I only found out i had the Strep B the day i took my baby home from the hospital - the day after i gave birth. I did not have the antibiotics or anything. My little girl was fine! Had no real symptom of it other than a sticky eye which is common in babys without the strep B. She is 6 months now.


Now you know in advance and you know to go to the hospital to get the antibiotics as soon as your waters break you have nothing to worry about!!! I know it can be scary but do not let the internet info get to you. My husband - who took the call about the strep B once i was out did exactly the same thing (looking on the internet about it) and he was a nightmare the whole of his paternity leave and didn't end up enjoying it at all - let alone driving me crazy!

Anyway - you will be fine! Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and i hope the birth goes well x

Holly and Amelie

Hello there girls, bumps and babies,

Hope you are all doing just fine and dandy, and getting excited that your dates for scans, blood test or due dates is round the corner.

I need help please on this one.

I went for my 28 week check up to the MWs at my hospital I'm going to have baby at, and was having chat with MW about different things about my pregnancy when I gave her my urine sample, she popped off and moments later said that I had Leukerra (sorry spelling?) in my waters, so obivously I had an infection but no symptoms what so ever as my Prgnancy has been blessed (I think thats what I could call it) up to now. So had to have swabs taken which put me out as I didnt realise I was going to have anything as you do when everything has been A-ok.

So that was last Wednesday, anyway today I had phone call from the MW saying I have Strep B, So I thought right I know roughly what it is so went on net and it's just frightened my to death as they say newborns can die of it 24 to 48 hours after birth. So rang her back and she said not to worry as lots of women get it and it's not life threatening as I will come into maternity straight away when my waters break so they can give me antibiotics by a canular injection so baby will get it until he arrives into this world, then they do a check on him and swab him down with anti's too.

But the whole thing has made me cry my eyes out today, only as I'm frightened wondering if everything is going to be alright, as I have this amazing little baby kicking and punching away at me all day nearly!! Also I've never had anything bad to eat or drinking though this pregnancy as I want to give the best start to my baby, I don't smoke or drink hardly only if we have family or freinds round. Plus I have had in my mind that I wasn't going to hospital until the very last minute and wanting to stay only over night!! Now it seems I have to stay for 1 or 2 days depending on how it has all gone and what the out come is. So much for trying to plan it all, nothing ever works out!!

But just want to know if any of you have had this or got it as I'm so frightened out of my wits end and feeling really really low, not me at all! I just don't know what to think,

Thats for reading this girls just need advice

Rachxxxxxxx28+6weeks blue bumpxxxxxxx

Oh Rach,
Try not to worry too much about having Strep B!!
Know that you know that you have it, you can make sure that it is on your files, and you will be given anti-biotics whilst in labour to stop your baby from getting it!!!
In England, they don't test for Strep B, and you usually have to pay privatley for the test (which is what I'm going to do)!!
My friend has Strep B, and everything went will with that (it was the fault of the trainee MW that kept her in hosp for a week), both she and her beautiful baby girl are fine!!
It's a great thing that you know now!!
Try not to let ut upset you ... there is nothing you could have done to prevented yourself from getting it, and as we've all said, it's great that you know that you have it, as precortions can be taken to make sure that your baby is born healthy!!!
Speak to your MW about it at your next appointment ... or you could always phone and make an earlier appointment with your MW or GP to discuss it!!! The worrying and upset won't help your baby either!!!
Take care of yourself, and try not to worry!!!
Janice and 25+3 week Lydia bump!
xxx.

I only found out i had the Strep B the day i took my baby home from the hospital - the day after i gave birth. I did not have the antibiotics or anything. My little girl was fine! Had no real symptom of it other than a sticky eye which is common in babys without the strep B. She is 6 months now.


Now you know in advance and you know to go to the hospital to get the antibiotics as soon as your waters break you have nothing to worry about!!! I know it can be scary but do not let the internet info get to you. My husband - who took the call about the strep B once i was out did exactly the same thing (looking on the internet about it) and he was a nightmare the whole of his paternity leave and didn't end up enjoying it at all - let alone driving me crazy!

Anyway - you will be fine! Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and i hope the birth goes well x

Holly and Amelie

Hay hun,

Dont be so silly your lucky to have found out 1 in 3 girls are carriers and a big percentage of them never know. i think its 1 n 10 babies die of those that actually catch anything and the percentage of them catching it is really low especially now they know to give you antibiotics - your baby will be fine as even if they dont catch ur labour quick enough they will give the antibioticse to baby when he born.

All it is, is a bad bacteria that lives in your vigina rather than ur intestines it can come or go or it can be there permentatly doesnt matter what u eat or drink you can have it - its not a disese its just a bacteria living in the wrong place at the wrong time... please dont worry and make sure u tell ur MW at ur next appointment so she can go through it all and dont leave until u are reassured.

u shouldnt have to stay in any longer than any other maybe a few extra hours but whats an extra day if ur baby comes out healthy a so dont cry u got nothing to worry about!!

xx Love Sammie 35+2xx

i am not actually a GBS carrier...however my 2nd child was born and 2 weeks later he contracted GROUP B STREP MENINGITIS, he was on anti-biotics for 2 weeks and nearly 7 years on he is fine...but because i have had one child with it i am given IV ANTI-BIOTICS during labour, you will be given the same, regardless of the fact i am then kept in for a minimum of 24 hours so they can monitor the baby.

most women carry the virus around harmlessly and just because you have tested positive for carrying it now it doesnt mean it will be present at birth, however regardless you will be given the IV AB's

it is a very scary prospect but the fact you will be given the AB's will protect your little man.

i was terrified of having another baby after my little man incase they got it too, but i went on to have another 2 and now im pregnant again with baby number 5...i know it is hard hunni but try not to panic yourself about it, the fact it has been caught early is a good thing, and makes me more determined to keep campaigning to get them to make it routine.

huge hugs and tons of love
Xx

Hi Rach. Have not been on this site for ages (have 6 mth old dd), but glad I did today to see your posting. I had my dd in Belgium, where they routinely test for Strep B - unlike UK. I was also positive. It is true that many women are carriers and don't know it.

Here's how my labour went....my waters broke (was 10 days overdue) and I went straight to maternity unit. Make sure you have maternity pad down after waters break as the staff test the pad to see if waters have indeed broke and will then administer antibiotics accordingly. I was able to move around during labour. After 12 hours of labour with epidural for half this time, my gynae came saying blood tests results taken earlier showed that there was now some risk of infection (please note - risk, not that there is an infection). I was 7cm dilated. She said if I was 10cm and ready to push, she would have gone for vaginal birth, but as I still had some way to go and no idea how long it would take to progress, she advised on caesarian and that is what happened. Whilst it was a kind of emergency caesarian, it was not that baby was in distress, but more of an informed decision on delivery options. Both dd and I were tested after birth (blood tests) and were clear of any infection.

I wanted you to know my labour story, as the most important thing I think is that nedical staff are reminded from beginning that you are Streb B carrier and they can administer what is necessary. By knowing in advance, as you have been tested, it will help you and medical staff to deal with the medication and provides you with support and answer any questions.

I wish you all the best and please try not to worry. I know it is scary and very sad to hear of what some families have gone through because of not being tested in advance. I felt q passionate about it after having dd, because I know if managed properly, there is no reason for people to go through such worry. Take care.

Z
x