiotics as soon as I go into labor, my OB won't be testing me again, it's standard protocol to just put me on meds later on due to how extensive the bacteria is when it tests positive in your urine.

I'm just bummed that I'll have to go to the hospital so early and can't labor at home. Not to mention I'm allergic to all major antibiotics and have a moderate reaction to the only one I can take.

@eme520 has a lot of experience with babies from mom with GBS and she was a great source of info for me and helped calm me down when I got my diagnosis. Your LO and you should be just fine, it's very common and treatable

AcaAwkward

ellendee said:

*puts on nurse hat*

GBS usually only lives in the vagina/rectum. If you have so much that it shows up in your urine, you are "heavily colonized" and considered to be GBS positive for the remainder of your pregnancy and you are a candidate for antibiotics when you go into labor. Many providers don't bother doing the swab in late pregnancy if you had GBS in your urine.

Any time there is bacteria in the urine in pregnancy, it should be treated no matter what kind of bacteria it is, because untreated it can lead to infection which in turn can lead to premature labor.

*puts away hat*

Thank you for the info! I didn't realize it could be present in urine / the ramifications of that scenario.

ashcole28

homediva said:

I did last time, closer to the end. It was annoying because I had to have an IV during labour. It wasn't a huge deal...just one more thing.

This! I had to walk a lot up and down the hallways to try to start my labor and I kept stubbing my toe on it!

kwolslager

 

eme520 said:

ellendee said:

*puts on nurse hat*

GBS usually only lives in the vagina/rectum. If you have so much that it shows up in your urine, you are "heavily colonized" and considered to be GBS positive for the remainder of your pregnancy and you are a candidate for antibiotics when you go into labor. Many providers don't bother doing the swab in late pregnancy if you had GBS in your urine.

Any time there is bacteria in the urine in pregnancy, it should be treated no matter what kind of bacteria it is, because untreated it can lead to infection which in turn can lead to premature labor.

*puts away hat*

Very well put.

@porterlove525 Glad I made you feel better, I'm glad you didn't have a more serious reaction to those antibiotics

From a baby standpoint, GBS only rarely causes infections, but when it does it can be extremely serious. We've seen a massive reduction in mortality from early GBS sepsis since they've initiated universal screening in pregnant women and intrapartum antibiotics in those who carry it. It's one of the few examples we have when a single intervention can make such a huge impact on outcomes.

That's why I think the bottom line is don't worry too much about having it and know that those antibiotics are important!

ETA: I think this was well covered, but if someone tests positive for GBS in the urine, it's because the OB was doing a urine culture for some reason, not specifically testing for GBS. As others said the specific screening for GBS is vaginal and rectal swabs between 35-37 weeks.

This... It's SO important to be tested and treated if necessary .. I have a dear friend who was NOT tested, not because she refused/declined, but because her doctor didn't do it when it was something the office did regularly will all its patients. She had the worst possible outcome as a result. Her sweet baby boy became infected and died a few days after birth. It was her first child, and to this day, 11 years later, she still grieves over the loss of her baby. She did sue the doctor because it was something that was supposed to be done (as it was/is routine).. but the fact that she won didn't ease her heartache.

Momof8inSC

Yes at 12 weeks. I was bleeding and they thought I might haw a yeast infection. Came back as GBS in my urinary tract. Out of all my pgcys I always test GBS+ at the end. Never in beginning. Was put in ampicillin. Took for a couple days but made me feel bad, so I changed to essential oils. Cleared right up. But it was so weird!!

Pandamom14

I meant I'll be treated during labor since it was in my urine and that means there's a large colonization already.