Hi, I'm new here but I've been reading the boards for a few weeks.
I just wondered if anyone could reassure me in some way about Strep B. I had never heard of it but I tested positive in a routine test, and my midwife has told me not to worry, that she has a few women at the moment with strep b and as long as I have the intravenous antibiotics every 4 hours when im in labour, i will be fine.
This all sounded fine at the time but once I was home and had time to think, I had a total meltdown (like i have been lately about nothing) and couldnt stop crying, and spent all night crying to my boyfriend that "i was already a bad mother and the baby's not even born yet"
But now even though I'm getting over those feelings I just wondered if anyone else is in my situation or has been, or knows someone? Anything would help really.
Thanks :)
Pregnancy can be a stressful time, especially with insomnia and such, little worries can grow...
Strep is downright normal.
If You or I were to swap the throats of the next 10 people to walk past chances are about 2 to 4 people would have strep in their throat. Not that this makes them sick as such, if there immunity were the lower (say they had an infection) this could make them sick.
So roughly 20-30% (the figure we give in clinics, so current Australian figues) of women have Strep B present in their vagina.
Some places advise women to test for strep as part of their routine, but remember like every test you undertake it is a choice, your choice.
Of those 20-30% who test positive around one in a thousand will infect their baby with strep.
The consequences can be quite serious, even deadly yet that is if an infection is left unchecked.
If your water break for quite some time before birth (greater than 12 hours) or you have a preterm labour this can increase the risk of strep B infection passed onto your newborn.
You do not need antibiotics if your waters haven't broken, as your baby is in a sterile environment.
I would argue that you don't need antibiotics at all!
If you wish to challenge having antibiotics I have heard dosing up on cranberries, garlic and acidopholus is helpful. Try PMing Emilydoula, I think she has better knowledge of herbals in these circumstances.
You can try this then request a retest, the strep may have cleared and you test negative.
Sadly the Strep B testing regime has lead to some hospitals 'ordering' women to be on an IV drip of antibiotics during labour, so their wishes for an active labout are dashed, and often they face more interventions due to the immobility caused by having a drip.
If you are just having 4hr injections this will be as effective but way less likely to impair you mobility.
My eldest caught an infection in hospital as a newborn from unsterile procedures that almost had the same consequences, he got so sick because the midwives were not checking his temperature as you are supposed to with a newborn, and ignoring my reports that he felt feverish. When finally the complaints were taken seriously (because my mother complained) he had antibiotics and returned to health. But it took 4 days of him not being assessed adequately.
When I was pregnant last (I gave birth to my youngest in February this year) I chose to not test for strep because I did not want to take antibiotics during labour. Plus I was going to be monitoring my daughters temperature very carefully - 3x a day for the first few days of her life. A rise in temperature being the first sign of infection and if that had a occured I would've been comfortable with her having antibiotics. She was fine and healthy.
I felt the risks of antibiotics for me and my baby were greater than the risk of strep, I felt confident that by monitoring her temperature closely I would be assured she was in good health.
I worry the way Strep B is discussed in antenatal clinics, sometimes little detail is given, sometimes it appears women and their partners are mistaking it for an STI. Plus the misinformation (I have heard clinic staff saying once you are positive you remain that way - not true) and have almost never seen the option to test decribed as a choice, just "next visit you will need to do your strep swab".
I have a pregnant housemate that was admonished fairly recently by staff just for refusing to test, exercising her right to make informed decisions, which is supposed to be a cornerstone of the new curriculum of maternity care.
Anyway time to jump of my soapbox on this issue!
Take care, and feel free to ask if you have any questions!
:)
Thank you so much for that.
Basically my midwife said that because Strep B comes and goes, I could have it when the baby is born but it is equally likely I could not have it, but to be safe I should take the 4hr antibiotics..
I guess I'm happy to take the antibiotics if it will protect my baby but at the same time, I'm worried it could also have negative effects? I mean are antibiotics safe for an unborn child, especially one that is going through the stress of its birth?
I see a midwife, and I don't think my clinic tests for this, is that unusual? My son was born about 5 years ago and I was not tested. My water broke and they said if I didn't go into labor within 12 hours, I would get an IV, but I did, and I never found out if I had it. This time, no one has mentioned the test. When do the usually do it?
I didn't even know I was having a test but I was admitted to hospital when I was very early on and they just did an internal and took swabs...and later my doctor said its very routine, but particularly done (in New Zealand anyway) for those under 25 as we are high risk for Chlamydia...it just showed up on that test that I was positive for strep b.
So I dont really know, I think its more just if they find it, they do something about it..
I was reluctant to use antibiotics due to Irritible Bowel Syndrome being quite prevelant in my family.
My eldest son, myself and my sister all have food intolerances and IBS and all had antibiotics as a newborn.
Here Strep is screened for at around 32-36 wks.
Even if something is 'routine' the midwife or doctor still must tell you what is being checked for and have your permission.
At this early stage these results shouldn't have any bearing on what care plan you have at birth, especially as your status could change.
If you are concerned ask to be re-tested in the 3rd trimester.
By the way.
Your bub's due on my youngests date of birth!
I had Strep B when I was pregnant, too. I didn't even know what it was at the time, but my doctor reassured me that it was not uncommon. I just had some antibiotics through an IV while I delivered, so the baby wouldn't get it. Everything was fine and I had a very smooth delivery. I wouldn't worry too much about it!
So...can antibiotics have harmful effects?
I'm getting more worried by the second!
My midwife told me there was an equal chance of me having Strep b at the time of birth as there is of me not having it, but that no test, no matter how late into the pregnancy, was reliable because I could have strep b a week before I deliver and then it could have gone by the time I give birth, or the other way around.
Do I make sense? I'm confusing myself a little!
I chose not to take anti-biotics (more accurately I chose not to test) after weighing up my family risks from antibiotics, my comfort in monitoring my newborns temperature with the risks of strep b.
It was a choice.
Antibiotics would've been a bad idea for me & my bub, doesn't mean they are for you and yours.
Any history of IBS? or allergies to penicilin?
Then re-think.
If these aren't a concern to you then don't worry!
But taking cranberry capsules and acidopholus will lessen your chances of being positive for strep b, if you are choosing to re-test.
I'm pretty sure emilydoula knows a bit more remedies for clearing strep.
As luck would have it, later I had a re-occuring uterine infection and have taken a few courses of antibiotics (not a strep b infection by the way). Got a huge IBS flare up too which I am still struggling to deal with. Each course of antibiotics weakened my natural immunity. I wanted to go to my naturapath but couldn't afford it, plus I was back working shifts at 6 weeks too..
here is a link to another thread about GBS. I have a lot to say but you can jsut read my response here
http://www.girl-mom.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4717&highlight=group++strep