GBS wtf?

*blue*flower* · September 2013

When I had DD 7 years ago I had a GBS done and it was just a quick swab. I'm at a different hospital now and today's GBS consisted of a vaginal swab and then a rectal swab. And I had to do it myself, uhhhhhhh ensue awkward contortioning in their clinic bathroom while the nurse waited outside the door to take the sample. I deft did not insert it as far as the Dr showed me to!

MegN423 · September 2013

I would be happy to do it myself. There is something violating to me about anyone doing anything back there.

sarahcatie · September 2013

I am shocked that they let you do it yourself. My dad is the Dept. Head of the lab at our local hospital, and he was telling me how the swab has to be done just right, and never touch your cervix to be accurate. Apparently (not at his hospital) there was a lawsuit because a GBS came back negative when the mother was really positive and the baby had all kinds of complications because the swab was done improperly.

shelley1002 · September 2013

I would not trust doing it myself.

emmylou78 · September 2013

You'd have to stick it in pretty far to hit the cervix, especially without any speculum or anything. But I just thought it was a rectal swab (from past discussions on here).

Michellepiner · September 2013

The doing it yourself thing is crazy to me too. I am a lab tech and there is just too much room for patient error. It can be awkward, but it's best to let the doctor or nurse do it for you.

CousinVicki · September 2013

this is so weird, why don't they do it for you?

sweettwilight16 · September 2013

I had this done this morning and did NOT have to do it myself, thankfully. In fact, it was so quick and barely grazed that area- I was relieved at how easy it was! I'm surprised they would trust patients to do this themselves... Especially pregnant patients that would have trouble reaching/seeing!

LaceyV13 · September 2013

That's strange that they made you do it yourself. I had mine last week and I was glad I read about the rectum swab part on here because my doc was like ok we're just gonna swab your vag the week before and then all of a sudden the day of as she's doing it was like okay and now your rectum, no warning at all..I was glad I knew what was coming or I would have surely been tramatized lol.

CMireles2 · September 2013

I get mine done at 230... How exciting... Not

*blue*flower* · September 2013

Yeah, gotta love military clinics. I would have preferred that they did it, I was fine with the vaginal swab, but trying to squat and get a comfortable angle to get a dry cotton swab for the rectal part was not happening very well! Plus I could hear the nurse talking outside the door while I made multiple attempts. It would have been so much easier if they just did it. I'm not one to have issues with medical professionals collecting samples or doing procedures, I felt WAY more awkward trying to do it myself!

MrsStuessyWI · September 2013

I can't believe I was so nervous about this. I got mine done last week. It was totally no big deal. I mean, it hurt a little I think just because there was no sort of lube on the cotton. But, still nothing big. She didn't insert it in my butt, just sort of swabbed really quick around that area. I will admit that the vaginal swabbing hurt more than the cervical check, but it lasted about 2 seconds so I made it.

allymp13 · September 2013

I would think this is somethig they would want an accurate reading on and this would cause more room for error by having patients do it.

I had mine done last week and they just barely swabbed over that area. The funny part was that when they told me I was having it done they said it was a vaginal swab. So I come on here and everyone is talking about it being a rectal swab. The day of again they tell me the doctor will be right in to do the vaginal swab for the GBS test so I said, "oh it's vaginal?" and the nurse quickly said, "oh and rectal too". Why the big freaking secret?? I don't it!