Group B strep

shoff2

I searched the board for this, but didn't see anything on. Sorry if this was discussed before.

Who has tested positive for Group B strep? What are the chances of it spreading to baby during pregnancy? I know they give you antibiotics when you go into labor to decrease the chance of the baby getting it during delivery. I've researched it and saw it could cause miscarriages and stillborns, but what are the chances of that?

I'm going to talk to my doctor about it at my next appointment, but I wanted to ask women who have had it and what they've experienced. Should it be something I should worry about?

I tested positive through my urine culture and have been put on antibiotics.

lauranicole91

I had it with my first. I just got the antibiotics during my induction. The concern is only after your water breaks as far as I remember. So I don't think it's too concerning all through out pregnancy. But I could be wrong, I'm no doctor. Haha.

lala5507

I tested positive with both of my daughters.  Other than doing the antibiotics during labor, I wasn't told of any other potential issues.  Not sure where I stand this time. 

chicagomomab

I tested positive with my daughter and like PPs have said, the only difference was that I was put on antibiotics as soon as I was laboring in the L&D room.  I don't remember being told about additional complications.

shoff2

Thank you all for sharing what you've experienced. I'm a FTM so this is all new to me. I'm assuming it's very rare for GBS to spread to baby during pregnancy. I just worry too much.

My older sister was born with Group B strep and was in the hospital for the first month of her life. She's healthy and having babies of her own now. 25 years ago I guess they didn't test for it like they do now though.

Snapdragon750

HilarityEnsued said:

They don't test you until way later.  Heads up, they swab your butthole!  Hooray!

Like others have said, the concern to spreading it to your kid is only during delivery.  I had it last time.  I was on antiobiotics during my entire induction.  It was NBD.  DS was fine.

What!  No one did anything to my butthole and I definitely had group B strep.  I agree it was NBD, just antibiotics during labor.  It's also super common.  My doctor mentioned it almost off-hand and wasn't even a little bit slightly concerned.

lala5507

Yeah, they for sure swab the vagina AND the butthole.

shoff2

HilarityEnsued said:

They don't test you until way later.  Heads up, they swab your butthole!  Hooray!

Like others have said, the concern to spreading it to your kid is only during delivery.  I had it last time.  I was on antiobiotics during my entire induction.  It was NBD.  DS was fine.

I'm only 15 weeks and I tested positive for it through a urine culture. I know usually they don't do the swab until 35 weeks or around there, right? When the nurse called she said the doctor already plans on having me on antibiotics during labor since it was in my urine. I didn't think I had to worry about it until way later in the pregnancy so I was surprised when I got this call. They put me on an oral antibiotic for five days.

ck4567

I tested positive through my urine. The biggest thing is that even if you test negative for group b strep later on, they still must give you antibiotics during labor anyway since it was in your urine. Testing positive in your urine means you likely are heavily colonized in your vagina.

I also read there's some possibility of it spreading to the baby during pregnancy, but I don't think there's much you can do to prevent that and I don't think there's much the doctors do either. I think it's prob pretty rare though or else it would be more of a concern, ya know? I think you will be fine. I was worried at first too but my doctors weren't concerned. I was just given a course of antibiotics and that's it until delivery. Just make sure you get to the hospital in time to have a course of antibiotics 4 hours before your delivery.

shoff2

@ck4567 thank you for sharing! I'm trying my best not to worry. I've always been scared of having a miscarriage especially with this being my first pregnancy and not knowing how my body will react and when I read there's a chance due to the GBS that scared me even more. I'm debating on buying a Doppler to try and ease my mind and be able to listen to baby when I'm worried but I've read mixed reviews and can't decide if it would be worth it.

vballgirl78

I had it with my first. I just had to get some antibiotics when my water broke. It wasn't a big deal at all.

mpiemont

I was - with DS1 and + with DS2. They started antibiotics when I got to the hospital but it takes 4 hours for the meds to get delivered by IV and he was born less than an hour later so technically I was untreated. He luckily had no problems.

I don't recall my bum being involved in the testing.

Lalalady54

It is normally a vaginal and rectal swab I was told with my first, however the rectal swab I hardly felt after they checked my cervix, the swab was super quick and I couldn't tell they had done it.

Eta: link to ACOG GBS info https://www.acog.org/~/media/For Patients/faq105.pdf

jil1210

Lalalady54 said:

It is normally a vaginal and rectal swab I was told with my first, however the rectal swab I hardly felt after they checked my cervix, the swab was super quick and I couldn't tell they had done it. >

---ETA: stuck in quote box---
Same. If my Dr hadn't explained what she was doing at each step I would have had no idea that it even happened. Not a big deal at all.

ambarnett1

GBS+ with my first, probably will be again. I was in labor for 30+ hours after my water broke and had antibiotics for 27 of those hours. DS was fine. It's not a big deal. Talk to your dr about your concerns.

Kae42

I'm a perinatal nurse and at our hospital we follow the following protocol (I'm sure other centers have variations on this):
If you test positive in the urine at any point in your pregnancy you are considered positive for labour

If you test positive by vaginal/rectal swab (usually 35 weeks or more) then you need to be re-swabbed after 5 weeks if undelivered as the results expire, and the swab result can change in that time

If positive we encourage parents to come to the hospital at any sign of water leaking/breaking and we do a microscopic slide with a small sample of the fluid to see if it's amniotic fluid (ie: water broke). If it did, we encourage IV antibiotics started at that time since the risk of transmission is higher to babes once the water is broken

At my hospital we generally treat with penicillin g (with other options for people allergic to it) and the dose has to be in for four hours, with new doses every four hours in labour in order to be considered "adequately treated"

In the cases where babies come quickly and four hours after the first dose hasn't passed, we do a CBC on baby postpartum (to check their white blood cells) and check vital signs every four hours for the first 24 hours after birth, just as a precaution. In that time baby stays with mom as long as there are no other concerns and if nothing develops we discharge them when all our regular discharge criteria is met (feeding well, peeing, pooping, appropriate weight loss etc)

I hope that helps a bit??
Good luck

Snapdragon750

HilarityEnsued said:

guys they definitely swabbed your butt... you just didn't know.  It's protocol.

 

ck4567

Beeorange said:

I had GBS with my first and definitely had my butthole swabbed... with no warning. They just gave me antibiotics during my induction and that was that. 

Why are they having you take antibiotics now? I thought I had been told that the antibiotics won't prevent you from having GBS at the end of your pregnancy, if taken now. I could be wrong I suppose. 

Edited to fix a word

My doctor said if it's in urine he gives antibiotics to prevent a possible kidney infection. It's just a precaution. He said it was optional but strongly recommended.

shoff2

I haven't seen my doctor since I got the positive test. It was just a phone call from the nurse. I've read that antibiotics are given because it could spread and lead to other infections. It won't prevent me from having it during delivery since it can come back at any time I guess. I'm not sure if it ever fully goes away really. All questions I plan on asking the doctor when I go next. I had no problem going on the antibiotics due to knowing the effects it can have on infants.

Since I'm already going to get the antibiotics during delivery no matter what, I'm curious if they'll still want to do a swab at 35 weeks. Hopefully I don't have to worry about the butt hole swab lol.

Thank you @Kae42‌ . That did help me understand the process a bit more. I guess my plan of trying to spend the majority of my labor time at home is out of the question now.

Lalalady54

Starbuck128 said:

HilarityEnsued said:

guys they definitely swabbed your butt... you just didn't know.  It's protocol.

I wonder if this is a difference between doctors and midwives? I think I'd remember sticking the swab up my butt.

I'm sure since you did it, you know, however the swab isn't up the rectum, if I remember correctly it was essentially external along the vagina, perineum, and rectum...To see if there was any GBS colonization in the area.

RustyGirl3

I tested positive both times with just the swabbing (they definitely swabbed the entire area).

With DD#1 I was only at the hospital for 2 hours before she was born
With DD#2 I was at the hospital for about 45 minutes before she was born.

I didn't receive the proper dosage either time and both of my girls had no issues at all with it.

Ballet80

I tested positive for GBS this pregnancy, the doctor said she will just give me anyibiotics during my delivery and not to worry.